Why Story

As friend and colleague Papa Joe once said to me: We learned language so we could tell stories. When we tell stories we become human. Stories keep us human. We are creatures who learn best by story. Everything we do or say is wrapped in story. Jonathan Gottschall talks about this in his book The Storytelling Animal, how stories make us human. Annette Simmons talks about how you can use storytelling in business in The Story Factor, the inspiration, influence and persuasion through the art of storytelling. And if you need proof and references to the science behind it (which is INCREDIBLY interesting) Kendall Haven has it covered in his very readable Story Proof, the science behind the startling power of story.

Storytelling, I have discovered, is one of the best ways to engage students who are normally labelled as ‘trouble’ or ‘wallflowers’ - the quiet student at the back, or the one sticking pencils in the ceiling, pssting at the kid next to them. At one of the first residences I did, a student who rarely spoke in class became a leader when it came to storytelling. Kids with lack of self-worth or who lack confidence almost change overnight into people who are eager to share their stories in front of classmates, or even the whole school, proving to others that they are productive citizens.

Storytelling not only engages people, but increases vocabulary. Students become more involved in their work, and begin to open up when playing with story, including using new words as they seek out less common verbiage. Storytelling can break down barriers. It can increase a child’s understanding of the world about them, and different cultures. Storytelling using folk and fairy tales can also provide a strong moral compass. Studying and presenting stories like The Ramayana or Gilgamesh can be incredibly enriching for students. There is a very different way students engage when they experience the story the way it was meant to be experienced, through oral storytelling – not being read to from a book.

(Resources, and work examples, below photo)

Some of these resources will be for social studies and some will be for language arts. Some will be for younger students and some for older. You get the picture! If you are looking for something in particular, please reach out to me.

Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood (France), or Little Red Cap (Germany), depending on whether you are reading the Brother’s Grimm version or Charles Perrault’s, is a great story to bounce around. Here I have created five different tellings of the story, each to present a different point of view.

To view the videos please go to: https://vimeo.com/showcase/8798556

To access the videos, you will need the password: Bexley

1/. Just the facts, is from a witness's PoV

2/. Is the basic folk tale using both Perrault's French version and the Grimm's German version combined

3/. This PoV begins from the belly of the wolf and might be closer to a PG-13 version than normal!

4/. The PoV of the Huntsman

5/. This is an audio telling incorporating the PoV from (in order) Little Red Riding Hood, the Wolf, Granny, the Huntsman, and Little Red's Mother in one continuous tale

Listening/watching these films and the audio will show how a different lens can colour a story slightly. Looking at the same tale from different points of view is a great experience for writers to try out, and can bring insight to a tale which might not have occurred to a writer before.

Some questions to ask students (LANGUAGE ARTS):

After watching Just the Facts. Pretend you don’t know the full story. What do you think happened that might not be included in the witness’s story?

Does the witness take sides, or does he remain neutral? If he is on ‘sides’, whose side is he on? Why do you think this?

Does the Belly of the Wolf PoV work? Does the storyteller start at the beginning of the tale? What did the storyteller have to do so it made sense? Is this story slightly scarier than the other versions you have seen? Why?

What is different about The Huntsman version of the story from the others? What kind of person is the Huntsman? Is he good at what he does? What are the traits the Huntsman has that makes you answer the last two questions in the way you did?

At what points does the PoV change in the audio telling of the tale? Who’s PoVs are you hearing the story from? Is there a PoV you like best? Why?

What is the difference between a first person and third person telling of a story?

Is most children’s literature written in the first or third person? Which do you prefer and why?

Write a version of Little Red Cap/Little Red Riding Hood from one character’s point of view. Choose a tense to write the story in or try to change the tense and make it work seamlessly.
Why did you choose this PoV?

What character traits did you like about your chosen character, and why? What were the traits you did not like? Did you change any of the traits? Why?

What other variants of the story are there? (Answer: There is at least one version from China called Lon Po Po, and another European tale called The Wolf and the Kids. See: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/there-are-58-versions-of-little-red-riding-hood-some-1000-years-older-than-the-brothers-grimms-180947704/)

Social Studies Connections:

Where are France and Germany?

What are some foods that are popular in those countries? What foods are these countries known for which Red might have taken to her grandmother? Have you tried any of these foods and if so, what were they and did you like them?

What kind of food would you take to your grandparents?

What was the wolf population in the 1600 and 1700’s compared to now? What happened to the wolves?

In the early recorded versions of the story, the huntsman has a gun. What sort of gun would it have been in the 1700’s? What weapon would he have had prior to the invention of guns?

Name some of the larger forests in France and Germany.

Do you have German or French heritage? Do you know where in those countries your family has roots?

What heritage/roots do you have? Are there similar stories from your own heritage?

Write a short story similar to Little Red Riding Hood/Little Red Cap based in a country of your choice (not Europe or America), and feature foods and animals and tools which would be indigenous to that country.

Studies have shown that young people who know their heritage and celebrate it are more resilient and confident. By sharing one’s own culture, your can create a stronger community. By sharing stories, the community binds.

This above videos were done as part of an experiment for an on-line course Lani Peterson and I created. It proved successful. I hope you also find this helpful and fun for the students, and they do not get too tired of Little Red Riding Hood/Red Cap!

Stay tuned for more ‘work sheets’. Other resources found here!