Although the fairy tale contains violent elements, it may be taught at the elementary level. Context gives students in the second and third grades a means for understanding the purpose of the story and the reason for the violent elements. Teachers can explain that fairy tales always have magic in them so we know that they are not real, and they always have a "good guy" and a "bad guy." Prior to reading, ensure that students understand that the "bad guy" in this story does not do something that normal people can do to them. Activities can also shift the focus of the story to literary elements rather than fear of the witch.
To help students understand the plot, create a map of the events of the story. Have students draw the forest that Hansel and Gretel entered. To begin the activity, create a list of all of the important places where action takes place in the forest. Begin with the entry point to the forest where Hansel and Gretel were left by their stepmother. End with the gingerbread house where the children meet the witch. Have students identify other areas of the forest that were important to Hansel and Gretel's movement toward the gingerbread house.
After reading the story, students construct their own versions of the gingerbread house Hansel and Gretel found themselves trapped in. Students use basic principles of geometry and measuring to construct their houses as they must figure out how big each wall should be and how long the roof needs to be to keep the house together. The activity can be furthered by having students create specific patterns in their decorations on the gingerbread house, either using color patterns or shape patterns.
Puppets can be made from a variety of materials -- old socks, paper lunch bags or cut-outs glued to pencils. Using the puppets, students create likenesses of Hansel and Gretel. Have students pay attention to any details they may have gathered from the fairy tale that give a physical description of the brother and sister. With the puppets, students can demonstrate understanding of the story by re-enacting it for the class.