Everyone's a Storyteller

Introduction:  

Everyone loves a good story. Childhood memories are filled with bedtime stories and stories of family members and friends. Some of the world's finest writers have recycled old stories. Shakespeare's Hamlet lived an earlier life under the pen of another writer. While great writers use the plot and characters of earlier works, they enrich the tale, making the new telling uniquely their own. Today the authors and illustrators of children's books create beautiful retellings and reinterpretations of legends and tales. When writers such as Paul O. Zelinsky and Robert D. San Souci begin their study of tales of other cultures, they not only research the tale, but also the culture and historical period of the tale. Additionally, the art and even the lay out of the book is carefully considered to create a total reading experience. Stories of the past can still be very much alive today.

The Task:  

Select a tale or legend from a culture other than your own. After reading the story, explore the culture and history of the culture which produced the tale. 

Retell the story in a form appropriate for a children's book, providing an author's summary of what you learned about the culture. 

Plan the arrangement of your book, considering the placement of the words and illustrations on the page. Also consider the type of paper to be used, the binding and the cover illustration.

The Process:

At the computer:

• Select a story to retell.

http://www.guilford.k12.nc.us/resource/language10.htm

http://www.storyarts.org/links/folktale/index.html

• Research the culture and history which produced the tale and document your sources.

http://schools.guilford.k12.nc.us/spages/grimsley/links/countries.htm

http://www.guilford.k12.nc.us/resource/socst10.htm

http://www.ncwiseowl.org/reference/citations.htm

• Explore the world of storytelling to understand the creative process.

http://www.storyarts.org/classroom/retelling/index.html

http://www.aaronshep.com/stories/index.html

• Explore the world of children's publishing to understand the process of creating a book.

  http://www.harperchildrens.com/hch/picture/features/aliki/howabook/book1.asp

In the classroom:

• Retell the tale in language appropriate for children.
• Create an author's summary of the cultural and historical information. Document your sources.
• Plan the lay out and illustrations for your story. A storyboard may be a way to organize the material.
• Create the book.

Resources:

• Sources for tales and legends.

http://www.guilford.k12.nc.us/resource/language10.htm

http://www.storyarts.org/links/folktale/index.html

• Sources for cultural and historical information.

http://schools.guilford.k12.nc.us/spages/grimsley/links/countries.htm

http://www.guilford.k12.nc.us/resource/socst10.htm

• Sources for documentation

http://www.ncwiseowl.org/reference/citations.htm

• Sources for storytelling process.

http://www.storyarts.org/classroom/retelling/index.html

http://www.aaronshep.com/stories/index.html

• Sources for publishing and book creation.

http://www.harperchildrens.com/hch/picture/features/aliki/howabook/book1.asp

Evaluation:

Project Rubric (Printable version)

Project Rubric (Calculator)

Conclusion:

 Stories are meant to be shared. Share your story with your class and a young friend.

Created by Nancy Culclasure, Media Specialist and AP English teacher at Western Guilford High School.

culclan@guilford.k12.nc.us

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