TELLING THE 398.2’S
BY
MARILYN KINSELLA
I. The Why’s of Storytelling (1/2 hr. workshop w. handout)
II. Multiculturalism through Stories and Myths (handouts)
A. Native American Storytelling and Resources
B. Afro-American Storytelling and Resources
III. How to Tell Folktales (45 min. workshop plus Q’s and A’s)
A. Dissecting a folktale:
1. Tell “Talking Yams”
2. Making a story your own by
a. Repetition - words, phrases, actions
b. Participation - in repetition
c. Dialog - different voices
d. Emotions - astonishment, anger, fear, superiority, etc.
e. Theatrics - dramatics with voice, gesture, eye contact,
characterizations
f. Creative language - alliteration, onomatopoeia, metaphor,
imagery, personification…
3. Story Path (settings) - Farmer is under tree thinking about the yams… to farmer in garden with yams, dog and tree… to farmer at the palace with the king… to King sitting at throne.
4. Bare bones of Story: (action)
a. Man digs up yams and they complain about his laziness.
b. Dog chastises man for being stupid.
c. Tree chastises man for being ungrateful.
d. Man runs to king and tells what happens
e. King thinks he is crazy and orders him out.
f. The throne derides “talking yams.”
B. Fleshing up a folktale:
1. Write bare bones of “Vanishing Hitchhiker” on board.
young person left stranded late one night
someone comes along and gives them a lift back home
young person leaves something in the back of car (taxi, etc)
the one who gave the lift comes back the next day to return item left behind
Person in house shows picture to identify
Finds out that person died on that stretch of road many years ago
2. Individually, or as a small group, write the story.
3. Remember the story path and ways of making a story your own.
Ask for volunteers to read their stories.
