Storytelling Power Exploration Worksheet

Name:

Date:

Student reading a book with story elements floating around

📚 Part 1: Think-Puzzle-Explore About Storytelling

Directions: Use the vocabulary definitions provided to help you think deeply about the Essential Question: "What is the power of storytelling?"

Vocabulary Reference:

Storytelling (n.): A responsive way to use words and actions to skillfully illuminate the elements and thoughts of a story while also helping the person who is listening to the story to use their imagination. Storytelling involves a two-way interaction between a storyteller and one or more listeners.

Power (n.): 1. Being able to act in a way that works well. 2. Having a lot of sway or rule over others. 3. Being very good at manipulating or changing feelings or ways of thinking.

1. THINK: Based on your experiences reading, listening to, telling, and writing stories, what do you think is the power of storytelling? Why do you think storytelling is powerful?

2. THINK: What can your choice of a favorite story, and your reasons for identifying it as a favorite story, tell you about why you think storytelling is powerful?

3. PUZZLE: What puzzles you about the idea of storytelling as powerful? What confuses you or sounds strange?

4. Check all the statements about the power of storytelling that you agree with:

It helps us express who we are, and why

It can show what shapes people's view of themselves and their world

It can make us interested in understanding other people and their experiences

It can help people understand new or unfamiliar things

It can help us figure out who we are, how we feel, and what we think about things

🏀 Part 2: Exploring "The Crossover" - Novel-in-Verse

Directions: After examining The Crossover, answer the following questions about this novel-in-verse.

Definition: Novel-in-verse (n.): A novel told in verse (poems) rather than in prose. The series of poems has a narrative structure, each poem stands on its own while contributing to the larger story.

5. Based on your observations of The Crossover (cover, jacket summary, section breaks), how would you define "novel-in-verse" in your own words?

6. What do you notice about the poem "Dribbling" on page 3? How do you know this is a poem?

7. In "Dribbling," how does the author show us how to read the poem aloud? (Think about capitalization, punctuation, and word placement)

8. After reading "Josh Bell" (pages 4-5), who is Josh Bell and how does he describe himself? Provide two pieces of evidence.

Evidence 1: ________________________________________________

Evidence 2: ________________________________________________