5th+Week+Activities


 * 5th Week in the Classroom:**


 * Materials Needed:**
 * Paper or cloth bag containing at least 4 items (could be anything
 * Lined paper for letter-writing
 * Envelope for each student (optional)
 * Peer Coaching Rubric


 * 1. Objects in a Bag:**
 * Fill a bag with 4 objects (can be random i.e. stone, rope, ring, piece of cloth, etc)
 * Share these objects with the students.
 * Ask them to choose one of the objects thinking about how it connects/relates to a character in their story
 * Write how this object connects to that character. Why is it important to that character. What's the story behind this object?
 * Ask if any students would like to share their descriptions/explanations with the class. Share them in order by object.
 * If not everyone has time (or wants) to share their writings, ask students to pair up and listen to each others' writings.
 * Then ask the partner to pick out a line, phrase or word that stands out in the writing to share with the whole class.
 * Teacher writes down the words or phrases on chart paper to document.


 * 2. Peer Coaching:**


 * 3. Virginia Reel (from __Children Tell Stories__, p. 41):**
 * Ask students to form two equal lines, facing each other.
 * Establish a loud signal (wind chimes, drum) that students can hear over their storytelling
 * One line tells their story to the partner facing them in the other line, simultaneously until the signal is hear (1 or 2 minutes - teacher gauges). The listening line does just that: Listen.
 * When the signal is sounded again, switch roles. Listeners become the tellers until the signal sounds for them to stop.
 * Then the first person in one line moves to the end so that everyone has a new partner.
 * The game continues. Tellers have a choice: they can either start their story from the beginning or continue where they left off.
 * This game helps build confidence in telling their stories, while having fun.


 * 5th Week in the Library:**


 * Materials Needed:**
 * chart paper and markers for brainstorming Elements of a Story list


 * 1. Ending Your Story:**
 * Ask students to sit in a circle on the rug.
 * Ask them to think about where the story ends, what do you see, how would you describe it?
 * Is it informative, humorous, mysterious, peaceful, dangerous, peaceful, etc?
 * Endings are difficult because you’re back in the room and are your self. Back to reality. People don’t need to know you’re done. DON’T say THE END!
 * So what do we do instead? In English, we tend to slow down and drop in pitch when we end a story.
 * Eyes stay or linger where they are and then when they chance focus, that signals the end. Also sustain the gesture.
 * Ask students to turn to someone next to them and practice saying their last line. Practice as a whole class so students feel comfortable practicing. Signal for the other student in the pair to practice his/her ending.
 * Then ask each student to stand up and individually say their last line, being sure to slow down, lower their pitch and sustain gesture and eye contact for a moment before changing focus to signal the end.


 * 2. Shaping Elements of a Story:**
 * Brainstorm the shaping elements of telling a story. Lead students to a list that incorporates these elements:
 * 1) VOICE: pacing/pause, volume, tone and pitch. Tone is the most important of the 4 elements of voice! It’s in the variety of all 4 that gets the attention of your story
 * 2) CHOICE OF WORDS
 * 3) MOVEMENT : gesture & posture
 * 4) FACIAL EXPRESSION
 * 5) EYE CONTACT
 * 6) AUDIENCE: awareness, space (proximity to audience & within room to be sure everyone sees you). Don’t move for no reason – you must have purpose!
 * 7) STILLNESS & SILENCE
 * 8) TRANSITIONS – especially between scenes are often the places where you forget.
 * Notice that shaping elements are mostly NONVERBAL!


 * 3. Isolating the Voice Elements:**
 * Ask everyone to recites the nursery rhyme, Jack & Jill: very monotonous sounding
 * Model **//Pacing//**: Jack goes up (speak slow) Jack falls (speak quickly) Jill tumbles (speak even faster)
 * Model **//Volume//:** Jack goes up (speak softly), Jack falls (speak loudly), Jill tumbles (speak ever louder or softer)
 * Now combine these two elements and try reciting again
 * **//Tone//** is governed by who tells it: Practice tone using these examples: Jack’s mom on the phone with the doctor, Jack’s dad is tired of hearing about his kids’ antics. The neighbor children who can’t stand them.
 * **//Pitch//** was already used in ending the story, but if time, model Jack using a lower voice and Jill a higher pitched voice