INLS 121: Principles and Techniques of Storytelling - Fall 2004
School of Information and Library Science

Manning Hall, Room 304

Mondays 6:00-8:30pm

Dr. Brian Sturm

Office: 215A Manning Hall

Phone: 919-962-7622; Email: sturm@ils.unc.edu

Office Hours: Mondays 5:00-6:00pm, drop in, or by appointment

Online Communication: http://blackboard.unc.edu/ (log in using your ONYEN and password; you should find that one of “My Courses” is the INLS 121 class. Click on that class and you will enter the Blackboard environment and be able to maneuver around, send email to classmates, chat with each other, etc.

Required textbook: Greene, Ellin. Storytelling: Art and Technique. 3^rd ed. New Providence, NJ: Bowker, 1996.

August 30^th

Theory: Introduction to storytelling and the class. Expectations, assignments, grading, online area. Definitions, kinds, and values of storytelling. Research resources.

Readings: Greene – chpt. 3

Practice (focus): Reading aloud and group story creation (imagination)

September 6^th

NO CLASS – HAVE A HAPPY LABOR DAY!

September 13^th

Theory: Finding and selecting an age-appropriate story

Readings: Greene – chpt. 4; Shedlock – chpts. 4 & 5; Sawyer – chpt. 8; Cabral – chpt. 8; Klor article

Practice (focus): Storytelling card game (groups of 5). We’ll also discuss storytelling language, beginnings and endings, and child development; please read: http://www.folktale.net/openers.html, http://www.folktale.net/endings.html, and http://ils.unc.edu/~sturm/storytelling/childdev.html.

September 20^th

Theory: Preparing and presenting a story

Readings: Greene, chpts. 5 & 6; Shedlock – chpt. 3; Bauer – chpt. 5; MacDonald – chpt. 3 & 4; Sawyer – chpt. 7; Pellowski – chpt. 10.

Practice (focus): "Theater of the Face" (eye contact, facial expression, and storytelling games)

September 27^th

Theory: Media in storytelling, props, flannel boards, etc.

Readings: Skim through Pellowski, chpts. 11 & 12 and Bauer, chpts.10-18

Practice (focus): "Theater of the Body" (body language, gesture, posture, mime, and storytelling games)

October 1-3 – National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee

October 4^th

Storytelling Session #1 (Preschool): stories not to exceed 7 minutes

Cue Card #1

October 11^th

Theory: Administering storytelling programs (design and evaluation)

Readings: Greene, chpts. 11 & 12; Bauer, chpts. 1-4. Skim over Bauer, chpts. 19-26

Practice (focus): "The Art of Imitation" (character voices, dialect, and sound effects)

October 18^th

Theory: Storytelling for Special Audiences (physically and emotionally challenged, YA, elderly)

Readings: Greene, chpts. 7 & 9; skim De Vos book; Blankenship; Brown; Haskevitz; McKamey; Setterington; Sutton.

Practice (focus): “The Art of Emotion” (analysis and portrayal of emotions)

October 25^th

Theory: Historical development of storytelling and folkloric influences

Readings: Greene, chpt. 8; Perrin master's thesis; skim over Pellowski – chpts. 1, 6, 9, & 13 and Harrell’s book.

Practice (focus): “Foreword and Epilogue” (warming up and cooling down)

November 1^st

Storytelling Session #2 (Elementary/YA) stories not to exceed 10 minutes

Cue Card #2

November 8^th

Theory: Storytelling: trance, paradox, and the psychodynamics of enchantment

Readings: Stallings; Sturm articles

Practice (focus): "Space" (staging, acoustics, microphones) – exploring sound in "theatrical spaces"

November 15^th

Theory: Storytelling, culture, and psychology

Readings: Chinen; Olson; Sturm & Sturm; Wynne; Zipes articles

Practice (focus): whatever we still need to cover

November 22^nd

Sharing of personal topic papers (use your storytelling skills to organize and share this information)

November 29^th

Storytelling Session #3 (Adult) stories not to exceed 15 minutes (those not telling bring potluck)

Cue Card #3

December 6^th

Storytelling Session #3 (Adult) stories not to exceed 15 minutes (those not telling bring potluck)

Cue Card #3