Silly Story Circle

Share a silly story with your friends and see who has the last word.

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED

Your students will need their imaginations.

HERE'S WHAT TO DO

Nancy F. Castaldo is the author of many books packed with inspiring ideas for childhood discovery and learning. In addition to the three titles above, Nancy has written activity guides for teaching children ages 6 to 9 about the ocean, rainforests, deserts, and rivers. All of these titles are published by Chicago Review Press.

Click here to learn about these books and others by Nancy Castaldo.

Students might do this activity in pairs or small groups; or you might do it as an entire class activity.

Challenge students to pick an animal or a person -- like a bunny or a police officer -- to be the main character in your story.

Because the story is going to be silly, ask students to quietly think of the silly things this character can do. Challenge them to use their imaginations.

One person begins the story by saying something about the character. Then the next person adds something to the story. Continue taking turns creating a story about the character. How silly can you make your story?

MORE FUN!

Involve students in some of these extension activities:

All the storytellers make up a title for the story and decide what would be on the cover of the storybook. Then each student draws the storybook cover.

Challenge students to use the grown-ups at home to create a silly story. See how long they can keep their story going. Add a few sentences every day.

Many books that students read contain stories that are make-believe. The story didn't really happen; it is pretend. Some books are about true things like a book about how a baby chick hatches. Sometimes it is hard to tell pretend stories and true stories apart. Invite a librarian to share some make-believe and true stories with students that they might be interested in reading.

ANOTHER RESOURCE

Find more fun language arts lesson ideas in these places on the EducationWorld Web site:

ACTIVITY SOURCE

This activity is excerpted from Nancy Castaldo's Rainy Day Play, which is published by Chicago Review Press. This lesson idea is one of more than 65 imaginative activities from Rainy Day Play that are sure to inspire children as they discover and learn.

About the Author

A native of New York's Hudson Valley, Nancy Castaldo earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Marymount College and a Master of Arts from the State University of New York. As an environmental educator, author, and Girl Scout volunteer and board member, Castaldo has led numerous children's workshops. Her school programs include workshops on ocean creatures and other nature topics, creative writing, and pizza making/Italy. She has conducted programs at the Boston Children's Museum, Atlanta Zoo, and Tennessee Aquarium. Castaldo's books include River Wild: An Activity Guide to North American Rivers; Oceans: An Activity Guide for Ages 6-9; Deserts: An Activity Guide for Ages 6-9; and Rainforests: An Activity Guide for Ages 6-9. She is also author of a historical-fiction picture book, Pizza for the Queen. To learn more about Nancy and her books, check out her Web site, www.nancycastaldo.com.

08/07/2006