Why stories matter: talk and a retelling game
In a talk about stories, it helps to share a personal example. Use phrases such as For example, …, Once, I …, or It reminds me of … Then say why it matters: It made me think critically about … Report what other people said with said that and told me that: My teacher said that stories help us to understand other people. My grandmother told me that her stories always taught her something. Remember the changes: present simple becomes past simple, and the past simple becomes the past perfect. Add chatty phrases to sound natural: Right? That makes sense. Absolutely. A retelling game trains memory and sequence words. Take turns to add one sentence to a story chain, and begin with First, Then, After that, Later and In the end. In your book, page 94 has a conversation about the power of stories and the ‘Pass the Microphone’ game: read the conversation after this lesson and find two reported ideas. Then play our own story chain below with a new story.
| Aim | Phrase | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Share an example | For example, … / Once, I … | Once, I read a story about a lost boy. |
| Report an idea | said that / told me that | My teacher said that stories build empathy. |
| Agree | That makes sense. / Absolutely. | Stories help us to think. Absolutely. |
| Check agreement | Right? | A short story can stay for years. Right? |
Bassem, why do you think stories are so powerful?
Well, my teacher said that stories help us to understand other people. For example, last week I read about a boy who lost his way in a big city, and I felt his worry.
That’s interesting. My grandmother told me that her stories always taught her something. Once she said that she had learned patience from a story about a snail.
Right? A short story can stay in your mind for years. Which story do you remember?
I remember a folk tale about a clever farmer. It made me think critically about what is fair.
That makes sense. Maybe we can tell our stories to the class on Friday.
Absolutely. I’ll bring mine.
Story chain. Play with at least three people. Start with this sentence: “Once there was a little cloud that wanted to see the desert.” Each person adds one sentence in the past simple, using First, Then, After that or In the end. The last person gives the moral. Then one person retells the whole chain, and everybody checks that the order is right.