| Professor Christine
Doyle 319 Willard Hall 832-2764 doylec@ccsu.edu |
|
|
|
|
NOTE: THIS CLASS DOES NOT FULFILL ANY GEN.
ED. REQUIREMENTS
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if
you have emergency medical information to share with me or if you need special
arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment
with me as soon as possible. Office hours and location are listed above.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Creative Storytelling
(Maguire)
Favorite Folktales from around the World
(Yolen)
The Canterbury Tales
(Chaucer)
Aesop's Fables
(Aesop)
The Odyssey
(Homer)
Additional materials:
1 audiocassette; 1 videocassette
Recommended text:
Who's in Rabbit's House?
(Aardema)
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Study of the history,
art and technique of storytelling. The skills involved in mastering the art
of storytelling are discussed in an effort to develop the student's competency
in this oral tradition. This course is designed to enable the student to build
a personal repertoire of stories for performance.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1. Students will learn how to locate, select, and prepare stories for their
own use and performance.
2. Students will confidently and competently perform stories from their own
personal repertoire.
3. Students will develop an understanding of storytelling styles and techniques
for presentation to groups of different sizes, ages, and purposes.
4. Students will learn about the history of various types of stories including
classic stories, folk tales, fairy tales, myths and legends.
5. Students will plan and perform thematically unified story units.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
I. First presentation (20%) -- 10% on complete story work-up, 10% on narrative
self-critique; due by the second class meeting after your presentation.
A. A complete work-up includes the following items:
1. A STORY CARD (or sheet) that gives the following
information about your story:
a. Title and source, with complete documentation
b. Tale type (genre and structural type), and a
BRIEF (1-2 sentence) description of the story
c. Anticipated audience and WHY
d. MIT to , the teller, about this story
e. Structural map of the story (basic outline)
2. WORK PAGE(S) on character and setting
3. EXPANDED STORY MAP that includes notations on performance strategies--linguistics,
paralinguistics, body, audience participation, props (see attached sample and
Maguire 166-71)
B. Your self-critique should be a narrative assessment of your performance,
based on your video of the performance. Use the attached "Storytelling
Evaluation" sheet as a GUIDE to elements to consider in your critique.
However, the critique itself should be a narrative (about 3 pages), NOT a worksheet.
II. Graded presentation at midterm (15%) -- See attached "Storytelling
Evaluation" sheet for grading criteria.
III. Term Project (30%; 10% written, 20% oral) -- A special "learning through
story" project on a topic of your choice, to include the following:
A. At least THREE story card sets (see A1, above) based on stories relevant
to your project.
B. WRITTEN informational discussion (about 5 pages) of your project, indicating
where your stories fit in and a complete bibliography of sources used. Include
your story card sets as an appendix.
C. PRESENTATION of your project in class (15-20 minutes), including both background
information and telling at least ONE story.
NOTE: Students may work with a partner on this project. If you work with a partner,
the WRITTEN portion of the project should contain at least FIVE story card sets.
Each partner MUST tell a story during the in-class presentation. You will each
receive the same grade for the WRITTEN portion; you will be evaluated separately
on your oral presentation. Sample term projects:
1. Country or state (Greece, Connecticut, etc.) -- include a short history,
geography or cultural discussion; overview of tales or stories associated with
the area and how they relate to the place or the culture; ideas of storytelling
activities that could be used to learn more about the area.
2. Same as above, but with a subject (a historical event, a holiday, old age,
sexism, an animal, etc.)
3. Put together a multi-genre performance unified by a subject or theme and
including at least TWO "stories"--that is, stories along with songs
and/or riddles, jokes, audience participation activities, etc.
DUE: Written portion should be turned in when you give your in-class presentation,
or not later than May 8.
IV. Written exams (2) -- 10% each
V. Participation in a Storytelling event outside class time (5%). You may tell
or observe another teller. Please write up a SHORT narrative (no more than a
page unless you feel inspired to go into more detail) on the experience, giving
basic information on where you went, the nature of the audience, what you heard
or told, and your assessment of the experience. Extra credit for anyone who
attends the Connecticut Storytelling Festival in New London in April.
VI. Class assignments [starred *** on syllabus] (10%):
a. Poem or other "non-story" verse presentation
b. Performance and write-up of mythology word story
c. Performance and write-up of a fable
d. Performance and write-up of hero story (group)
Items a-d are subject to change. Any special instructions will be discussed
closer to due date of the assignment. Items turned in late will receive grade
reductions.
ATTENDANCE: We will be doing a great deal
of in-class performance and practice; therefore, regular attendance is essential.
More than three absences will result in a drop in grade. Please COMMUNICATE
via e-mail, voice mail, or carrier pigeon if you prefer, if you know you will
miss class. This will NOT excuse your absence; it will, however, let your group
know that they must carry on without you. Let me and/or the Student Affairs
office, know if circumstances will require you to miss class for any length
of time.
COURSE SCHEDULE (NOTE: This schedule is
subject to change as the need arises. You are responsible for all changes announced
in your absence.)
January 23
Introduction
25
Maguire, Intro; be prepared to tell a story from your life
28
History and tale types: read Maguire, Ch. 1-2, and Yolen, intro (BRING BOOK!)
30
Story structure: Read and do the MIT exercise (handout); read carefully Who's
in Rabbit's House?; select a story from your group's section of Yolen by this
time
Feb.1
Library Tour; meet in Curriculum Lab Classroom, 3rd floor, Burritt Library
4
Character and Setting; Maguire 3 and 4
6
Voice; Maguire 6
8
Paralinguistics
1
Props
13
Workshop for Rabbit stories
15
HOLIDAY
18
HOLIDAY
20
Present Rabbit stories
Workshop for Yolen presentations (you will tell your story to your group and
get feedback)
25
Begin Yolen presentations
27
Yolen presentations
Mar. 1
Yolen presentations
4
Yolen presentations
6
***Non Story Resources; Livo and Reitz, Process and Practice, Ch. 6 (on reserve);
be prepared to recite a poem or to demonstrate another type of "non-story"
activity
8
First EXAM
11
Workshop for graded presentations
13
Graded Presentations
15
Graded Presentations
18
Graded Presentations
20
Graded Presentation
22
Aesop's Fables; optional sign-up for "words with a story"
SPRING BREAK
Apr. 1
***Presentation of original fables; sign up for "words with a story"
3
Hero tales: Odyssey (selections)
5
Odyssey (cont.)
8
***"Words with a story" presentations
10
Workshop on hero tales
12
***Group presentations: hero tales
15
Canterbury Tales: Prologue, lines 1-40, 544-68, 718-end, and "The Miller's
Tale"
17
Prologue, lines 447-78 and "The Wife of Bath's Tale"
19
Prologue, lines 671-716, "The Pardoner's Tale, and "The Nun's Priest's
Tale"
22
Exam
24
Guest Teller
26
Presentations
29
Presentations
May 1
Presentations
3
Presentations
6
Presentations
8
Recap: why we tell stories
Exam week: class WILL meet during the designated exam period ¡