Title
Writing the Hero’s Journey: Building Writing Skills through Storytelling
and Oral Language.
Art Form
Storytelling and writing
Target Audience
Classroom teachers grades 2-8
Topic
Helping students develop writing skills through oral language and storytelling.
Length
3 hours.
Approach
The workshop leader will:
1. lead teachers in activities to identify and explore basic elements of storytelling,
including use of voice, face, gesture, dialogue and repetition.
2. lead teachers through identification and structure of the “hero’s
journey” story archetype.
3. lead teachers through developing individual stories by using the oral storytelling
process.
4. lead teachers in writing individual stories based on the story form.
5. help teachers consider ways to teach students the process, and to adapt it
for different grades, subjects and abilities.
6. create a safe learning environment to encourage participants to take risks.
7. share materials and resources available for further study.
8. review with teachers major concepts from the workshop.
Results
Teachers will:
1. know storytelling’s basic elements and techniques.
2. be able to identify and teach the structure of the “hero’s journey”
archetype.
3. be able to lead students through the process of creating, telling, refining
and writing a story based on the “hero’s journey” form.
4. appreciate the value of storytelling and oral language in developing writing
skills.
6. appreciate storytelling as an art form that is central to human culture.
Rationale
All students can become better writers by learning to approach writing first
from an oral perspective. By telling their stories and ideas, they are able
to develop ideas in the medium that comes most naturally. Organization, descriptive
language, voice and sentence fluency all follow more easily when the “pre-writing”
takes place orally, rather than on the page. Storytelling is a natural way to
teach this process.
Description.
First we talk, then we write. As we grow older, the two processes become even
farther apart. However, by beginning writing projects in an oral context, barriers
to inspiration and structure fall. We can write what we have already explored,
rather than trying to write and plan at the same time. Storytelling provides
a lively vehicle for helping students to write more comfortably, more fluidly
and with greater skill. Using a common story form, teachers learn basic storytelling
techniques and explore ways to create and write stories. Teachers can use this
oral approach as a foundation to the “six traits of writing” techniques.
Join storyteller Stuart Stotts for this practical, hands-on workshop that provides
strategies for actively involving students in honing their skills in writing
by using oral communication.
Logistical Factors
Limit 35 participants.
A room large enough for participants to break into small groups and have some
space around them, to talk with each other without disturbing the next group.
Chairs in a circle, one for each participant.
Large Table.
Water for drinking for everyone.
A snack at entry and for the break.
Flip chart on free standing easel and markers.
Paper, writing utensils and clipboards or other portable surface to write on.
Attachments
Artist resume and references.