The Art of Storytelling

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.

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.