This book is about the intersection of storytelling and science. Recognizing that humans are hard-wired for narrative, this collection of new essays integrates the two in a special way to teach science in the K-6 classroom. As science education changes its focus to concepts that bridge various disciplines, along with science and engineering practices, storytelling offers opportunities to enhance the science classroom. Lesson plans are provided, each presenting a story, its alignment with science (Next Generation Science Standards), language arts (Common Core State Standards) and theater arts standards (National Core Arts Standards). Instructional plans include a rationale, preparation, activities and assessment.

Today's increasingly interconnected and globalized world demands that students be taught to appreciate human diversity and recognize universally held values and beliefs. Authentic, culturally based folktales can lay the foundation for this cultural understanding. Professional storytellers like editors Sherry Norfolk and Lyn Ford are deeply committed to bringing people together through story. In this book, they have identified a group of culturally diverse storytellers whose carefully researched tales authentically reflect the cultures from which they come. The book includes well-crafted, culturally authentic folktales contributed by storytellers of varying cultures and ethnicities. Commentaries from the contributors follow each tale, reflecting on the story and its significance to the culture it represents. Sets of questions for teachers and librarians also accompany each story to facilitate discussion. Teachers, librarians, and information specialists find that stories engage students' attention and empathy. The commentaries provide insights into the significance of cultural norms, customs, and beliefs represented in the story, and the discussion questions and guides help them drill down with students to achieve deeper understanding. Resource lists of additional relevant materials at the end of each section promote continued learning. Demonstrates how folktales are engaging, non-didactic, and entertaining-they captivate students' attention while allowing them to explore other cultures and value systems Provides commentaries that offer insights into the significance of the cultural norms and beliefs represented in each story Includes thoughtful and effective discussion questions and guides that save librarians and teachers time Offers resource lists of relevant materials for further study

This book supplies stories, essays, lesson plans and specialized storytelling strategies to help teachers "level the playing field" for all learners and better serve children with special needs. More than 57 percent of the over 6 million American children with disabilities are in inclusive (i.e., general) classrooms; "self-contained" classrooms serve children whose disabilities are either more severe or disruptive. As much as 20 percent of the children in an inclusive classroom are identified as "disabled," with the highest percentage of these having learning disabilities. While most classrooms have at least one child with a disability, teachers often have little or no training in educating and caring for these children. The need for resources that support educators working with children with disabilities or social/emotional difficulties is clear. This book fills this critical need, supplying school and public librarians, classroom and special area teachers, and storytelling teaching artists with storytelling strategies for reaching and teaching children with special needs in inclusive classrooms, self-contained classrooms, and public and school libraries. These full-text stories, essays, and lesson plans from experienced storytelling teaching artists provide educators with a wide range of adaptable storytelling and teaching strategies for specific disabilities and enable storytellers to discover news ways to perform their storytelling magic. The book also offers compelling real-life anecdotes that demonstrate the impact of these strategies in inclusive and self-contained classrooms; presents an introduction to the skills of storytelling, why they are useful, and how to use them; and includes suggested modifications for a wide range of disabilities as well as detailed resource lists. Provides a variety of successful storytelling strategies for reaching and teaching children with specific disabilities, enabling educators and mentors to choose options that will work best for their teaching environment and students Provides immediate access to stories, strategies, and adaptations to meet specific needs Offers a joyful, engaging, and thoroughly human way to interact with all students-a method that makes giving the gift of empathetic education easier

This exploration of model storytelling projects shows librarians how to expand their roles as keepers of the stories while strengthening their communities. Community life is built on its stories. Our history and culture-those of society and of individuals-are passed from generation to generation through stories. Engaging Community through Storytelling: Library and Community Programming examines a wide variety of model storytelling projects across the country, reflecting how storytelling can encourage community attachment, identity, and expression in libraries, community centers, and schools. The contributed essays-written by experts in their fields, many of whom served as developer, fundraiser, director, and implementer of their project-provide detailed information about the inner workings of a wide variety of model storytelling projects from across the country. The authors delineate the need, scope, and audience for each project and offer riveting anecdotes that evaluate the success of that project. Many of the articles are accompanied by one or more photographs documenting the work or practical how-to-do-it guides to encourage and enable replication. Thoughtful commentary on and review of the key concepts in each chapter are provided by the book's editors. Presents an inspirational and impassioned documentation of how storytelling can and is being used in libraries, community centers, and schools to engage and strengthen communities Helps librarians create programs for youth storytellers that keep children and young adults involved in their schools and communities Showcases replicable programs that can readily and immediately be implemented in school and public libraries, as well as in other community organizations Provides a timely and effective response to tension and divisiveness in our communities

This resource offers a series of grade-appropriate lessons that link storytelling in the classroom with the development of essential language skills. Literacy Development in the Storytelling Classroom shows just how powerful a tool storytelling can be for building vital language skills-not just reading and writing, but speaking, listening, visual literacy, and information literacy as well. It is an exceptionally rich and rewarding resource that helps teachers and tellers work together to focus story time on language development. Moving grade-by-grade from pre-K to middle school, Literacy Development in the Storytelling Classroom offers both research-based ideas and specific lesson plans for using storytelling to promote literacy learning. Lessons seamlessly integrate material from traditional domains of social studies, science, math, and language arts, while incorporating elements from the creative arts, such as music, visual arts, drama, dance, and folk crafts as both storytelling vehicles and curriculum extensions. The stories themselves in this collection are drawn from the full spectrum of the world's cultures-every child is represented, and every child will benefit from the concepts and lessons in this remarkable book. Specific lesson plans for each level from pre-K to 5th grade Contributions from a variety of professional educational storytellers and teachers who use storytelling in their classrooms Photographs of children engaged in storytelling lessons as well as original children's art and additional diagrams and charts An extensive bibliography of print, multimedia, and online resources on both the theoretical basis and practical applications of classroom storytelling An appendix of national standards and abbreviations

Consisting of a series of essays written by storytellers who work in the classroom, as well as teachers who use storytelling in the classroom, this title addresses specific curriculum areas, and includes practical, easily replicable lesson plans. Also included is a review and explanation of the current research on the value of storytelling in the classroom in teaching the whole brain using the multiple intelligences and the integration of thinking in the left and right brain. It makes valid connections to educational standards in curriculum areas. Topics addressed are from the dual viewpoints of storytellers and educators. The Storytelling Classroom is an inspiring, practical and immediately applicable collection of preK through eighth grade lesson plans by and for teachers and media specialists who use storytelling in the classroom and storytellers who work in the classroom. Each lesson plan is linked to National Standards in Language Arts Social Studies, Math or Science and accompanied by an essay which provides a glimpse of the alchemy that occurs when students, teachers and story are brought together: student engagement, classrooms that are alive with thinking students, LEARNING!