Online Learning Activities, Writing Activities
Storytelling Workshop with Gerald Fierst: A Writing with Writers Activity
In this online workshop, students share in the magic of creating and telling stories with our voices and bodies.
- Grades: 6–8, 9–12
In Scholastic’s “Storytelling Workshop with Gerald Fierst” (grades 1–8), students are guided by Fierst, a professional storyteller, as they learn about the art of storytelling and create their own story. Our storyteller shares a sample folktale that students can listen to and read, plus writing tips, imagination exercises, and interactive lessons to help them create their own story. The workshop includes:
- About Storytelling: Gerald Fierst shares how storytelling involves putting ourselves in the characters’ thoughts and feelings, and why it should be a personal form of expression.
- Listen and Watch: Students watch a video of Gerald Fierst as he acts out a story.
- Becoming a Storyteller: With helpful steps and examples, students write an outline of a story, a first scene, and two drafts.
- Imagination Exercises: These two exercises further demonstrate how to stretch the expressiveness of the body and voice when telling a story.
- Telling Tales Together:Students can practice telling stories by reading along to How Monkey Stole the Drum. (Suggested movements and gestures are included.)
- It’s Your Turn: Now that students have created an outline, brainstormed and written, and narrated, it’s time to rehearse and perform their stories!
Learning Objectives
While participating in the “Storytelling Workshop with Gerald Fierst,” students will:
- Follow the writing process to create original writing.
- Use web technology to post original writing online.
- Understand how to review and revise their own writing.
- Learn to think critically and objectively about their reading.
- Learn to review and revise their own writing.
- Produce written work to show evidence of knowledge of the different genres.
Related Resources
Scholastic’s rich resource for learning about and writing in these genres fires up students’ imaginations. Includes workshops by the pros.
- Subjects:Listening and Speaking, Writing
- Skills:Listening and Speaking, Writing
