ArtsWork - Drama & Theatre Source Book

Introduction
Drama/Theatre
Plays
Playwriting/Screenwriting
	Character Game Character from History Scenarios Sceenplay Dialogue Examples 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade Infanta Little Princess
Theatre Artists Work Together

Acting
	Warm-Ups Improvisation Examples Improvisation Starters
Scene Design/ Environment
	Environment Intro Making an Environment Setting Collage Floor Plan Props Finding Props Costume Renderings

Directing

Criticism & Audience
	Creating the Play Designing the Play Performing the Play Seeing the Play/ Movie
Storytelling
	Examples & Outline Practicing your story
Dance
	Careers Warm-Up
Pageant
Puppet Show
Tableau
Teachers Guide

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Storytelling

Practicing Your Story

Make changes to the story.
Share your story outline with your teacher and a classmate. Ask them if they have any questions about the story or if they have any suggestions. If any of their suggestions give you ideas for some changes to your story, please make the changes.

Practice telling your story

Now practice telling your story out loud. Tell it to someone you know. Your parents? A brother or sister? A friend? Your dog or cat? If no one has time to listen - just tell your story out loud in a quiet space where no one will bother you.

Don't read your story. Just keep in mind the beginning, the middle and the end and then tell the story in your own words.

After you tell your story once, think about details to add to make your story even more interesting. For instance:

What does the place look like?
What does your animal look like?
How does he or she feel?
Is there any dialogue? Do the animals talk to one another??

Add it all. It will make the story more fun.

Here is how Shayman’s story grew and grew. Each time he told it he added more interesting details. This is the first telling. We've put the new details, that weren't in his outline, in blue.

They were hungry! They complained to their oldest brother. He said, “Stop complaining. Do something about it.” They decided to ask Coyote cause he was sneaky. He had good ideas.

Coyote listened to them. He said, “If you had long, sticky tongues, you could stick them out. The bugs would stick to them and not get away. They asked coyote if he had any long, sticky tongues. He didn’t have any. He said, “Why not ask Snake? He has a long tongue.”

So they went to snake and asked for tongues. He said, “No!” They knew he was lying.

That night they came back. They were very quiet. They didn’t want to wake up Snake. They looked and looked and finally found where Snake had hidden lots of tongues. They each got one.

Now they could wait for a nice bug, stick out their tongue and catch it!

And that, boys and girls, is how lizards got their long, sticky tongues.

The last time Shayman told it story, it went like this! Again, we’ve added the new ideas in blue.

Why Lizards Have Long Sticky Tongues
A long, long time ago when the world was new, lizards didn’t have long tongues. They liked to eat nice, fat bugs, but they couldn’t catch them. They’d lie in wait. Then they’d jump out at the bug and shut their mouth – fast. They tried and tried, but they ended up with empty mouths. They were hungry! Their bellies were empty. Their ribs began to show.

They complained to their oldest brother. “We’re so hungry! Get us something to eat.” He said, “I can’t feed you. I have enough trouble feeding myself. Stop complaining. Do something about it.”

“But what can we do?” they asked. The oldest brother thought. “Why not ask Coyote. He is sneaky. He has good ideas.”

They crossed the hot desert looking for Coyote. They saw lots of delicious bugs, but they didn’t even try to catch them.

Finally they found Coyote resting under the shade of a big rock.

Coyote listened to their story. He thought a bit. It took some time because it was so hot. Finally, he said, “If you had long, sticky tongues, you could stick them out. The bugs would stick to them and not get away.

“What a wonderful idea!” Then they asked, “Do you have any long, sticky tongues?” Coyote didn’t have any. He said, “Why not ask Snake? He has a long tongue.”

So they went to Snake. They stood a long ways away because Snake sometimes ate lizards! They called out, “Coyote sent us. He said you’d have some long, sticky tongues we could use to catch bugs.”

Snake looked at them. He was grumpy because they woke him up. He said, “No!”

“But if you give us tongues, we can eat more bugs. Then we’ll be fatter if you want to eat us!” Snake hissed, “Go away and let me sleep. Or I will eat you, now!”

They knew he was lying.

That night they came back. They were very, very quiet. They didn’t want to wake up Snake. Now he might be hungry. They looked and looked and finally found where Snake had hidden lots of tongues in a small hole in the sand. They each reached in and pulled out a tongue.

They quickly scurried away. Then they put in the tongues and tried them out. They could reach a long, long way. They had to be careful because sand could stick to them. They practiced and soon they learned to get just the nicest bugs. They would wait very quietly, stick out their tongue and catch them!

And that, boys and girls, is how lizards got their long, sticky tongues – and are nice and fat today. They learned to ask good questions and use their wits to solve their problems.

Telling your story
You want to be certain that when you tell your story everyone can hear and understand what you and your characters are saying. Use "an outside voice." Be certain your volume is loud enough.

Also, work to make your voice interesting. You can talk more loudly and/or quietly to make some parts more exciting. This is vocal variety. You can also use a higher or lower voice. You can talk more slowly or quickly. This vocal variety will make your listeners want to hear what happened to your characters!!

Tell your story to an audience.
Find students in another classroom who will enjoy your story. Perhaps you know someone who has a video camera. Ask them to videotape you telling your story.

Critique your story and story telling.
As always, thinking about what you did well and what you might change to be even better is what an artist would do. Click on critique for questions to ask yourself about your storytelling.
Now the story should be yours to tell over and over again! Have fun – and give others the pleasure of listening to your story.


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