“Listen to the stories that the elders have to tell, of the good times and the hard times they have known. For the stories that they give to us are pictures of the past and maps to guide us as we travel on.” –John Farrell, Singer and Storyteller

We all have stories to tell and sharing these stories with our students is an important part of creating a classroom community that welcomes the stories of each child’s family.

Watch these two videos in which a David Gonzalez, a master storyteller, shares strategies for effective and engaging storytelling:

Finally, watch this video of another wonderful storyteller, Diane Felatte, as she tells an old folktale about Brer Rabbit. Notice how she engages her audience with words and movement, intonation and facial expression:

Now…you are going to tell a story. You may want to share a story about your family or yourself or a favorite story that you enjoyed listening to as a child. It can be a story from a book that you loved as a child.

Remember, you are not reading or reciting from a book. You are storytelling. Think about what story you would like to tell. Then practice a few times. Get comfortable with the story. Add to it. Think about vocal intonation, facial expression, movement. You can add props or sounds if you like. When you are ready, go to Flipgrid and share your story.

If the link doesn’t work, go to this url: https://flipgrid.com/0c869813. The Join code for this assignment is 0c869813.