4th Grade Storytelling Lesson Plan: The Sucker and the Eel

Through the Native American (Yurok) tale of the Sucker and the Eel, students will begin to explore how different species compete for resources. Storyboards for the tale are included. Also included is a chart of California animals and the resources they compete for, from which students can create their own stories.

Students in Sandra Posey's EWS 411: Education, Diversity and the Arts course created storytelling-based lesson plans which integrate multidisciplinary standards. These lesson plans were then implemented at the Boys and Girl's Club of Pomona Valley as a service-learning project. This lesson plan, by Denisse Lopez, Heather Ramsey, Aisha Rangoonwalla, Amelia Renteria and Erin Takeuchi, addresses California theater and life science standards for fourth grade.

Lopez, Ramsey, Rangoonwalla, Renteria and Takeuchi. "The Sucker and the Eel" 4th (CA) Grade Lesson Plan (Life Science, Theater).

Kindergarten and 1st Grade Storytelling Lesson Plan: Finch Discovers Why He Can't Swim

Finch discovers why he can't swim in this clever story by Elizabeth Fox that explains to children how different animals and plants have varying external features that allow them to survive in their environments. Through an art project, students create their own portraits of various species thriving in an environment, all the while learning about primary and secondary colors, line, shape/form and texture.

Students in Sandra Posey's EWS 411: Education, Diversity and the Arts course created storytelling-based lesson plans which integrate multidisciplinary standards. These lesson plans were then implemented at the Boys and Girl's Club of Pomona Valley as a service-learning project. This lesson plan, by Elizabeth Fox, addresses California science and arts standards for first grade with an adaptation provided for Kindergarten.

Fox, Elizabeth. "Environments" K & 1st (CA) Grade Lesson Plan (Science, Visual Art).

Maria Victoria Salvador: How Clouds loved Lands

Cal Poly Pomona student and Boys and Girls Club storytelling mentor tells the story of how clouds fell in love with lands, then explains how she picked and adapted her story to make it her own.

Raymundo Acosta and the StoryBag

Boys and Girls Club member Raymundo Acosta tries his hand at storyteller Michael D. McCarty's StoryBag:

The Parts of a Story

Professional Storyteller Michael D. McCarty works with Boys and Girls Club youth on breaking down a story into its component parts:

2nd & 3rd Grade Lesson Storytelling Lesson Plan: Project Butterfly - See That Caterpillar Fly!

Students in Sandra Posey's EWS 411: Education, Diversity and the Arts course created storytelling-based lesson plans which integrate multidisciplinary standards. These lesson plans were then implemented at the Boys and Girl's Club of Pomona Valley as a service-learning project. The version here was created based upon California Content Standards (corresponding Colorado Standards are also included).

The attached lesson plan, by Olivia Barraza, explores the life cycle of the butterfly through both Eric Carle's A Very Hungry Caterpillar and Barraza's own equally imaginative "Lou's Story" wherein caterpillar Lou wonders why he doesn't look like his beautiful butterfly parents. Students learn how warm and cool colors evoke different moods and will explore this idea in creating their own storyboards, which then become the basis for their own storytelling performances.

California and Colorado cover life cycle in 2nd and 3rd grades, respectively, and corresponding standards are provided for each.

Barraza, Olivia. "Project Butterfly: See That Caterpillar Fly!" 2nd (CA) & 3rd (CO) Grade Lesson Plan (Science, Theater).

4th Grade Storytelling Lesson Plan: Discovering a Compass Through Science and Theatre

Students in Sandra Posey's EWS 411: Education, Diversity and the Arts course created storytelling-based lesson plans which integrate multidisciplinary standards. These lesson plans were then implemented at the Boys and Girl's Club of Pomona Valley as a service-learning project. The version here was created based upon California Content Standards (corresponding Colorado Standards are also included).

The attached lesson plan, by Jasmin Madrigal, uses a compass as the basis for both understanding science concepts and exploring the creation and performance of narrative. Students create their vey own compass and watch it find Earth’s magnetic north. They then produce a story about using a compass and create costumes and props to help their story come to life.

Madrigal, Jasmin. "Discovering a Compass through Science and Theatre." 4th Grade Lesson Plan (Science, Theater).