A storytelling project based on a Chinese tale

Storytelling is one of the earliest art forms. Children love a good story. They respond very imaginatively and engage with the characters, the issues and the moral confrontations within the story. They especially enjoy becoming actively involved by participating physically and emotionally in activities so that they can make choices, explore themes and take the story in different and interesting directions.

This series of workshops is based on a Chinese story which I have adapted and retold. At certain points, the students become actively involved through specific drama activities focused on different aspects of the story. This approach enables them to engage very directly with the characters, become part of the action and experience the themes from within. I have adapted and retold the story in eight parts on YouTube. Each part can be used in its entirety for a single workshop session or alternatively can be paused to make shorter sequences if you think it suits your group better. The narration can be projected on a whiteboard in the classroom or on a screen in the main hall or in a drama studio if you have access to a screen.

Number of lessons: 6