Unit(s): Oral Interpretation
Purpose:
To assist students in identifying the historical background of stories, the different sources of stories, and to present a story for an audience
Objective:
The student will be able to select appropriate tales for storytelling that suit the audience and the occasion and exhibit good literary qualities.
Materials:
- Handout "Storytelling History"
- Handout "Places to find Stories"
Procedure:
- Introduce storytelling utilizing a discussion of the historical background material.
- Use the "Places to Find Stories" to help students begin recognizing the places they have collected stories through the years.
- Students will then be asked to find a story to edit.
- In selecting a story to tell, they should consider the effect that the story was intended to produce. Some stories emphasize characters, some emphasize events, some emphasize truths or morals. In selecting a story to tell, be sure, too, that the story has action, that something is happening all the time.
- Be sure, too, the student chooses a story they enjoy.
- The student should also choose a story appropriate to the audience and the occasion.
- The student should choose a story that has good literary qualities.
James Witcomb Riley told about little Orphan Annie's gift of storytelling when he stated:
An' all us other children
when the supper tings is done,
We set around the kitche fire
an' has the mosted fun
A-list 'nin' to the witch tales
'at Annie tells about
An' the gobble-uns' at gits you
ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!
Storytelling is truly an art that may charm and inspire.
The art of storytelling is very, very old. Ancient Greece has storytellers who related tales of noble deeds. The Arabian "rawi" was ready with a tale to suit any audience: today in a camp, tomorrow at the bazaar or the inn, another day at the festivities of the rich: and from his often repeated stories came The Arabian Nights. England's first poetry, The Canterbury Tales, was written by Chaucer as a series of stories told by pilgrims to shorten their journey. In France, troubadours told tales of the Crusaders and of Charlemagne. The Scandinavian countries had their "skaids" and Germany their "minnesingers" who related stories about their countries. The early American Indians told fables of the Sun-man, the Earth-woman, and the Bear-star to their children. In far-off Polynesia, girls were selected each year to chant the folk tales of the Pacific Islands. Indeed, the storytellers throughout the ages have been the creators of literature--from Homer to Hans Christian Andersen, and from Joel Chandler Harris to Carl Sandburg.
Storytelling today is popular as ever. Most large libraries have storytelling hours. Storytelling highlights the annual celebration of National Book Week. Many cities and libraries sponsor storytelling at book fairs. The National Storytellers League has a vast number of storytelling members. Many universities offer courses in storytelling. Churches, camp groups, and vacation Bible schools offer storytelling programs.
A good storyteller must have a pleasing voice, one that is pure and clear, and is loud enough to be understood by all who listen. He must not talk too rapidly, nor yet too slowly. He must be able to portray each story character by the tell-tale qualities of voice. When telling stories to children, he must remember that, unlike youth and adults, children demand exaggerated dramatization.
The myth. A myth is a fabulous narrative of a superhuman being. Myths are the results of the imaginative minds of primitive nations who tried to explain the wonders of nature by their own interpretation and not by science. In myths you find explanations of the creation of the world, the creation of man, death, summer, and winter. Gilgamish is an example of a myth.
The fantasy. In a fantasy the reader or listener is asked to travel to some other place other than this world where all of the action takes place as a dream sequence. Also, in the fantasy, personification often takes place when animals and inanimate objects take on human characteristics. Peter Pan is an example of a fantasy.
The fairy tale. The fairy tale is similar to the fantasy in that the location is in a make-believe world and takes place "once upon a time." The characters of the fairy tale are often of noble birth, the down-trodden, or elves and fairies. Much of the action of the fairy tale involves the use of magic. Snow White is an example of a fantasy.
The adventure story. an adventure story is a narrative in which danger is encountered and the outcome is determined by chance. Black Beauty is an example of an adventure story.
The historical story. The historical story is a narrative of historic events. It often presents history in a fascinating form. Examples of this type of story are the "Boston Tea Party, " "The Story of the Alamo," and "Betsy Ross and the American Flag."
The biographical story. The biographical story relates the chronological events of a person's life, usually the life of an outstanding person.
The Bible story. A Bible story is a story about a Biblical character or a Biblical incident.
The special-occasion story. Special occasions stories tell of special days or events, such as Easter, Christmas, Halloween, and the birthdays of heroes.
The modern short story. The modern short story deals with interesting people, tells of them from an interesting angle, and unfolds in an exciting way. This type of story is short, has rapid movement, and leads to a pointed climax.