Hans Christian Andersen Teacher Resources
From “Thumbelina” to “The Emporer’s New Clothes,” the tales of Hans Christian Andersen continue to entertain children and adults alike. His magical characters and worlds of bright whimsy could put the stories in a fairy tale category, but the relatable characters and lessons learned throughout his collection could also be classified as folktales. How would you categorize them?
Learn more about Hans Christian Andersen with a lesson that could be used with any of his stories. Additionally, an activity from the Getty Museum inspires young learners to picture Andersen’s characters in the context of popular art from his lifetime time.
Want to celebrate Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday in your literature class? A Lesson Planet article provides several ideas for commemorating the author who brought happiness to many generations. For theater classes, an examination of a stage adaptation of “The Little Mermaid” promotes close reading and critical thinking skills.
No matter how you bring these delightful tales to the classroom, the quaint enchantment of Hans Christian Andersen’s world will bring a smile to any student’s face.
Showing 29 resources
Curated OER
Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales
A thorough lesson introduces learners to Hans Christian Andersen, the nineteenth-century author who created wonderful tales. They read the original texts of several of his stories, including "The Ugly Duckling," "The Little Mermaid,"...
BBC
Tales of Hans Christian Andersen
Fairy tales seem like quick, fun children's stories, but asking compelling questions about characters, plot elements, and literary themes can transform them into rich and complex tales. Use a series of eight lessons on Hans Christian...
Storynory
The Emperor’s New Clothes
An 18-minute audiobook expresses the importance of speaking the truth with an engaging reading of "The Emperor's New Clothes" by Hans Christian Andersen.
Storynory
Thumbelina
Thumbelina may be small in size, but she is mighty in courage. Listen to Natasha, the engaging narrator, as she tells the tale of "Thumbelina" by Hans Christian Andersen in a 33-minute audiobook.
Storynory
The Little Mermaid Part One
Enjoy an engaging reading of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" with a three-part audiobook. The first part of the emotional tale takes listeners under the sea to follow the little mermaid's journey above water to explore the...
Storynory
The Little Mermaid Part Three
Listen to the final part of a three-part audiobook featuring Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale "The Little Mermaid." Intrigued listeners hear the conclusion to the little mermaid's choice of living an immortal life under the sea or...
Scholastic
Folk and Fairy Tale Readers: The Princess and the Pea
Enrich a primary grade unit on fairy tales with this printable version of the classic story "The Princess and the Pea." With a simple story structure and a blend of short and long sentences, this is a great resource for developing the...
University of Houston
The Snow Queen Study Guide
Even the kindest friends can become selfish and tyrannical in Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen." Class members complete story-themed exercises in language arts, social studies, and even physical science.
Storynory
The Little Mermaid Part Two
Continue Hans Christian Andersen's story of "The Little Mermaid" with the second part of a three-part audiobook. A captivating narrator takes listeners along the little mermaid's path to becoming a human after falling in love with a prince.
Victoria Theatre Association
The Ugly Duckling Resource Guide
Our differences aren't meant to divide us! Use Hans Christian Andersen's classic tale "The Ugly Duckling" to reinforce the concept that appearances don't define someone's character, and that there is always somewhere where we belong.
Curated OER
Hans Christian Andersen, Magic Maker
Hans Christian Andersen was a spinner of fine tales that have been read and retold to countless generations of children.
Curated OER
Picture a Character
How would Jean-Etiénne Liotard paint the characters from "The Little Mermaid?" What would the main character from "The Little Match Girl" look like from Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes' point of view? After examining various paintings...
Curated OER
Happy Birthday Hans: How To Celebrate International Children's Book Day
Honor Hans Christian Andersen while encouraging young readers with enjoyable projects and activities.
Curated OER
Artistic Interpretation of a Classic: The Author's Role
Reading the original Hans Christian Andersen tale of “The Little Mermaid” and viewing the Great Performances: The Little Mermaid from the San Francisco Ballet video offers class members an opportunity to consider how artistic decisions...
Curated OER
Telling a Story
Junior high and high schoolers watch a short video about effective storytelling strategies. As they take a virtual field trip to the Hans Christian Andersen story hour in Central Park, learners differentiate between writing a story and...
Core Knowledge Foundation
Fairy Tales and Tall Tales Tell It Again!™ Read-Aloud Anthology
Enrich a unit on fairy tales and tall tales with a set of read-aloud lessons. Second graders hone writing, vocabulary, comprehension, and literary analysis skills as they read classic stories. Complete with extension projects, discussion...
Stephen F. Austin State University, College of Fine Arts
The Ugly Duckling
It's not about what you look like on the outside! A study guide for the stage adaptation of The Ugly Duckling reminds learners that being cruel to those in need is not helpful—and that we all belong somewhere.
Curated OER
"The Nightingale" Story Comprehension
In this story comprehension learning exercise, students answer a set of comprehension, discussion and extension questions about the story The Nightingale. A suggestion for research is included.
Curated OER
International Children's Book Day
Celebrate International Children's Book Day using this resource. Learners complete activities, such as reading a passage, sequencing, unscrambling sentences, writing questions, conducting surveys, and writing. Students complete twelve...
Curated OER
Internet Hunt at the "Fact Monster" Web Site- May #3
In this Internet fact hunt worksheet, students access the "Fact Monster" web site to find the answers to 5 multiple choice questions. They answer science, history, and geography questions.
Curated OER
Historical Moments
Here is a lesson designed to be an ongoing task for the entire year. Each day of the week, learners must perform research to answer a simple historical question. This particular lesson covers the month of April, but the template...
Curated OER
A Month of Mapping Literature
Explore the world through literature! With push pins to mark where each story came from, learners examine cultural differences, geographical location, and how those elements affect story content. This lesson could use deeper development,...
Curated OER
An Introduction to Opera: The Emperor's New Clothes
Fifth graders are introduced to opera, its vocabulary, definitions and are given an opportunity to listen to an opera sung by children. They identify phrases and events in the story, "The Emperor's New Clothes." Each student creates a...
Curated OER
Influential Individuals of the 19th Century
By learning about some of the people who shaped the 19th Century, students can find out about this important time period.
