Story Crossroads offers a special invite to any Homeschooling student, group, and co-op with proper-distanced AND virtual options.
We want to see you on stage and not only as audience members. Coming to the Story Crossroads Festival gives a feel for the possibilities. Performing on stage is a feeling like no other.
Homeschooling (more details on each of the three below):
- The Listening Side, field trips – proper-distanced AND virtual – to the Story Crossroads Festival
- The Teaching Side, free lesson plans and materials to teach 6+ hours of storytelling that can merge with any of your established curriculum as well as monthly professional development series – can explore our paid membership resources with commissioned articles and e-workbooks as well as activities/games/recipes. Finally, we have launched our Story Crossroads Academy with self-led online storytelling courses. We have “Storytelling Basics in 8 Hours” for free and ASL/open captioning geared for youth or adults.
- The Performing Side, open call to youth (K-12th grade) or direct online application who would like a feed-in opportunity the same as the public schools and events that already have district-level ones in place
Homeschooling … The Listening Side
Homeschooling Field Trips—
What: Story Crossroads Festival, featuring 15 professional multicultural story artists and many youth and adult community tellers
Invited: K-12th Grade (Includes American Sign Language)
Info/Reservations: Live and Virtual options – if live for Tuesday, May 11, 2021 at the Murray City Park, Murray, UT, then email info@storycrossroads.org or calling 801-870-5799; if virtual, go here for details and sign-up that involved May 10-13, 2021
Homeschooling … The Teaching Side
Please use or adapt anything here. A more complete version of these free materials can be found by clicking here.
Free Lesson Plans
These following six 1-hour lesson plans were created by the following professional story artists: Lynn Wing, Karl Behling, and Janine Nishiguchi. An ideal storytelling residency lasts 8 or more hours. These six hours plus two hours of people practicing stories and being coached would develop stage-ready individuals. Please give these people credit when using these lesson plans or the sources cited.
Module One: Finding Your Story
Module One-Finding Your Story, Lesson One-Finding Existing Stories
Module One-Finding Your Story, Lesson Two-Finding Personal Stories
Module Two: The Teller–Role, Habits, Skills
Module Two-The Teller, Lesson One-Preparation
Module Two-The Teller, Lesson Two-Responsibilities
Module Three: Polished Performance
Module Three-Polished Performance, Lesson One-Body & Voice
Module Three-Polished Performance, Lesson Two-Imagination & Adaptability
Approved Books for Lesson Plans
Using any of these books already have been reviewed and approved for Story Crossroads storytelling residencies:
- Youth Tell: Starting a Youth Storytelling Festival by Nannette Watts
- Raising Voices: Creating Youth Storytelling Groups and Troupes by Judy Sima and Kevin Cordi
Both of these books are easily applicable to any age or group who wants to learn the art of storytelling. Email info@storycrossroads.org if you would like help ordering any of these books.
Consider our professional development of our monthly All Things Story Virtual Workshop Series geared for parents/educators/teaching artists. Some topics could work for teens to attend.
Explore our paid memberships with Story Crossroads with commissioned articles, e-workbooks as well as activities, games, recipes, and mazes all linked to the art of storytelling.
Homeschooling … The Performing Side
Story Crossroads invites K-12 students from home schools to apply to tell stories for the 2021 Story Crossroads Festival with 33 youth spots available. Due by April 27, 2021.