1) Recognize the internal tempo and beats present throughout a short story or fable appropriate for children grades Pre K - 4 2) Develop distinguishable character-types for the characters found in their short story or fable. 3) Incorporate natural gestures and body movement to engage their young audience. 4) Convey the overall meaning of the story both in a short introduction and in their manner of delivery to the audience.

BASIC OPERATIONS AND CONCEPTS: Students will utilize the internet to locate a story, myth, tale, or fable which they will tell to elemntary students. TECHNOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS: Students will use email to communicate with the elementary students before and after the storytelling performances.

STANDARD 1: Accesses information efficiently and effectively. STANDARD 7: Recognizes the improtance of information to a demo- cratic society. STANDARD 9: Participates effectvely in groups to pursue and generate information.

In this unit, "the student-artist has the opportunity to create an imagined world about human beings/animals; it is the role of the actor to lead the audience into this visual, aural, and oral world." (National Standards for Theater Education, 12) Throughout this unit, students will realize the importance of preserving the oral tradition. Each student will witness the importance of oral tradition when they perform their story for elementary students at a local elementary school. Performing for elementary students is paramount to the success of this unit as it encourages positive interaction between primary and secondary students.

1. EMAIL BULLETIN BOARD: Students will have the opportunity, periodically thoughout the Storytelling Unit, to post questions about storytelling concepts via email. 2. FLOW CHART: Students will create a flow chart which displays the storytelling preparation process. 3. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION: Students will be video taped while they perform their stories in front of the class. Following the performances, students will be critiqued individually by the Drama Coach.

LESSON 1. INTRODUCTION TO STORYTELLING - Drama Coach will model storytelling by telling a story to the students. Following the performance students will be introduced to the components of storytelling via a powerpoint mini-lesson. Students will be able to define "storytelling" as established by the National Storyteller's Association. Students will be responsible for taking notes. LESSON 2. STORYTELLING GAMES AND LINEAR THINKING - Students will discover their inner "storytelling" resources by participating in two storytelling games. Storytelling Assignment Explanation (Web-based) - students will develop web-based skills by locating the assignment information on the web page established for the Drama 1-2 class. LESSON 3. STORY EXPLORATION (Web-surfing with pre-established locations conducive to fulfilling the assignment qualifications) Students will develop web-based searching skills by finding a story from the Internet which is appropriate to the assignment and for a young audience. LESSON 4. CRITERIA FOR SUCCESSFUL STORYTELLING (Web-based) - Students will be asked to locate information which outlines criteria for successful storytelling. Each student will be responsible for sharing at least two criteria with the rest of the class. LESSON 5. STORY PREPARATION - Criteria for final evaluation will be established. Students will be instructed on how to prepare their stories for performance. Students will prepare stories also by utilizing criteria shared by their classmates. Preparation of stories for performance will take place both in class and at home. During the second half of class, students will email their assigned elementary class at a local elementary school expressing their enthusiasm regarding the upcoming elementary performances. Students will also introduce themselves to the elementary students in order to establish a rapport with their young audience before performances. LESSON 6. PEER CRITIQUES - In groups of three, each student will perform their story and receive constructive criticism from the other two students in his/her group. Students will use skills of criticism as pre-established by the Drama Coach. Following the group work, students understanding of the storytelling process will be assessed using the email bulletin board. LESSON 7. CLASS PERFORMANCES - Each student will utilize the criticism and criteria which they have encountered during preparation of his/her story to successfully perform their story for his/her classmates. LESSON 8. CRITIQUE SESSIONS - Each performer will be critiqued by the Drama Coach using the video-taped performances. Following their critique, students will have the opportunity to respond to the teacher via email and rehearse their story using the Drama Coach's constructive criticism. Students may also email fellow classmates and offer congratulatory messages regarding assignments (Note: all messages will be routed to the Drama Coach for monitoring) LESSON 9. ELEMENTARY PERFORMANCES - Each student-storyteller will perform his/her story to their assigned elementary classroom utilizing the constructive criticism given by the Drama Coach. The students will be required to adapt their stories for the primary students as unforeseen situations are made manifest. Time will be provided following the performances, for elementary students to respond to the performers. If time permits, the student-storytellers may play the "Circle Story" encountered in LESSON 2, with the elementary students. WRAP UP: Student-storytellers will repsond to email sent by the elementary students and their teachers following the field trip visit.

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Information Manager Students locate, comprehend, interpret, evaluate, maintain, and apply information, concepts, and ideas found in literature, the arts, symbols, recordings, video and other graphic displays, and computer files in order to perform tasks and/or for enjoyment. Effective Communicator Students communicate in English and other languages using information, concepts, prose, symbols, reports, audio and video recordings, speeches, graphic displays and computer-based programs. Ethical and Responsible Workers Students display responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management, integrity, and healthy decision-making. Resource Manager Students appropriately allocate time, money, materials, and other resources. Systems Manager Students integrate their knowledge and understanding of how social, organizational, informational, and technological systems work with their abilities to analyze trends, design and improve systems, and use and maintain appropriate technology. Cooperative Workers Students work cooperatively to successfully complete a project or activity. Effective Leader Students establish credibility with their colleagues through competence and integrity and help their peers achieve their goals by communicating their feelings and ideas to justify or successfully negotiate a position, which advances goal attainment. Culturally Sensitive Leader Students appreciate their own culture and the cultures of others, understand the concerns and perspectives of members of other ethnic and gender groups reject the stereotype of themselves and others and seek out and utilize the views of persons from diverse ethnic, social, and educational backgrounds.

Lesson 2: Storytelling - Games and Linear Thinking
Lesson 1: Storytelling - An Introduction