Janet and the Fairy Queen – Bravery, Love, and You
Special Guests from Folklore Scotland
Rebecca Brown & Dave White
How storytelling helps us understand ourselves better.
In this episode, we explore the Scottish folktale of Tam Lin, where a brave young woman named Janet saves her true love from the Fairy Queen’s spell. Through Janet’s story, kids learn how folklore can reflect who we are, what we value, and how courage can come from the heart.
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Activities for this Episode
🎨 1. Design Your Own Fairy Tale Cloak
Kids imagine a magical cloak that represents their inner strengths.
They can draw symbols, choose colors, and label special parts of their cloak like:
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“This shows I’m brave when…”
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“This part shows I care about…”
🪞 2. Story Mirror
A personal reflection activity where kids draw themselves in a storybook mirror and respond to prompts like:
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A character I admire is…
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A time I was brave was…
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A way I help others is…
🖍️ 3. Color & Retell: Tam Lin Scenes
Kids color four key moments from the Tam Lin story and then:
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Put them in order
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Write what’s happening in each scene
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Give each panel a comic-style title!
Scottish Folklore with Folklore Scotland
What We're Learning Today
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We’re hearing the Scottish folktale of Tam Lin, a story about courage, love, and standing up for what’s right.
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We learn how stories help us understand ourselves and each other.
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We meet Janet—a brave heroine who saves Tam Lin from the Queen of the Fairies!
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We discover how folklore can reflect identity, values, and deep human connections.
In The Classroom
Discussion Questions for the Classroom
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What does it mean to be brave like Janet?
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Why do you think stories can help us understand ourselves?
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How are the stories we hear today like the stories people told long ago?
Curriculum Connection
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Social Studies & Literacy: Exploring cultural stories and their meanings.
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Character Education: Discussing personal identity, empathy, and moral courage.
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Arts Integration: Using visual art and storytelling to express self-awareness and understanding of folklore.
Extension Ideas
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Write Your Own Fairy Tale Ending: What happens next for Janet and Tam Lin?
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Create Your Own Fairy Queen Character: What kind of powers does she have? Is she kind or mischievous?
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Compare Another Heroine in Folklore: How is Janet similar to or different from other brave girls in stories?
More From This Series:
Scotland In Our Backyard is a video series celebrating Scottish heritage in North Carolina — created by the Scottish Cultural Outreach Foundation with support from NC Humanities.
Explore the full series on YouTube
This program is supported in part by North Carolina Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, www.nchumanities.org.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this video do not necessarily represent those of North Carolina Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
