Story Power is a project-based learning experience to help children develop emotional literacy, story coherence skills, and emotional shifting and conflict management strategies. Children develop their own story in the form of a comic book, story board, or short film while building their comfort identifying and working with emotions and emotional skills.
Course Outline
Weekly Summaries
Week1
Project Prep
We introduce the framework for emotional literacy and story construction and demonstrate interpreting emotions in popular stories. Students choose an IRL story or situation to turn into a fictional story.
Week2
Planning Your Story
We review parts of the story throughout the week and work with students to plan out their story. Instruction on emotional literacy will be as-needed according to student’s story work.
Week3
Making Your Story I
Students will work on their stories with support. Instruction will focus on role playing emotions in stories and learning/incorporating switching strategies and conflict management.
Week4
Making Your Story II
Students will work on their stories with support. Instruction will focus on role playing emotions in stories and learning/incorporating strategies for emotions in relationships.
Week5
Refining Your Story
Students will refine and finalize their stories with support. Instruction will focus on using emotion & imagination story work to apply EL to various IRL situations.
Week6
Story Showcase
Students will showcase their stories while discussing emotion in their work and discussing EL skills and strategies as interpreted from their stories.
Session Descriptions
Week 1: Project Prep
We introduce the framework for emotional literacy and story construction and demonstrate interpreting emotions in popular stories. Students choose an IRL story or situation to turn into a fictional story.
Session 1
Introducing a Story by Its Emotions
We talk about the role of emotions in stories (engage & energize)1 We break down a popular story by its emotions. We talk about the importance of emotions in our lived stories. We give an overview of the story project.
Session 2
The Parts of a Story & Seven Emotions
We outline the parts of a story and what each one does. We define the seven basic emotions and work with students to map them to their typical positions in story structure. We ask students to start thinking of their IRL source story to base their work on.
Session 3
Taking Apart Your Favorite Stories (Part 1)
We deconstruct stories selected by the students and identify the emotions involved and also any switching strategies, conflict management techniques, or relationship skills. We workshop with students having trouble finding IRL source story.
Session 4
Taking Apart Your Favorite Stories (Part 2)
We continue to deconstruct stories and mine them for emotional literacy insights. Students identify the IRL source story they will base their work on.
Week 2: Planning Your Story
We review parts of the story throughout the week and work with students to plan out their story. Instruction on emotional literacy will be as-needed according to student’s story work.
Session 1
What Is Your Theme?
We work with students to turn their IRL source story into a theme for their story project: what they want their readers to experience or understand about emotions.
Session 2
Create Your Characters
We help students craft characters for their story with emotional depth so their audience will engage & feel energized to journey with the characters.
Session 3
Draw Your Story Arc (Part 1)
We help students plan out the major movements of their story: challenge, climax, and resolution with an eye towards depth (engagement) and energy.
Session 4
Draw Your Story Arc (Part 2)
We help students plan the texture of their story: meetings & events, again with an eye towards depth (engagement) and energy.
Week 3: Making Your Story I
Students will work on their stories with support. Instruction will focus on role playing emotions in stories and learning/incorporating switching strategies and conflict management.
Session 1
Ways to Make Your Story
We work with students to identify their production method (drawn comic, paper-doll comic, photo comic, MC movie etc). We help students understand pros and cons and choose a method. We’ll role play portions of student stories focused on emotions in decision making.
Session 2
Production Process & Timing I
We help students break their project down into units and test their process on one unit, then evaluate and edit their project for successful completion. We’ll role play student stories about emotional management and switching strategies during work.
Session 3
Planning Process & Timing II
We continue helping students break their project down into units and test their process on one unit, then evaluate and edit their project for successful completion. We’ll role play switching strategies and conflict management for teams, especially teams at work.
Session 4
Story Studio I
Students will produce their story with support. We’ll role play synergy strategies (dialectic) in conflict management.
Week 4: Making Your Story II
Students will work on their stories with support. Instruction will focus on role playing emotions in stories and learning/incorporating strategies for emotions in relationships.
Session 1
Story Studio II
Students will produce their story with support. We’ll discuss [4] The Four Rules (simplified) as the basis of what people want from relationships, how they should be treated, and the emotions that arise from it.
Session 2
Story Studio III
Students will produce their story with support. We’ll role play relationship situations related to The Four Rules and related emotions.
Session 3
Story Studio IV
Students will produce their story with support. We’ll discuss how The Four Rules and [4] Secure Attachments (simplified) relate and how they show how to be a good friend and family member.
Session 4
Story Studio V
Students will produce their story with support. We’ll role play relationship situations related to Secure Attachments and related emotions.
Week 5: Refining Your Story
Students will refine and finalize their stories with support. Instruction will focus on using emotion & imagination story work to apply EL to various IRL situations.
Session 1
Test Screening
Students will share their story with others as a “test screening” and gather reactions for the editing process. We’ll talk about using story and imagination as a way of building empathy in and between ourselves and others.
Session 2
Editing For Clarity
Students will evaluate their story for clarity: does it communicate the theme effectively? Then they will make plans to edit and finalize. We’ll talk about using story and imagination to clarify what you and others are feeling.
Session 3
Final Touches I
Students will put final touches on their story. We’ll talk about using story to energize and focus emotions for success in work, learning, and play.
Session 4
Final Touches II
Students will put final touches on their story. We’ll talk about using story to process and shift low-energy, negative, toxic, and traumatic emotions.
Week 6: Story Showcase
Students will showcase their stories while discussing emotion in their work and discussing EL skills and strategies as interpreted from their stories.
Session 1
Story Showcase I
Students show their work and self-interpret their project. We support group interpretation of emotions and EL skills and strategies.
Session 2
Story Showcase II
Students show their work and self-interpret their project. We support group interpretation of emotions and EL skills and strategies.
Session 3
Story Showcase III
Students show their work and self-interpret their project. We support group interpretation of emotions and EL skills and strategies.
Session 4
Story Showcase IV
Students show their work and self-interpret their project. We support group interpretation of emotions and EL skills and strategies.
References & Notes
Generally, authors use low-energy emotions to engage and build sympathy and high-energy emotions to drive the story forward.
“Love Wins”2024 Pastor’s RetreatHugo Monroy and Ben CheekApril 19-20, 2024Camp Deerpark | Westbrookville, NY Itinerary Friday | April 19 3pm – Camp Opens for Early…
Lately I’ve been taking online courses as part of Exponential’s Multipliers Learning Communities which I’m completing as part of my work with Lancaster Mennonite Conference’s…
Responses