Folk Stories Bring Us Together  

This program begins with a performance of six folk tales from six continents followed by a teacher workshop about the significance of storytelling as a teaching strategy in language development, cooperative learning, and presentation skills. Finally, there are at least two sessions of classroom instruction with each class. Students hear a folk tale and discuss story elements and meaning. They act out scenes, make their own story boards, and participate in activites that teach presentation skills.  The storyteller returns in 3 months for another classroom session with a new folk tale. Students demonstrate what they have learned.    

American Indians in Tennessee

The program is designed to introduce K-2 students to American Indians important to Tennessee history, past and present.  During at least two classroom sessions, students hear authentic stories of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Shawnee, Muskogee Creek.  Students discuss the stories, act out scenes, and create story boards to use in retelling the stories. Photographs, maps, and genuine artifacts, such as a Cherokee drum, are brought into the classroom. One main idea is respect for these American Indian cultures.  A teacher workshop presents current resources for understanding American Indian history and issues.  

Circle Stories Lead to Writing   

Here is a program that features circle stories, folk stories with a clear, strong circular structure.  Teachers participate in a workshop before classroom instruction. The workshop offers activities and resources on storytelling as a highly effective teaching strategy.  Three sessions of classroom instruction include hearing circle stories from different cultures, discussing story elements and meaning, and then acting out the story.  Next, students create their own story board for remembering and retelling the story in pair and groups.  Finally, students compose their own circle story for telling and then writing.