Thursday, February 16, 2017

Play with a Purpose: Story Play

Ring Around the Rosie
by Edward Henry Potthast,1910-1915
Below is an article I wrote last year for the Northeast Storytelling organization. I was honored to present a new workshop, Story Play, at their 2016 Conference in Amherst, MA. 

This year, I am equally honored to bring this workshop, based on my award winning book, Story by Story: Creating a Student Storytelling Troupe, to the 
National Storytelling Conference in Kansas City, MO. The theme is "All Our Voices: Stories of Immigration and Migration" and there will be workshops and intensives on storytelling, business, education, cultural heritage and so much more.
For information go to http://www.storynet.org/conference/ . Workshop descriptions will be added very soon so be sure to bookmark the site.

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”                                                                                                  Fred Rogers                                          
Play with a Purpose!
From the moment my students stepped into the room for the after school storytelling program, ‘after school’ being the operative words, I was already at a disadvantage. By then they had been sitting at their desks for almost five hours, with only 20 minutes for recess, barely any time at all to add movement and play to their day. How could I keep them motivated through 13 weeks of class, especially for those students who return year after year?
  I quickly learned that play and movement were two key ingredients.

While I began to create different worksheets to help them sequence and visualize their folktales, I knew it was equally important to get them on their feet, let their bodies feel the stories. Sometimes it was a combination of both. One of my newest creations, Exaggeration Station, was a perfect marriage of the two. The objective is to encourage them to play with the elements of their story.

I prepared a worksheet for the students to complete before the game, which mirrored the nine poster boards placed around the room; this gave them a chance to think through their choices. Since we were in the school library I used the book stands for the poster boards, placing them on the shelves, no higher than eye level. They were organized in a pattern that wove them up and down the aisles so the children could easily move through the game. We immediately followed up with Walk the Talk, another movement activity, and they quickly incorporated what they discovered while playing Exaggeration Station.

More than once I've reconfigured a childhood game into a new classroom activity. Sometimes inspiration comes in an instant in the most unexpected places. One day I was working with my third grade storytelling troupe. We were using the school hallway for a version of The Virginia Reel. Rather than standing still and facing each other, they were paired up, walking side by side, one teller sharing their tale with their partner. As they were executing the activity I suddenly noticed two girls reach out to hold hands. Immediately, the memory of an old schoolyard game popped into my head and a brand new activity, Red Rover, Red Rover Send Story Right Over, was born.

Another day we began by completing the written exercise, Language Ladders. Immediately after finishing their worksheets I cued up the music and we began to “Dialogue and Dance!” By merging the tactile exercise of writing, then quickly moving to an interactive game utilizing their new story dialogue, it reinforced and stimulated their work.

After fifteen years of teaching I still continue to think about new ways to bring movement into the classroom. It’s no surprise we all love to play so why not incorporate as much as possible into our day and play with a purpose!
  
Want to add some more play to your classroom, to your storytelling? Whether you are a beginning or experienced storyteller, you will find something to add to your story toolbox. Register for my workshop, Story Play, at the National Storytelling Conference this summer and I promise we will have fun...and chocolates!












2016 Recipient Storytelling World Honor Award
2011 Recipient Anne Izard Storytellers' Choice Award
Available at www.amazon.com or http://www.parkhurstbrothers.com/ 


Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

Karen Chace 2017 ©
This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.


Sunday, February 12, 2017

Stor e Telling June July 2016: Reprise

The Storyteller
by
Der Erzahler, 1805
This is the third Stor e Telling installment from 2016. This issue was a reprise of the ‘best of the best’ offered through the years. I did the same with my column and culled through my extensive archives, dating back to 2002, bringing you a reprise of some of my favorite storytelling websites.


4 to 40
Folktales and stories from around the world, including Jakarta, Estonia, Ukraine, and more.
http://tinyurl.com/2965eu 

Absolutely Whootie: Stories to Grow By
Multicultural folktales searchable by continent and country, and play scripts as well. It also offers stories categorized by themes to foster positive behavior and reinforcement.

The Baldwin Project
A comprehensive collection of literature in the public domain; read tales from as far back as 1880.
http://tinyurl.com/jpcpx6m

Chinese Legends, Or, The Porcelain Tower
There are many wonderful myths, folktales and legends from China is this 1848 book by Thomas Henry Sealy, now in the public domain.

Fairy Tales from Brazil: How and Why Tales from Brazilian Folk-lore
Enjoy eighteen pourquoi tales collected by Elsie Spicer Eells from1917.
http://tinyurl.com/k42zduv

The Golden Rod Fairy Book
Published in 1903; stories from England, France, Poland, Bohemia, Russia, India, China, Italy, Denmark, Ireland and Spain are contained within.

Learning to Give
Lesson plans, complimentary folktales, and parent resources to involve students in philanthropy and serving their communities.

Mysterious Britain
Banshees, selkies, giants and dragons are but a few of the folktales and legends from England, Wales and Scotland.
http://tinyurl.com/ld7gro

Myths, Folktales and Fairytales
Explore folklore with Nina Jaffe, experience a storytelling workshop with Gerald Fierst or a myth writing workshop with Jane Yolen. There are teacher guides, assessments, rubrics, and stories.
http://tinyurl.com/2z2ogy

Orkneyjar - The Heritage of the Orkney Islands
Tradition, folklore and more; enjoy the beauty and history of the Orkney Islands.

Sacred Text Archives                    
Explore the world through this amazing collection of texts on religion, mythology, legends, folklore, and more.                                                        

Scottish Fairy and Folk TalesA lovely collection of Scottish fairy and folk tales from 1901.

Speak Bird, Speak Again
A book of Palestinian Arab Folktales from Ibrahim Muhawi and Sharif Kanaana.

Tales of Laughter
A collection tales from Ireland, Spain, France, Russia and other countries from around the globe. They are sure to have you smiling with delight!

Tales of the Punjab: Told by the People
A wonderful collection of Eastern Indian tales with notes to the stories.

Teaching with Folklore Index
An entry point for busy teachers who wish to use folklore with their class; the resources are aimed mainly at elementary grades one to six.

Women and the Sea
A valuable collection of resources outlining women’s experiences and contributions as sailors, lighthouse keepers, yachting, mermaid myths, and more. There is also an extensive bibliography.

If you missed the first 2016 installment you may access it here:

January February March 2016 – Humor
The theme for this issue was humor so you will find some noddlehead stories to make you smile. Also, there are tales to celebrate Candlemas, St. Patrick's Day, National Pig Day, and a few extra goodies.
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2017/01/stor-e-telling-january-february-march.html 

April Mary 2016 – Storytelling World Awards
This is the second installment of my 2016 Stor e Telling column from Storytelling Magazine. The theme was Storytelling World Awards. You will find downloadable public domain books from around the world, stories to celebrate Red Rose Day and Mother's Day, and a few other resources, including links to all of the other columns, dating back to 2007. Have fun surfing!

If you are interested in the previous Stor e Telling columns you will find them all at the links below. Each section has a short synopsis to make it easier for you to find what interests you.

From 1001 Nights to 2001 Story Resources III: Stor e Tellng 2015
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2017/01/from-1001-nights-to-2001-story.html 

 

From 1001 Nights to 2001 Story Resources II: Stor e Telling 2014


From 1001 Nights to 2001 Story Resources: Stor e Telling 2013
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2014/06/from-1001-nights-to-2001-story.html

Stor e Telling Columns: 2007 to 2012 with Synopses
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/12/stor-e-telling-columns-2007-to-2012.html

In addition, all of my Stor e Telling columns in Storytelling Magazine from 2002-2006 are listed on the Publication’s Page on my website. One caveat, I have not had the opportunity to recheck all of the links; that is a project for another day. You will find a point and click extravaganza of story research here:
http://storybug.net/stor-e-telling.html


Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

Karen Chace 2017 ©
This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.