Unit Title:  Understanding Culture Through Storytelling

Authors:  Susanna Olson of the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, Beth Bloomberg, Debbie Page, Dana Woessner, and
                Andy Kalisz  from J.J. Flynn Elementary School

Unit Overview:
This is an interdisciplinary unit for third, fourth, and fifth graders that combines literature, drama, art, and music.  It asks students to explore Japanese folk tales, and then create a performance that tells one of the Japanese folk stories. The premise is that involving students in a story through many disciplines helps them with inference and therefore comprehension.  Using concepts of storytelling provided by the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, students explore body, movement, space, and voice inspired by the storytelling performance of David Gonzalesâ ãCuentosä. Reading and writing combined with music and art, prepare students to create their own story to tell in groups of four. They perform these for students and parents. They compare their performance to each otherâs and to David Gonzalesâ by creating their own interpretation of a Japanese story with silk panels as a backdrop and music played between stories. At J.J. Flynn Elementary School, Beth Bloomberg, a fourth and fifth grade teacher, Debbie Page, a third and fourth grade teacher, Dana Woessner, the art teacher, Andy Kalisz, the music teacher, and Susanna Olson from the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts collaborated on this project over a two-month period but it could be done by one teacher.
      It is very rewarding for teachers to work with each other. The colleagueship is infectious and it blossoms among the students in their groups.  Classroom teachers work on telling their own story. This helps teachers to see exactly what the children are going through from stage fright to excitement at the final product. It thrills the students to see the teachers telling a story too.

Focusing Questions:
What are the similarities and differences between Japanese and American cultures?
What are the elements of effective storytelling?
Does storytelling increase meaning through initial understanding and personal response to literature?
 

Culminating Activity
Students will perform their original music composition and then perform their story in front of peers, parents and/or
other community members
 

Vermont Standards

Vital Results:
1.16  Students use a variety of forms such as dance, music, theater, and visual arts to create projects that are appropriate in terms
         of the following dimensions:  skill development, reflection, critique, making connections, approach to work

1.3  Students read for meaning demonstrating both initial understanding and  personal response to what is read

Field Of Knowledge
5.33 Students use aspects of voice including volume, diction, pause, tempo, and inflection to enhance a role