Master Storyteller, Bill Gordh has begun his Residency with third grade classes at PS 31 in Queens.
Below a student directs his classmates to act out his story.
“… Having fellow classmates dramatize their stories provides an inviting opportunity for the young storytellers. The performers are eager and the “audience” that is often restless when a fellow student is sharing a story is now enthralled with the theatricality of the event.
In this instance the activity has been built so that the seated students are actively participating as the wolves who sing and sway, and become a part of the overall expressiveness of the storytelling. This makes students more eager to participate when they are called upon to share their stories.
As for the student actors, they willingly take on the characters BEFORE they know what their character is going to do. This demands that they become excellent listeners. They must hear the description and actions of their character and then support the storyteller by fully committing and acting out the story the person has created. Each storyteller in turn gets that kind of regard which leads the whole class to listen more carefully to each other and feel confident as developing storytellers.” –Reflections from Master Storyteller, Bill Gordh
How amazing to have a chorus of swaying wolves! And it is so wonderful how these student- crafted tales are so spontaneously put on their feet! Full-group engagement for sure!
What a wonderful way to promote active listening. Sounds like this is also a great way to allow the kids to take responsibility for raising and lowering the affect level of their own class. And what fun! I mean, who doesn’t want to be a singing wolf at some point of the day?!