Exploring and Retelling a Popular Story

Students work together in groups exploring character, setting and plot and then

retell the Kind Midas story.  In this exercise students will need to demonstrate

creativity, group work and leadership skills by working together as a team.

Cross-cultural Understanding in the Classroom

This lesson incorporates language arts, social studies and computers to examine different

cultural stories.  Students will start by researching a story from their cultural background,

share these stories with their classmates and celebrate a variety of cultural traditions.

Peace Building and Conflict

This lesson plan includes a number of different creative writing and group activities to

help  students interact with each other.  Students will gather, collect and retell

origin stories from other cultures and write a story in their small groups.

Cultural Perspectives in Astronomy

This lesson reviews how motion and position of celestial objects play a special role in the

aboriginal culture and traditions. Students will also have the opportunity to explore various cultural

perspectives about astronomy and be involved in various activities that involve storytelling. 

The Rajah's Rice and Equity

This geography lesson uses the story Chandra the elephant bather to introduce the physical geography

of India and the necessity of equitable economic sustainability.  Students will do a gallery walk of

pictures from India and discuss what pictures intrested them and what it tells them about life in India.

The Mystery of the Moai

This social studies lesson uses a story of the Moai statues of Easter Island to discuss

the culture and mystery behind the island.  Students work together in small groups

to create their own story of how the statues came to be there.

Two Wolves

This Cherokee story of two wolves lends itself to an exploration of each student's personal

values as well as allowing for them to discover what kind of person they want to

be. Students will have an opportunity to respond to the story using art amd drama.

Ananse the Spider - An African Folktale

This lesson uses differnet cultural stories to increase students' knowledge of customs and

traditions in other cultural backgrounds.  Music, dance and drama are incorporated

to bring life to the story especially for the musical and kinesthetic learner.

"Bobby the Boo" An Empathy Lesson

This lesson discusses a story of a boy that likes to scare people.  Students will discuss how others

react to him and how they can deal with their fears.  It is important to  talk about peoples'

feelings, why we have rules and why there are consequences when rules are not followed. 

No Contribution is Too Small

This activity utilizes storytelling to help create classroom community.  It is part of a larger unit

intended to reduce violent and aggressive behavior in the school setting.  This activity will

explore how each person can contribute according to their own talents and abilities.

ensoko - Japanese Field Trip

The following project is organized to create a more inclusive student community by creating a

more inclusive staff community.  The plan is formated as a professional development day,

which includes a number of activities that could be adapted for students as well as staff.

Baba Yaga and Empathy

A Russian fairytail about Baba Yaga, the main part of the unit will be told several times.  The story contains many examples of compassion and empathy which will hopefully instill a deeper connection and understanding of empathy in students.  The storytelling approach has been used to reach the children in an indirect way of learning.

Using Traditional Ukrainian Folktales

This lesson was developed with the goal of teaching peace and tolerance though the rich gifts of

Ukrainian folktales.  Students will have an opportunity to practice their storytelling skills based on  past

experiences, engage in a map making activity and hear the story of The Bear From That Other World.

Right Start to College

This plan is designed to be used at various times during different courses in the Para-Education 

Program at Red River College.  It includes many activities that involve storytelling to build

communties and provide students the opportunity to make peace with various aspects of themselves. 

Building Community with Inuit Music

In this unit music concepts and skills are developed in conjunction with learning Inuit culture.

The inclusion of stories are meant to help studnets connect with themselves and others. Activities

are designed to help build community and the knowledge and appreciation of another culture.

Fostering Empathy and Understanding

The intention of this unit is to enhance children's understanding and acceptance of other people's

point's of view.  Water will be used as one of the themes in this unit.  Students will read and write

fairytales, explore stories from different traditions, create a living tableau and a class picture book.

A 'Pourquoi Tale' Dramatization

In this lesson students will become familiar with a variety of 'Pourquoi Tales' and be able

to present one particulate tale as a group to their peers by means of dramatic play. This

activity has been chosen to encourage students to work together and leave their confort zone.

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