RETELLING A STORY – Creating and Using Props

Students will be able to:

• create a triarama to represent the setting of part of a story;
• create 3-dimensional objects to represent props and characters of a story;
• determine what is important to tell when retelling a story;
• work with others to retell the events of a story in sequence;
• tell a story expressively in their own words; 
• retell a story with correct facts.

Have students:

• draw their triaramas in a graphic representation of the story;
• draw a sequel to the story that takes place ten years later;
• discuss how the characters will have changed over time, and why;
• invite students to tell their stories to the class.

1. Prior to this lesson you may want to have students explore the Water Plus Marker technique lesson available on this website.
   Water Plus Marker Technique
2. Prior to this lesson have students read/study a novel or story.
3. Place students in groups of four.
4. Have students practice retelling and summarizing the story in their groups.  
5. Have them determine the importance of elements of the story and decide which details are most important. Ask them to divide the story into 4 parts – beginning, middle, middle and end. Ask each student to choose one of these parts to work with.  
6. Download the SPACE poster available on this website.
   Space Poster
7. Cut Bristol board enough for one piece per student.
8. Create a sample triarama.
9. Gather two books with the same or similar subject matter and illustrated by different artists, for example, D is for Dinosaur: A Prehistoric Alphabet, by Todd Chapman (Author), Lita Judge (Illustrator) and The Dinosaur Alphabet Book, by Jerry Pallotta (Author), Ralph Masiello (Illustrator)
    

1. Introduce the idea of retelling a story to the class. Guide students through the process of determining what details in the text help 'paint the picture' of the story.
   - ask students to close their eyes as you read a passage from the book
   - ask them to form an image in their mind's eye of what they have heard
   - list things they heard that help describe the setting or character
2. Explain that they will be creating a 3-dimensional model of their part of the setting. They will need to create the picture the author described.
3. View the illustrations for two books of your choice to show how different illustrators interpret text/subject matter differently.
4. Introduce the challenge.

1. Have students in each group attach all 4 triaramas together using paper clips.
2. Remind them to make sure the triaramas are in the correct order from beginning, middle, middle, to end. Ask students to be sure to:
   - Begin with an introduction.
   - Include where and when the story takes place.
   - Tell about the main character.
   - Tell about supporting characters.
   - Tell about the problem.
   - Tell how the problem was solved.
   - Tell how the story ends.
   - Summarize by telling your group's opinion about why the author wrote this story
3. Have students practise taking turns retelling their story, gently turning the settings as the story proceeds. Remind them to use the props to help them remember important details. Provide enough time for students to feel comfortable and ready to share their stories with the class.
4. Place students so that everyone can see the presenters.
5. Have groups take turns retelling their stories.
6. Ask the audience to respond to the stories and the artworks after each retelling.
7. Ask students to tell how they felt about doing this activity.

1. Observe students as they work  – thoughtful focus, discriminating, seeking more information, elaborating, experimenting
2. Observe students as they discuss the art works – active listening, insightful contributions, supporting ideas with evidence found in the artwork and from personal experience.
3. Use a checklist to track progress. (Download - RETELL_tracking.pdf)
4. Have students use the self-assessment form to evaluate their work. (Download - RETELL_self-assessment.pdf)