NEWS
Storytelling Residency at CMS
To kick off a week long residency at Chatham Middle School, the Storycrafters (Jeri Burns, PHD and Barry Marshall) held an assembly for sixth and seventh graders the morning of October 17th. Integrating songs and musical instruments, their stories honored world cultures by telling stories in traditional ways, and also through modern renditions of older stories.
Throughout the week following the assembly, Mr. Marshall brought his craft into the classroom, working with each sixth and seventh grade class to hone storytelling skills.
"There is a direct relationship between story telling and brain development. Creative writing, abstract thinking, public speaking - all are related to and developed through storytelling," said Marshall of the benefits students gain from learning traditional storytelling practices.
Mr. Marshall involved the students in a number of exercise to help them develop characters, themes, and each student's personal presence as a story teller.
"It's really fun for me," said sixth grade student Caleb Doyle. "I like knowing how to draw people into the story, to make them feel like they are in it."
Mr. Marshall's residency ran October 17th through October 21st and was made possible by a grant from the Chatham Education Foundation.