Creating the Setting

Students create the setting by completing a frieze (mural) or other visual representation of the place.
Educational Purpose

• Introduces the narrative as an organizational schema for learning
• Establishes a common context for learning
• Fosters student ownership for the learning connecting what students know to new information.
• Develops and reinforces common vocabulary through discussion
• Contextualizes writing
• Develops cooperation and negotiation skills

Teacher’s role

• Introduces Storypath
• Reads description of place
• Leads discussion about place connecting to what is known to new information
• Introduces and reinforces new vocabulary
• Organizes students to create the setting and facilitates cooperative group work
• Facilitates a sustained discussion about the setting
• Facilitates the creation of the word bank and related writing activity

Creating the Characters

Each student creates a character for the story whose roles he/she will play during subsequent episodes.

Educational Purpose

• Personalizes the learning by creating believable characters
• Engages students in narrative and develops the need to know to move the story forward
• Develops speaking and listening skills through character introduction

Teacher's Role

• Engages students in sustained discussions of characters and creates the sense of suspense for the story
• Manages students’ visual and written construction of characters
• Reinforces and expands vocabulary related to topic of study
• Guides character introductions to connect the story to students’ lives and topic of study

Building Context

Students are involved in activities that stimulate them to think more deeply about the people and place they have created.
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Educational Purpose

• Provides a meaningful and purposeful context for investigations about the topic of study
• Builds knowledge base for the topic
• Develops skills in context

Teacher's Role

• Provides instruction to ensure students have skills to complete investigations
• Scaffolds learning​​

Critical Incidents

Characters confront problems typical of those faced by people of that time and place.
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Educational Purpose

• Fosters critical thinking and problem tackling
• Promotes collaboration and negotiation
• Develops analysis and evaluation of information and promotes new or more research to address the problem

Teacher's Role

• Guides students to ask their own questions, rethink understanding of their world, make sense of new ideas
• Promotes examination of alternative viewpoints and predictions of problem resolution

Concluding Event
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Students plan and participate in an activity that brings closure to the story.
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Educational Purpose

• Provides closure and reflection on learning
• Applies learning to the “real world”

Teacher's Role

• Guides students through the closure and reflection process