Renée McGurry 2013

Creating Story Vines Materials for top of vine (one per student):

Binder rings Shower curtain rings Thicker elastic hair ties or bracelets

Materials for the Vine:

Fabric cut into strips 2-3” wide, with a length of about 4 feet (1.5 metre) Old sheets cut into strips can be used Stretchy materials work best If braiding chose colours that match your story (brown for earth,

green for trees and plants, blue for the sky, etc.) Macramé cord, 2 metres length Raffia, a grassy fiber taken from palm trees Rope or thick twine Old nylons Rug-braiding materials Thick Yarn (least expensive, most available)

Prompts or cues The prompts can be made with craft materials or drawn on cardstock circles. Items can also be purchased or made from molding materials and then painted. For personal vines, items of sentimental value can be brought from home and attached to the vine. Craft materials to create the items to represent the elements of a story might include:

Felt or foam sheets, drawn pictures can be glued to cut out shapes Popsicle sticks Buttons or plastic vines for decorating Fun foam, model magic Pompoms, plastic googly eyes Feathers, beads, cording for beads Old nylons and cotton for stuffed shapes) Pictures of animals, people, etc. to draw onto cue cards/circles Family or pet photos, postcards Styrofoam balls Old-style clothespins Rings for top of vine, and for hanging purposes Equipment: A glue gun, scissors, markers (sharpies), paints

Renée McGurry 2013

Attaching prompts to vines: Pipe cleaners (easiest) Twist ties, Floral wire, Paper clips or Safety pins for attaching prompts to the vine Single hole puncher for attaching card stock cutouts A few glue guns and glue sticks, white glue isn’t recommended

Notes:

For younger students who are braiding, then choose two colours the same and one of a different colour. This helps students see how the three strips braid together.

If using yarn, maybe use 2 or 3 strands of yarn for each strand of the braid, as this will provide some thickness to the finished braid.

Younger students require help braiding. Older students can be helpers, or parents or volunteers can make the vines ahead of time.

The size of the objects is important. If they are too large, they will not stay on the vine, and if they are too small, the audience cannot see them, and the students have a difficult time using them to assist in the storytelling.

Word cues for character names may be added but written text should be minimal. Try to stick with visual cues.

It is best to start with a story map, storyboard or graphic organizer, much like you might do if creating a picture book. For stories this might include six parts/frames written on file cards or on a template:

Characters Setting Beginning, event 1 Event 2 Event 3 Ending, event 4

Possible Adaptations and Extensions:

How to’s i.e. How to make a snowman Recipes i.e. How to make bannock Historical/chronological events, told in sequence i.e. Treaties (In this case a

classroom vine can be made and added to as the class studies and learns about an event)

Biographies of famous people Field trips or special events As a book report To share one’s own original story As an “All About Me’ project

Renée McGurry 2013

As an author study Choosing a Good Story to Model Oral Storytelling:

In choosing a story to share and model as a story vine, the most important considerations are enjoyment and interest. If you enjoyed it then students will enjoy listening and watching you retell the story.

To model storytelling for the students, you should consider the following: Does the story have a logical sequence of events? Is there at least one really interesting character or event that you can

embellish/exaggerate in order to build suspense? Is there a problem, solution or a decision to be made in the story? Is there action in the story? Is there some dialogue that you can use to incorporate a change in voice to

add to the interest in the story? Can the events or character(s) be visualized so that representations be made

and added to the vine? Does the story generate some emotion in the teller and in the audience? This

might be sadness, humour, suspense, fear, etc. Do you really like telling this story? If so, then you have probably reread it

many time and so you could easily retell it on a story vine. Sample books by Aboriginal authors that work well on a story vine:

How the Chipmunk Got His Stripes, by Joseph Bruchac The First Strawberries, by Joseph Bruchac That’s Hockey, by David Bouchard (many of his books will work) The Seven Sacred Teachings, by David Bouchard Knots on a Counting Rope, by Bill Martin Jr. Mama Do You Love Me?, by Barbara Joose Brother Eagle, Sister Sky, by Susan Jeffers A Promise is a Promise, by Munsch and Kusugak Sky Sisters, by Jan Bourdeau Waboose The Elders are Watching, by Roy Henry Vickers The Rough-Face Girl, by Rafe Martin and David Shannon Beardream, by Will Hobbs The Polar Bear Son, by Lydia Dabcovich Eagle Boy by Richard Lee Vaughan Giving Thanks, by Chief Jake Swamp How We Saw the World, by C.J. Taylor (Short legends) Murdo’s Story, by Murdo Scribe

Renée McGurry 2013

Renée McGurry 2013

Renée McGurry 2013

Renée McGurry 2013

Learning Outcomes

English Language Arts

Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas and feelings.

Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to celebrate and to build community

Social Studies

Identity, culture and community

Active Democratic Citizenship

Managing Ideas and Information

Critical and Creative Thinking

Communication Aboriginal Perspectives

Understanding respect and courage

Understanding oral tradition

Understanding of history and importance of oral storytelling

Understanding of creation stories

Renée McGurry 2013

Art

Students demonstrate understanding of and facility with visual art elements, principles, and media.

Students individually and collaboratively generate, develop, and communicate ideas in creating visual art for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Students connect the visual arts to contexts of time, place, and community, and develop understanding of how art reflects and influences culture and identity.

Students analyze, reflect on, and construct meaning in response to their own and others’ visual art.

Assessment A self-assessment rubric might include:

Voice,

Language,

Sequence,

Composure,

Use of Vine,

Gestures, Confidence As well, it might include comments about what was learned, what was liked, what might be done differently next time. Things to consider when planning, activating and applying the story vine process…

Start with a class discussion i.e. What are legends? What legends have you heard? Why do they exist? What are the messages?

Discuss story sequence and introduce/model the storyboard i.e. Use a story they know, or write one together

Create a gallery walk of legends you have in your library, allow students to look through and read them

Develop criteria together for the retelling of legends

Model a story vine that you have created, have students identify important things to remember when creating a vine.

Use a template/storyboard/index cards for mapping out of main events in the story that the student will be using for the storyvine.

Remind students to include the title and the character names.

Review the components of a good presentation: voice, expression, pointing to cues, sequence, audience, etc.