Weathervane Story Resources; Everythings Ducky

A Duck in flight tops this building at a fair and tells us which way the wind blows. I love the artistry of the wings, very close to life like. Our foul friends show up in stories let's see what we can find!

 

Let's start our duck resource list with a Russian Folk Tale about a Duck That Lays Golden Eggs!

http://www.worldoftales.com/European_folktales/Russian_Folktale_9.html

 

 

 

No collection of Duck resources would be complete with out The Ugly Duckling

Here is some Ugly Duckling Background info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ugly_Duckling

 

Here is a pre-school curriculum to go with the tale:

http://www.first-school.ws/activities/fairytales/ugly-duckling.htm

and another

http://www.speakaboos.com/worksheet/lesson-plans/the-ugly-duckling

 

 

 

How about an Aesop Fable: The Tortoise and the Ducks

http://www.first-school.ws/theme/fables/tortoise-ducks.htm

(I also know this story as the Rattlesnake and the Vultures from Mexico)

 

 

In 1908 Miss Jemima Puddleduck was introduced to Peter Rabbit and the barnyard at Hill Top by Beatrix Potter

http://www.peterrabbit.com/uk/fun_and_games/meet_the_characters/jemima_puddle-duck

Listen to it here:

http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/148/peter-rabbit-and-other-stories/4905/the-tale-of-jemima-puddle-duck/

Here is the  e-book from Project Gutenberg

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/14814/14814-h/14814-h.htm

 

May of 1944 master story artist Walt Disney introduces Donald Duck

https://www.uky.edu/Projects/Chemcomics/html/dd_15_2_n.html

 

 

Henry the Duck has a website with an ongoing list of stories chronicling his many adventures:

http://www.henrytheduck.net/

 

 

 

 

Here are some stories not from storytelling but from Duck Hunters - there was even a proposal on a duck hunting trip, from Ducks Unlimited a long list of stories:

http://www.ducks.org/hunting/duck-hunting-stories

 

 

Along the same lines a collection of duck  and outdoorsmen stories from the 1940's is available in the 3 book set by Gordon Macquarrie

http://www.amazon.com/Stories-Hunters-Gordon-Macquarrie-Trilogy/dp/1572230037

 

Couldn't close this without a reference to the popular game Duck Duck Goose try it with wet sponges for Drip Drip Splash

http://www.wikihow.com/Play-Duck-Duck-Goose

 

The image for Duck Duck Goose from a great resource of children's games:

 

 http://www.playtherapygames.com/HTML/dgptallgames.html

 

 

 

Photos taken at Goodwin Forest Conservation Education Center

http://www.ct.gov/dEep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=437244&deepNav_GID=1650

 

Here are a couple of previous Weathervane posts:

http://carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2012/10/weather-vanes-fox-story-resource.html 

 

 http://carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2012/08/weather-vanes-story-resources-part-7.html

Where do Fish Stories Come From?

         Where do fish stories come from? How do we find the vehicle to tell a story and make it compelling for the listening experience.  I am a performance storyteller for all ages, my current project is for a curriculum guided school based program. Whose voice should the story represent and what message do I need to focus on? Will children grasp the complexities and what new vocabulary will be introduced and  explained via the storyline. Do I have adequate research on my topic to tell the story?

          I was inspired by Mark Kurlansky's book Cod to delve further into the world and history of fishing and fishermen. Then an opportunity presented itself to construct a story for performance to  third grade children around the  topics of  Wildlife, Water, People and more specifically immigration and the ecology of the sea. Cod would be the perfect vehicle to  help tell this story. At the outset I was not even aware of the children's version of this book and was so excited to find it! Here is a look at that version from Amazon http://amzn.to/Q4xdcL 

        That was just the beginning, a story is a complex intertwining of facts from multiple sources. Cod gave me my background knowledge. Then I needed characters, I found mine on the list of passengers on the Mayflower voyage to the New World in 1620. Here I researched the children of the Ancient Time as it was called and selected two. The characters themselves required more research as they are historical not fiction. My characters are Remember Allerton and Richard More, each have left a long lineage and a place in the history of the founding of our nation.

My next question to answer was, What does Cod fishing look like? How do you fish for Cod in the old ways and the new?

      I journeyed into the realm of salt water fishing and the life and habits of Cod. Here is where You-Tube came in handy to give me some visual reference. Here is a link to a story about the decline of Cod populations. http://youtu.be/cLE56imBjJs  This next link is a moving video full of the visuals I needed to be able to tell my story with an accuracy and  true representation. http://youtu.be/Git-48_CPww  From you-tube it as a long read in several nautical history books and a visit to  Mystic Seaport http://www.mysticseaport.org/  and the Essex Shipbuilding Museum  http://www.essexshipbuildingmuseum.org/  . I got to know the Cod itself by drawing and painting them so I would remember their distinctive fins and chin barb.

Cod Watercolor on textured paper by Carolyn  Stearns '14

      This is heavy material and  my focus audience for the premier of this story is third grade. I need a way to take the  depth of history and content and make it memorable and fun to hear and retain. I have added music to the story, interspersed to introduce new sections of the story and as a culminating piece to  spark conversation about the ecological and financial damage done to the Cod legacy by over fishing the waters. The music I chose for this is an old sea chantey "Cape Cod Girls", hear a version at this link; http://youtu.be/VQ_rFz9djz4  As with all chantey music there are many versions and arrangements so I took the liberty of adapting this song to fit the story a bit more and have our sailors/ fishermen bound for a "New World". The music to close this piece is one verse of a sea ballad called " Peter's River"  by Mary Garvey (c) 1995 and used with  her permission. The sheet music and lyrics are available here: http://www.timberheadmusic.com/disc/boatspetersriver.htm      I heard this song  a few years ago and it haunted my mind but in a weekend filled with music I could not remember the melody. Then in June 2012 I shared the stage at Mystic Sea Music Festival with Mary Garvey, it was from that meeting that I learned the song that has become one I hum often when working.

      Spring of 2014 this story will debut and be added to my regular repertoire of stories to tell. The story has such depth I will be able to offer an adult version with more content as well.

My review in 2013 of the book Cod is here: http://carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2012/09/rape-of-sea-book-review-cod.html

Interested in booking this story and other sea tales? www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.com
    
     

 

Students Caught Eating Curriculum

Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math curriculum must be delicious,

students at my workshops thought so!

   The workshop and demonstration S.T.E.A.M. Ice Cream  is rocking the schools with excitement and creating buzz at expos and fair type outings.  S.T.E.A.M. Ice Cream uses alternative energy to make 5 gallons of delicious ice cream. Students don't think twice about the math and science because the workshop naturally engages their imagination and willingness to experiment and improvise.

The art of storytelling releases the student inquisitive nature through stories of inventors and innovators, many of whom were very young when they began their work. With these stories shared we get the group consensus that it is cool to invent and  there are no wrong answers when brainstorming. Students inhibitions about sharing off beat thoughts diminish as they work in a atmosphere of acceptance. The goal of producing 5 gallons of ice cream is a worthy reward too!

With the stories and math done the brainstorming comes in. How can we use what we have to power the ice cream maker. Bike power or solar power, are available, wind and water are coming in 2013, and a novel way invented by one of the workshop students!  We may even get kid power harnessed!!

                                A recycled bike make a great power unit even a cow can run!

The S.T.E.A.M. Ice Cream  Workshop can be a 3 hour workshop, a 2 hour workshop, it can be done with large groups that rotate through stations and  it is a great 45 demonstration with tasting after a batch is made!

When we do shorter workshops we send the math and science worksheets along in advance and have some things as follow up. Students see the process of making the ice cream using alternative energy and hear the storytelling/literacy component. I always include info on open space, farm to school, farmland preservation and buy local to the conversation during my visits.

At a fair, expo, event, corporate visit or museum S.T.E.A.M. Ice Cream can be an ongoing demo  with  ice cream being sampled. 

If you are looking for the newest way to engage students or the public at an event S.T.E.A.M. Ice Cream is sure to please a crowd!

visit my website for more details: http://www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.com/Index.cfm?PageID=1511

from the website you can call or email to query a date, find links to grants that could cover this program for your non profit or school and contact me with questions.
        

S.T.E.A.M. Ice Cream is on Facebook come "Like" the page please

Impressed at Garner Storytelling Festival

      I was visiting North Carolina and did a couple of mornings of storytelling at my granddaughters pre-school. It is entirely my pleasure to bring storytelling to these little listeners many hearing live storytelling for the very first time. It marked the beginning of a new story...

                                                       

I posted the picture on my Facebook page and received a message from storyteller Willa Brigham  www.willabrigham.com  telling me about a festival coming up in the town of Garner, NC.  It was decided I would take my granddaughter to the festival and introduce her fully to Grandma's world of story.

Garner Storytelling Festival is a magical mix of professionals and school children sharing a stage and their stories, along with music, poetry and puppetry. Eleven schools and 2 library systems were involved so the energy level was high. This was the festivals ninth year and you could tell as it worked like a well oiled machine, seamlessly moving from the opening performance to the breakout sessions.

As student storytellers took their turn a professional stood there to welcome them to the stage and thank them after their story. The stories shared by the youngsters were gathered from books or original and all crafted well and shared with poise and professionalism far beyond their years. It is a great piece of work to prepare and train these young stars to shine in that moment, I was more than impressed! Faces were beaming as students walked back to seats after sharing their story, success and those moments in the lights certainly left a glow on each child.
           Professionals at the festival this year were; Timmy and Susana Abell, the featured artists. ( please return or follow me for the next installment, in a few days  a review of a CD, Stories to Grow On ; by Timmy Abell). Sharing the stage Willa Brigham, Emmy Award winning host of the PBS television show Smart Start Kids, John Golden  a storyteller of North Carolina's rich history and Cyndi Bailey Morgan a teller of Jack Tales and International  folk stories.
       Behind the scenes there must have been some long hours securing the long list of supporters, coordinating the schools, developing literacy links to curriculum, juggling schedules, contracts, materials, site organization, and registrations. We all know about the silent work of many and I am sure there is a great team behind this great day of story.  I know I was warmly greeted and welcomed and felt at home in this gem of Wake County libraries www.wakegov.com/libraries  and educational institutions. Bravo for a job well done and stories to dream on for a long time to come!

prior blogs from the North Carolina trip:

http://carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2012/03/duke-university-garden-magic-in-making.html

http://carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2012/03/duke-gardens-magic-pt-2.html 

http://carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2012/03/museum-of-life-and-science-durham-nc.html

School Day and Story Night

A great school day looks like this:

                                                                               
    For a storyteller a great school day is getting to share stories with eager listeners. Recently I was  fortunate to share my day with the students and staff at my neighborhood school, Annie Vinton Elementary School in Mansfield, CT.   http://www.mansfieldct.gov/content/11140/default.aspx    
    Pre-K through 4th grade came in shifts by grade to settle on the carpet of the library and listen to programs of story keyed to the curriculum of study at present for their grade.  We covered neighborhoods, and environments, weather and Native Americans, Martin Luther King Jr. , folk music, and the history of our town.
    I know I had a wonderful day reconnecting with old friends and developing new ones among the staff and students. I hope that each of them found a story moment to share with their families and a chance to try out their storyteller skills. We introduced new vocabulary, reinforced classroom  curriculum, used rich full language that enables literacy to develop, and dabbled in history. This was a day  I could tell all kinds of stories from the simplest folk tale of the Gingerbread man for the tiny listeners to the more complex tales of history for the 3rd and 4th grade. Storyteller joy is right here in a day like this.

A Great Story Night looks like this:
The flip side of that audience is one of all adults, many of whom are storytellers. Story Space in Cambridge, Ma.  is just that kind of venue.
  http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Story-Space/177178758969270

                               
      Choosing which story to tell your peers is a challenge! I want to show my best work, not share a story most have heard before. I also want to show my range of  story genre. This was a magical night for me in  the Cambridge Story Space. http://www.storyspace.org/Home.asp    I shared a funny personal story, a newer piece I created of historical fiction regarding the singer Patsy Cline and her song "Crazy" in my set as the featured teller of the week.  I highly recommend a night at the Story Space held in, Out of the Blue Gallery in Cambridge - check it out!

What else am I up to?
http://carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2012/01/voicemail-open-mic-in-mansfield-general.html

http://carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-web-presence-is-dead.html

Story Play Cards; Game Review

Five Stars for the StoryPlay Cards  by Think-a-lot Toys!!   

www.think-a-lot.com   (while you are visiting their site sign up for the  free newsletter you might win a Think-ets game.

                                                                              
I opened the box with such anticipation for the fun it held inside. I was not to be disappointed. I took out the double deck of cards and began to flip through the images with associated word at the bottom. I could envision the story games we would have.

  My first play was a set of cards dealt to a group of  students in a high school. We created  the decks inaugural story as a group. The tale wound through mystical and imaginative places with an athlete as the main character. The group was reserved about the  possibilities at the outset but begged for a second round on  closing the first story out. We had a good time, our second play with an assigned curriculum based topic from World Civilisations class. The story was creative with references to the ages being studied in different classes. It was a great way to make the material more lively and give them a chance for recall practice.

I moved on to another group of students and  here we tried a game similar to Go Fish using the color borders and the full deck.  There was a great deal of cheerful banter when a prized color was discarded.  The next group we played a memory concentration game with a part of the deck that were 14 pairs by association. For example one card was a tree its pair was roots. The star card was paired to Cosmic explosion. There was word association along with the memory component. The same game was enjoyed by grade school aged children.

                                                                                       
My third adventure with the Storyplay cards was a  Storytelling Course in the English Dept. at Eastern CT. State University. My visit to the college class as a guest speaker was a prime time to take 20 minutes mid class and see how story games were received by the college set. I had five different games going in the room and they were well received. I was listening in on the team playing StoryPlay Cards and found they were creating a dynamic  tale with laughs and a very creative process.

There are so many possibilities with the StoryPlay cards in the classroom setting , but I can see wonderful opportunities with family games and in senior settings. 

Another game review:
 www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2011/09/education-in-cubes-not-just-childs-play.html

Education In Cubes - Not Just Child's Play

                                                                           

The nine dice rolled across the table top and the students clustered to look at the outcome.  Excited voices called out the images that landed face up on the special dice of the game Rory’s Story Cubes www.storycubes.com .  Laughter and groans ensued as each player recognized their challenge of incorporating the image into a group story. “once upon a time…” the players began to weave a tale. On the next round I added a challenge make it all on one theme or subject. We tried subjects familiar to their curriculum and it provided a much higher level of gamesmanship. On this particular morning I was trying out Rory’s Story Cubes in a high school Agricultural Mechanics class. I began my test with one cooperative student and soon had a large group clustered around.

                                                                 

Looking for ways to add the curriculum to story cube fun I began challenges to the student players. We did a round using vocabulary words. Students in foreign language played a round telling the story in the language they are learning. Theme telling as recommended on the package was incorporated into curricular support choosing a topic from the lesson plan. The next roll the story must incorporate small engine repair for my agricultural mechanics group. Students returned to me later in the day during a free period with the request to play the game, that to me was the best review, the approval of this group of high school students.

 Simplicity of the game allowed quick understanding of the skill required while also challenging the students to new levels. This was very evident through its popularity within the Special Education setting. The game was used in curriculum support again and was a popular reward for work completion.

Teachable moments occurred when working with younger students. These came from some of the iconic images. A roll of the dice producing a Pyramid image allowed us to look quickly at the computer to see pictures from the pyramids at Giza. With this more in depth look and quick lesson on the early culture in Egypt  the students quickly incorporated the new found knowledge into the game.

                                                         

As a generational counterpoint I played the game with a group of nursing home patients and found it brought out delightful interplay and stimulated memories and conversation. The residents varied backgrounds made for an intellectual story with moments of whimsy. I thought it an excellent game for mental stimulation and recall desired for early stage dementia patients.

American author and humorist Mark Twain played a similar game with his family each evening at his home Nook Farm in Hartford Connecticut. www.marktwainhouse.org  Once the family assembled in their library room he was to invent a tale incorporating all seven items on the fireplace mantel into a new and different tale than any he had told on previous nights.  Click this link to see the Twain House mantel and story items:

www.marktwainhouse.org/admin/assets/images/photo_gallery/1274956228-image-2.jpg  

Rory O’Connor and Anita Murphy of Belfast, Ireland have come up with a flexible game that recreates the skills of the Irish storytellers –The Senachai.  The product Rory’s Story Cubes have garnered more than a half dozen toy/game awards. This list includes the 2011 Best Game Award from the Independent Toy Awards – Toy Shop UK. This award was based on independent retailers experience and recommendations. One student suggested playing in an Irish accent after reading my printout from the Rory's Storycube website.

Since the games inception additions have come to the playing field. There are max sized story cubes and a story cube app for iphones.  An expansion set brings a diverse set of verb cubes to provide more story action to the game.  You can follow all the updates from Rory’s Story Cubes on Facebook, Twitter @storycubes  and on you-tube and again on their website www.storycubes.com  

Other reviews in my blog include

Mike Lockett www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2011/05/review-tales-from-hills-by-mike-lockett.html  

Dementia Patient blog: www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.blogspot.com/2011/09/journey-of-thousand-goodbyes.html