What Is Storypath? Storypath offers both a structure for organizing the social studies curriculum and an instructional strategy for teaching. The structure is a familiar one: the story. The strategy is grounded in a belief that children learn best when they are active participants in their own learning, and places students’ own efforts to understand at the center of the educational enterprise. Together, the structure and the teaching strategy ensure that students feel strongly motivated and have meaningful and memorable learning experiences.
Originally developed in Scotland during the 1960s, Storypath draws support from decades of experience with teachers and students. The approach has its roots in these beliefs about children and learning:
  • The world is complex and presents many layers of information. Children know a good deal about how the world works.
  • Children have a reservoir of knowledge that is often untapped in classroom settings.
  • When children build on that knowledge through activities such as questioning, investigating, and researching, new understandings are acquired.
  • Problem solving is a natural and powerful human endeavor. When children are engaged in problem-solving, they take ownership for their learning. 
  • The story form integrates Common Core literacy standards  to help children apply their learning in a meaningful context to gain a deeper, more complex understanding of major concepts.
  • When children construct their own knowledge and understanding of their world, their learning is more meaningful and memorable.
  • When children research life skills within the context of Storypath, they develop critical thinking skills along with social/emotional learning.