A Story is a story is a story - but there are a confusing variety of stories to
be told and heard. And stories may contain elements of several types of story.
AND A TELLER IS A TELLER IS A TELLER . . .
There is even more variety among tellers than among stories - in fact, whether
telling traditional stories, literary tales, folktales or personal tales, there are
as many storytelling styles as there are storytellers. Storytellers may choose to
sit or stand quietly as they tell, or may go to the furthest extreme, acting out
every character and action in the story. Some tellers dance, others sing; many use
instruments to enhance their telling. Costumes, props and puppets may also define a
storyteller's style.
USING THE STORYTELLERS VIDEO IN THE CLASSROOM
There's no better way to teach your students about storytelling than to have live
storytellers visit your school. But that's not always practical. And certainly,
if you want to demonstrate the diversity of storytelling styles and genres, the task
can become overwhelming. That's why we made the "Storytellers Video," which will
allow you to explore a variety of different styles and genres right in your classroom.
In order for the video to be most effective, we suggest that you show only one storyteller
at each sitting - for instance, Lloyd Aernach's telling of a Cherokee story and the
interview with him that follows. This will allow students to think more clearly about
the story and the style in which it was told. Some questions to consider:
- Was the style of the teller appropriate to the story? Why or why not?
- Did the teller seem comfortable? Why or why not?
- Would you feel comfortable telling with this style?
- Did the style enhance the story Ð make it easy to visualize and understand Ð or did it get in the way?
- Did the teller maintain your interest? Why or why not?
- If the teller had told the story differently (with sound effects, or more movement, or less movement, or props) what would have been the result?
- How would you tell this story?
The video demonstrates more than just story genres and telling styles. Careful
observers can learn a lot!
- Watch how each teller relates to the audience.
- Watch the audience Ð are they completely engaged in the story?
- How does the teller draw in listeners?
- How does the teller introduce the story?
- Does the teller speak too fast or too slow?
Ask students to maintain a journal about their storylistening experiences. Which ones did
they like best? What did they learn from each teller (positive or negative)? How can
they apply what they learned to their own telling?
Help students learn to be observant about storytelling by asking them to complete the
storytelling Performance Skills Rubric for each teller on the video.
After viewing all of the tellers, students can begin to compare and contrast the
styles and genres, paying special attention to appropriateness:
- What style is appropriate to a particular story?
- What style is appropriate to a particular teller?
- What style is appropriate to a particular audience?
- What style is most appropriate for them and for the stories they plan to tell?
|
|
A QUICK OVERVIEW
A folktale is a story that comes to us from the oral tradition. Folktales have
no known author. The version of a folktale which is printed in a book is usually
that author's own rendition of the tale, and that particular rendition is therefore
copyrighted; however, the original folktale itself is in the public domain.
A literary tale is a story from a print source with a known, credited author,
such as Hans Christian Andersen, Rudyard Kipling or Natalie Babbit.
A fairytale can be either a folktale or a literary tale, and will include
elements of fantasy or magic. "Cinderella" is a folktale-fairytale; "Thumbelina"
is a literary fairytale by Andersen.
Traditional tales are folktales told in the traditional manner of the culture from
which they come, as close to the oral source as possible.
Both literary tales and folktales can reflect the heritage, beliefs and values of
a particular culture, and can therefore be effective in multicultural programs.
A fable can also be from either the literary or from the folk tradition. Fables
have morals - either explicit or implied.
A regional story is specific to a particular region, such as South Georgia or the
Mississippi River. Regional tales may be folktales, literary, personal or historical
in nature.
Personal tales are just that - personal stories from the teller's own life or
experiences.
Historical tales are based on an actual historical event, such as the Johnstown
Flood, and accurately bring that event to life.
Biographical tales tell about the life - or specific events in the life - of
a real person. Often, these tales are told in the first-person narrative style.
|
|
