What Are Some of Benefits for Participants?

In addition to increased empathy, understanding and appreciation, Swapping Stories addresses State and National Standards of learning and skills needed for professional work.

 

Creating / Developing / Writing / Revising:

  • Generate ideas before speaking (writing)
     

  • Determine appropriate content for audience
     

  • Group related ideas
     

  • Identify the problem, solution, and main or central idea
     

  • Develop a plan for speaking (or writing)
     

  • Use knowledge of story structure and sequence
     

  • Organize information and events for clarity and logic
     

  • Organize ideas sequentially
     

  • Use evidence to support opinions
     

  • Clarify and explain words and ideas orally
     

  • Create oral stories to share with others.
     

  • Seek ideas and opinions of others
     

  • Draw conclusions about character and plot
     

  • Revise for clarity

 

Listening:

  • Revise for clarity
     

  • Set a purpose for listening (or reading)
     

  • Demonstrate active listening behaviors
     

  • Listen to and record information
     

  • Ask and answer clarifying questions about what is heard (or read)
     

  • Identify the problem, solution, and main idea
     

  • Use pictures/visuals to demonstrate comprehension
     

  • Make connections between previous experiences and reading selections
     

  • Summarize what is said
     

  • Determine a speaker's purpose

 

Speaking:

  • Share Stories orally with an Audience
     

  • Speak Clearly
     

  • Use appropriate volume, pitch, and tone of voice
     

  • Speak at a desirable rate
     

  • Maintain eye contact with listeners
     

  • Use gestures to support, accentuate, and dramatize verbal message
     

  • Use facial expressions to support and dramatize verbal message

  • Use posture appropriate for communication setting
     

  • Read with fluency and expression

(*Adapted from Virginia, Maryland, and DC Standards of Learning*)


 

National Theatre Achievement Standards Addressed

  • Improvise dialogue to tell stories
     

  • Use variations of movement and vocal pitch, tempo, and tone for different characters
     

  • Improvise dialogue to tell stories
     

  • Assume roles that exhibit concentration
     

  • Identify and describe the visual, aural, oral, and kinetic elements of classroom dramatizations (storytelling)
     

  • Articulate emotional responses to and explain personal preferences about the whole as well as the parts of dramatic  performances
     

  • Analyze classroom dramatizations and, using appropriate terminology, constructively suggest alternative ideas
     

  • Demonstrate acting skills (such as sensory recall concentration, breath control, diction, body alignment) to develop  characterizations that suggest artistic choices