The Root of the Story

Lesson 6:The Root of the Story

Materials

Dr. Who clip

Journals

Hook: “One Word”

1. Play Dr. Who Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXdEWSoRi0g
2. Write the journal on the board.

1. “What do you have to know in order to communicate with others using one word sequencing? What do you have to do?
2. How could this exercise be helpful when shaping your stories?”

1. Have students write their answer to the prompt and down.
2. Ask students to share and discuss.

• Context

1. Facial Expressions
2. Helps communicate
3. Find your guide posts

Activity: Boiling the Story Down

1. Set up speed dating seating, aka paired seats facing each other for every member of the class.
2. Students will tell their stories using only 10 sentences. They can’t be run on sentences and the whole breadth of the story must be communicated.
3. Rotate the students to 3 different partners. Each time they should adjust based on what they learned from the last telling.
4. Next, students will tell their story in 10 words, rotate them 3 times.
5. Next, students will tell their story in 5 words, rotate 2 times.
6. Have the students pause.
7. Tell a Personal Story and have one word that sums the experience up. Share that with students.
8. Ask them to decide on one word that sums up their whole story and share it with a partner.

Discussion

1. Ask students what they learned about their stories in that exercise. Were they surprised by anything they learned? What discoveries did they make about story telling?

Closer

1. Remind students that next class we will be previewing.
2. Assign Homework.

Homework Assignment

1. Tell your story three times, each to a different person. The more people in one sitting the better.