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.
