LESSON 6.1
Why Tell Stories?

Grades 7 - Adult

We humans are born storytellers. It’s the main way we communicate.

When we talk to someone a lot, we always tell stories at some point.

Let’s tell a fantasy story.

The hero of the story will be a boy or girl.  We will pretend you are that person.  You will be “I.”

Two Parts of a Story

A story has a main character and a troublemaker. Both can be a human, an alien, an animal, or an object. A troublemaker can also be an event, such as a storm or volcanic eruption.

We will make our main character a human. 

Task 6.1.1 – Individual

Draw a barbell on a piece of paper.   Use something round, like the lid of a jar, to make each barbell end.  Put I on the right circle and troublemaker on the right. 

What we have is like the ends of a barbell.  We can call this the “Barbell of Communication.”

Task 6.1.2 – Individual

Next, we will put the barbell shape into a box shape. Notice that the top row has the Barbell of Communication plus two more boxes: because and Why. Ignore those for now.

Barbell of Communication

because

Why

A Main Character

 

a Troublemaker

 

 

The Third Part of a Story

Stories must have a problem to be solved.  That is the main difference between a story and a “narrative.”

 The middle box of the Communications Barbell should always have had a problem with or had a problem when in it. 

Next, we add had a problem with. It will be the “bar” on the “barbell.” Notice that the top row has the Barbell of Communication plus two more boxes: because and Why. Ignore those for now.    

Barbell of Communication

because

Why

A Main Character

had a problem with

a Troublemaker

 

 

Now we will label the parts of the barbell:

LH – this is the left-hand of the barbell.

VP – this is the “bar” on the barbell.  VP stands for verb phrase.

RH – this is the right-hand of the barbell.

Barbell of Communication

because

Why

LH

VP

RH

 

 

A  Main Character

had a problem with

a Troublemaker

 

 

Task 6.1.3 – Individual

Draw and fill in the LH – VP – RH of a chart like the one above.