CEClang.51
TITLE: STORY STARTERS
AUTHOR: Frances Vitali, Lake Valley School,
Crownpoint, NM
GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT: Appropriate for all grade
levels, Literature
OVERVIEW: Children enjoy telling stories as much as
they enjoy listening to them. Sometimes simple props
such as masks, puppets and costumes take the attention
away from the student so s/he can focus on the content
and telling of the story. In using every day objects
as props, students become more relaxed to let their
story unfold naturally and creatively while others (the
audience) enjoy the visual representations as well as
the oral delivery.
OBJECTIVE(s): Students will be able to:
1. Orally tell different kinds of stories using the
assistance of props.
2. Be a performing storyteller as well as a
receptive member of the audience.
RESOURCES:
Teacher = box, container, or paper bag
Students = odds and ends to contribute for prop box
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
1. Explain that not all stories are written down.
Ask students for examples of stories they know are
not written in books (oral history, family
stories, etc.).
Optional - Tell the story, "KNOTS ON A COUNTING
ROPE" by Bill Martin and John Archambault as an
example of a family story.
2. Ask students to think of the many different and
unusual ways you can tell a story (mime, poetry,
theater, plays, dance, ballet, etc.).
3. Take an empty box and have each student contribute
something small to put in the box - pencil,
button, penny, string, bobby pin, tissue, etc.
(anything they freely are willing to give up for
a while or are willing to donate without wanting
it back).
4. Suggest that just as an actor/actress on stage has
props and scenery, you are going to tell a story
using the objects in the box as the props and
scenery for YOUR story.
5. Tell a short story using some (not all) of the
objects from the box as you tell the story to the
students.
6. Explain that all students will have a chance to
tell a story using the props in the box.
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER: Storytelling is a special
activity that may be reserved for special times or for
all times keeping in mind respect for the
storyteller and the audience. A ritual of lighting a
candle during storytelling time can be observed.
Variations:
students in the audience can illustrate stories being
told stories may be told according to specific genre:
Mystery, Horror, Comedy, Fiction, Biographical,
Autobiographical, Science Fiction, etc.
Story Improvisation - the telling of a story will
include a given condition, setting, situation, or
theme, etc.
Story Relay - One student begins a story and another
student can pick up the story where the previous
student left off, followed by another student until the
end of the story.
Story telling is an effective means of communication.
I heard a storyteller once say, 'When you read a book,
the audience connects with the pictures in the book.
When you tell a story, the audience connects with you.'
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John Kurilecjmk@ofcn.org