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Classroom
Ideas for Using The first section contains ideas you can use with any recording. To reach ideas for a specific recording, just select the recording title from the list below: Some Dog and Other Kentucky WondersHaunting Tales: Live from Culbertson Mansion Stepping Stones: Stories for Children 4 - 10 1000 Ideas and Then Some The Winter Wife and Other Stories Sailing the Flying Ship Telling Stories: Fiction by Kentucky Feminists (book) Sisters All. . . and One Troll Teachers, if
you develop a new use for one of my recordings in your classroom,
please send me your idea. I'll post it and send you a coupon good
for a discount on your next recording purchase. Ideas for Any Recording Pleasure - Just play a story and listen for the sheer pleasure of the story. Imagination - When listening to a recording,
your students will also be exercising their imaginations because
they create the visuals. To heighten student awareness of their
specific imaginative powers, listen to a story. Then ask students
to describe (either through writing or drawing) a character or a
place from the story using specific details. Storyteller's Tools - The tools of a teller
face-to-face with an audience include voice (dynamics, pitch, pacing,
inflection, tone, sound effects), body language (movement, stance,
gesture), facial expression, words, and audience feedback (used
by the teller as a guide to changes in pacing, vocal dynamics, and
word choice to suit the specific audience). The audience looks at
and listens to the storyteller to comprehend the story. Listening Activity - Judy Sizemore,
arts educator, writer, and frequent writer-in-residence, creates
a listening exercise for primary students by playing a story from
one of my recordings followed by the students drawing pictures of
what they heard. To learn more about Judy's work, contact her at
(606) 364-5831 Dialogue - In my storytelling, I speak for every character. How do listeners know who is talking when? How do listeners know how characters feel about what they are saying? Compare and contrast my techniques with the techniques writers use. Why must techniques vary? Try this activity: Transcribe a dialogue passage from one of the recordings. How does it have to be changed to work as dialogue for a reader? Sound Tracks - Ruben Moreno, a visual artist, conducts clay animation residencies. For some projects, his students and their teachers listen to my recordings, select the tales they want to animate, then either use my recordings for the sound track of their animated videos or retell the tales in their own words to create sound tracks. To learn more about Ruben's work, contact him at (502) 635-6541. Different Media, Different Perceptions
- Judy Sizemore, arts educator, writer, and frequent writer-in-residence
uses my recordings, along with videocassettes of storytelling, and
stories told in person. The students write about audience perception
of stories heard via different media. For more information on Judy's
work, contact her at Kentucky Narratives - On this recording you hear a sampling of the many genres of Kentucky tale-telling traditions. Tales include, "Stormwalker" a true ghost story; "Some Dog," a tall tale; and Kentucky versions of tales brought over from England, "Lazy Jack" and Europe, "The Farmer's Daughter." On the Some Dog CD, you can also hear "Jeff Rides the Rides," a Hamilton family anecdote, and "Jump Rope Kingdom," a personal narrative and an example of what is by far the most widespread Kentucky telling tradition, the tales we tell about ourselves. "Lazy Jack" - This tale is one of many told about Jack, a common character in Appalachian and English folklore. You'll find other tales about Jack on Haunting Tales, "Sop Doll" and Stepping Stones, "Jack and the Wishgiver." "Stormwalker" and Tornado Time - Jeff Hamilton, a high school teacher, plays "Stormwalker" just before he delivers information to his students about where to take shelter in case of tornados. He's discovered they are much more interested in this information after hearing the story. "Stormwalker" and Point of View - "Stormwalker" is a true story told to me by Roberta Brown. You can read Roberta's retelling of these events from her life in her book, The Walking Trees and Other Scary Stories (August House, 1991). Quite naturally, we tell the story differently. These differences provide your students with an excellent opportunity to compare 1st person and 3rd person retellings of the same events. They will also notice how tellers reshape stories heard orally when retelling them. To learn more about Roberta Simpson Brown's work, see her website: http://www.robertasimpsonbrown.com "Stormwalker" and Story Collecting - Let "Stormwalker" inspire your students to collect stories from their families and friends. The story combines two of the most common types of tales told in Kentucky - the personal experience story and a ghostly, or unexplained, event. Related tale topics abound - times when you were afraid, times when you were caught in a storm, times when someone helped you, times when something that could not be explained happened, and ghostly encounters. "Some Dog" and Radio Drama - In radio drama residencies, Casey Billings, plays "Some Dog" to help his students grasp the concept of 'writing for the ear' and to provide them with an example of a tale with a strong sense of place. (CD only) "Jeff Rides the Rides" and Story Shaping - This story relates an event I learned about in a telephone conversation with my father. I have kept the truth of the tale while reshaping it for telling to listeners outside my family. Listen to the story. Challenge your students to identify information in the story that is needed for an audience of strangers, but would not be needed with an audience of family members. You can also ask your students to imagine how telling about the phone conversation would have changed the story. (CD and Book: The Scenic Route) "Jump Rope Kingdom" and Personal Narratives - Here's the memory that I developed into "Jump Rope Kingdom." "In first grade, Anna Jo Hinton, one of the big girls, taught me how to run into the jump rope." Such a brief memory by itself does not a personal narrative make. To create the narrative, I began with the memory, then asked myself questions: Why do you remember this? Why did it matter then? How do you feel about it now? What can you tell your listeners to help them understand why this incident could loom large in your memory? Listen to the story and challenge your students
to identify how and why specific details helped them picture what
happened, why the events happened, and why this incident mattered
to me. Storytelling, Sound Effects, and Writing - In my storytelling the sound effects I use are all created by my voice alone (no microphone assisted special effects). Your students could easily imitate any sound I use and incorporate such sounds into their spoken word work. Sound effects you'll hear on Haunting Tales include snorts (with inflection!) in "Sam'l (and the Graveyard Worm)," cats in "Sop Doll," and voices on the wind in "The Tailypo." Challenge your students to figure out how the same impact conveyed by the sound effects in the telling could be conveyed to readers in writing. "The Beaded Bag" and the Influence
of Setting on Story - The influence of setting within a story
goes well beyond words, "in 1892 in Indiana." Yet, many
students want to name a year and a place, and then carry on with
the rest of the story as though time and place matter little. In
this retelling of the urban legend "The Vanishing Hitchhiker"
I have set the story in the Victorian era. "Tailypo" and Story Patterns - Compare "Tailypo" with such tales as "The Golden Arm," "The Hairy Toe," or "Teeny Tiny Woman." Ask your students to identify the common pattern in these tales. Superstitions - One superstition for keeping scary things away is talked about immediately following "The Tailypo." What other superstitions do you and your students know? Why not make a class list? Students could also collect superstitions commonly known among their relatives. "Sop Doll" and Jack - This tale is one of many featuring Jack, a common character in Appalachian and English folklore. You'll find other tales about Jack on Some Dog and Stepping Stones. "Promises to Keep" and the Civil War - Need a way to help your students view the Civil War as more than dates and battlefields? While the plot of "Promises to Keep" is based on legends and the characters are fictional, the specific dates, battles, and regiments are historically accurate in this eerie and poignant tale. "The Men in the Open Grave" and the Power of Perception - Just what is the relationship between perception, motivation, and accomplishment? To take a humorous look at the connections, listen to this funny Kentucky tale. (CD only) "Mr. Fox" and Story Pattern - "Mr. Fox" is the English variant of a tale known as "Bluebeard" in French folklore, "Fitcher's Bird" in the German folklore collected by the Brothers Grimm, and "Three Yarn Balls," a Kentucky tale collected by Leonard Roberts and published in Old Greasybeard: Tales from the Cumberland Gap (Pikeville College Press, 1980). Look at several variants; find the common pattern; then dare your students to use the pattern to write their own chilling tales. back to top Stepping Stones and Primary Students - Penny Terry, a Primary K-1 teacher at Cedar Grove Elementary in Bullitt County, KY, plays Stepping Stones when her students cut and glue or practice their penmanship. All soon quack along with "Drakestail" and sing along with "The Bun." Without realizing they've been learning stories, her students eagerly retell the tales to other classes. "The Bun" and Story Patterns - This tale is the Russian version of the more commonly known "Gingerbread Man." Create a Venn diagram with your students to show what is alike and what is different about these two stories. Use the common characteristics to create runaway food stories of your own. "The Bun" and Safety - What could Bun have done to stay safe? What role did false flattery play in fox succeeding in tricking Bun? (Look at other false flattery stories. Ex. the fable of "The Fox and the Crow.") "Drakestail" and Story Patterns
- This French fairy tale uses the same pattern as all of the following
stories: "The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship" from
Russia, "Rum, Pum, Pum" from India, "The Bremen Town
Musicians" and "How Six Men Got On in the World"
from Germany, and "Jack and the Robbers" from Appalachian
folklore. Check your school library to see what versions are available.
Once your students are familiar with the pattern, you can create
new stories that fit the pattern. "Vasilisa the Beautiful" and "Cinderella" - "Vasilisa the Beautiful" is the Russian version of "Cinderella." After your students listen to this tale, have them work in small groups to make a chart showing how this tale is the same and different from the "Cinderella" tale they know about. Follow that adventure up with an investigation of other "Cinderella" variants from your school library. You can find a recording of my multi-cultural retelling “Eleven Cinderellas” on my CD Sisters All . . . and One Troll. "Vasilisa the Beautiful" and the Baba Yaga - This story includes Baba Yaga, the most popular character in Russian folklore. Look for additional Russian tales featuring Baba Yaga in your school library. After exploring several, see if you can create a list of common characteristics of this very popular character. back to
top "1000 Ideas" and Planning - Use this tale to help your students grasp the difference between brainstorming ideas and developing a plan. "None But Timothy Brennan" and Etiquette - Timothy Brennan gets kicked out of house after house when he fails to provide expected entertainment. What expectations do your students and their families have for people who visit their house? Your students would probably be surprised to learn that not every household has the same expectations about feet on the furniture, or where it is appropriate to eat, or if visitors should knock before walking in, etc. "Mr. Fox" and Story Pattern - "Mr. Fox" is the English variant of a tale known as "Bluebeard" in French folklore, "Fitcher's Bird" in the German folklore collected by the Brothers Grimm, and "Three Yarn Balls," a Kentucky tale collected by Leonard Roberts and published in Old Greasybeard: Tales from the Cumberland Gap (Pikeville College Press, 1980). Look at several variants; find the common pattern; then dare your students to use the pattern to write their own chilling tales. "The King and His Advisor" and an Essay of Opinion - The advisor in this story repeatedly insists, "Everything happens for the good." Does it? Have your students write their reaction to that statement using examples from real life to support their opinions. back to top "A Place to Start," "Jeff Rides the Rides," Storytelling, and Life Skills - Both of these stories tell of incidents that weren't funny when they happened, but seem funny later. Being able to laugh at our mistakes and/or embarrassing moments is an important step toward healthy living. Did you or your students ever have something funny happen that wasn't funny at the time, but seems funny now? If so, tell about what happened to you. (Yes, the person involved should do the telling, not observers of the event. I did speak with my brother and my uncle before telling their stories.) Did you ever encounter something for the first time and make a mistake when you tried to figure out what it was? Students need to know that adults around them have indeed made mistakes and survived. Your students might want to know that my uncle is retired from a successful career as an engineer and trouble-shooter and my brother is in the midst of a teaching career. "Rabbit and the Alligators" and Triumph
Over the Powerful - Alligator is far more physically powerful
than Rabbit, but Rabbit manages to triumph. How? What skills does
Rabbit use? Rabbit almost gets away without a scratch, but doesn't.
What's the lesson to be learned about triumphing over the powerful
from Rabbit's mistake? "The Winter Wife" and Building Plot Tension - In this story, you follow the characters through repeated changes of season. Examine how the events of each summer and each winter build tension in the story. This story also uses lots of repetition. How does repetition build tension? "Jeff Rides the Rides" and Story Shaping - This story relates an event I learned about in a telephone conversation with my father. I have kept the truth of the tale while reshaping it for telling to listeners outside my family. Listen to the story. Challenge your students to identify information in the story that is needed for an audience of strangers, but would not be needed with an audience of family members. You can also ask your students to imagine how telling about the phone conversation would have changed the story. back to top "Sailing the Flying Ship" and Public Speaking - This recording provides a fine example of the interweaving of folktales, anecdotes, and commentary. I have met Toastmaster instructors who tell me they use "Sailing the Flying Ship" as a great example of how to successfully weave stories into a speech. "Sailing the Flying Ship" and Life Skills - This recording contains practical advice about navigating life. Students can listen and do the two exercises included together. This presentation has set the stage for learning at conferences; it could set the stage for learning in your classroom and throughout life as well. back to top "Susan Contemplates Murder" and Plot Structure - Upper level high school students may want to look at "Susan Contemplates Murder" to explore the plot structure. As it is written, the plot is not chronological, but jumps back and forth in time. This is not just an attempt at cleverness, but serves an important function in helping the reader develop empathy for Susan as well as providing bits of mystery. To understand what I mean, first read the story as is. Then, photocopy the story, and cut the different time segments apart. Rearrange them in chronological order. Read the story again. Most readers will now have much less empathy for Susan, and instead will want to shake or lecture some sense into her! The hints of mystery also vanish. back to top Active Heroines – In my introductory notes to this CD, I compare these traditional active heroines to Nancy Drew. Make a list of other active heroines – female characters who determine their own fates - you and your students enjoy. “Kate Crackernuts” and Writing Exercises – Here are some writing prompts sparked by the story.
“Three Sisters and the Troll” mystery solved – Whatever happened to the hen? The hen’s role in the story seems to be to cause the sisters to leave home, but what happened to it? Write/tell what happened to the hen. “Three Sisters and the Troll” and Murder She Planned – By the end of the story, is the youngest sister guilty of murder? Why or why not? Trolls – “Three Sisters and the Troll” is one of many tales told about trolls. Look in collections of folktales from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark for other stories about trolls. From reading several stories, what characteristics, if any, do most trolls seem to share? Trolls in Pop Culture – How do you think people view trolls today? Be sure to give examples to support your answer. “Three Sisters and the Troll” other versions - In the CD booklet, you will find a bibliography of other versions of this story. Check with your school or public library to learn which other versions are available. Compare these with the text of the story as told. Can you identify any changes made that were needed because I chose to tell to be heard instead of writing to be read? “Eleven Cinderellas” Artist Comparison - Find picture book versions of the same Cinderella tale illustrated by different artists. Compare and contrast their choices of what scenes to illustrate and how to illustrate them. “Eleven Cinderellas” and Multi-cultural retellings – Look in your school or public library for picture book versions of the Cinderella story from a variety of different cultures. Put together a single journey through the plot, using pieces from different versions. Mark the sections you’ve chosen with sticky notes; stack the books in the order in which you will use them; share your own multi-cultural retelling of the Cinderella tale. “Eleven Cinderellas” and the rest of the story – Using notes provided in the CD booklet and assistance from your school or public librarian, locate complete versions of each of the “Eleven Cinderellas” stories I chose to use. Your students will enjoy learning what happened in the rest of the story. “Eleven Cinderellas” and Active Heroines – Cinderella an active heroine? Many people would doubt Cinderella’s inclusion in a selection of active heroines. Often, this is because their acquaintance with Cinderella has come about through the Disney animated film or the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical (multiple productions available). Look at the portrayal of Cinderella in film or on stage. Compare/contrast her with Cinderella from traditional narratives. HOME/PROGRAMS/ABOUT MARY/STORY STORE/ARTICLES/WHAT'S NEW? Mary
Hamilton, Professional Storyteller
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