from Storytelling: 3.14 Independent Work

1 . . . there was a story. Story openings take a number of forms: “once there was,” “once there was not,” “once, in the long ago days,” and many others. But no matter what shape the opening words take, the result is always the same—listeners are hooked.

2 Once a story has begun, there is something deep within the human psyche that must hear what will happen next. The pull of the story is universal. There is no known culture without some form of storytelling, and the craving to know “what comes next” has been felt by every human being, regardless of age, gender, culture, or century.

What context clues help you determine the meaning of the underlined word?

• no known culture without some form of storytelling

• pull of the story

• But no matter what shape the opening words take, the result is always the same—listeners are hooked

• has been felt by every human being, regardless of age, gender, culture, or century.

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3 Storytelling is present in many aspects of human life. Stories are told by grandparents, parents, and other family members. Professional storytellers share their tales at fairs, festivals, schools, libraries, and other sites. Stories are integral to the mediums of television, film, opera, and theater, and storytelling sessions sometimes take place in the business world at special meetings. Campfire tales are meant to make campers shiver. And urban legends, contemporary folktales that usually are attributed to a “friend of a friend,” are told and retold. No matter how unlikely the tale may be, the teller invariably insists, “It’s true! ”

In paragraph 3, the author mentions that stories are told by parents and professionals and in theaters and over campfires as a way to —

• explain that there are three kinds of storytelling

• persuade readers to see more movies

• provide examples of how storytelling is part of everyone’s life

• describe where stories are told

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3 Storytelling is present in many aspects of human life. Stories are told by grandparents, parents, and other family members. Professional storytellers share their tales at fairs, festivals, schools, libraries, and other sites. Stories are integral to the mediums of television, film, opera, and theater, and storytelling sessions sometimes take place in the business world at special meetings. Campfire tales are meant to make campers shiver. And urban legends, contemporary folktales that usually are attributed to a “friend of a friend,” are told and retold. No matter how unlikely the tale may be, the teller invariably insists, “It’s true! ”

Review paragraph 3. What key idea is presented in the paragraph? Cite evidence from the paragraph that supports the idea.

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Why Tell Stories?

4 The real question may be how can one not tell stories? Every conversation is rife with information-packed stories of what the teller has been doing recently. People share stories they have heard from others, retell stories they have read, and even rehash things they have seen on television. Anyone who chooses to formalize this sharing takes on the role of the “storyteller.”

5 The most wonderful gift of story is the bonding of a group. Held close under the spell of a story, the group breathes as one. The shared experience softens the edges between individuals and brings everyone closer in the warmth of the moment. Together, the members of the group enter a “story trance.” Storytellers benefit, in turn, as they experience the heartwarming feeling of holding the audience’s attention and nurturing the group by sharing a beloved tale.

What does the underlined word mean?

• occurs again and again or constantly.

• affects every member of a group

• in a daze or daydreaming

• necessary or essential for completeness

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6 Many stories also serve the community in a broader sense. All societies use stories to pass on group values. Wrapped in the sweet pill of an entertaining story, a moral goes down easily. Stories also can be useful tools that allow individuals to chastise or expose negative behaviors without overtly speaking the truth. The Liberian storyteller Won-Ldy Paye related how Anansi spider stories have been used to “say without saying” in front of a chief. If the chief has behaved in a greedy manner, the storyteller shows Anansi in this incorrect behavior. Everyone knows whom the storyteller is talking about. The chief hears, and he knows, too.

Which detail in paragraph 6 supports the key idea that stories help to pass on group values?

• The point of view of the spider story

• The mention of the chief in the spider story

• The specific example of how a story can teach leaders

• The suggestion that being greedy is a negative behavior

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7 Many families draw “catch-phrases” from their favorite stories, with which they can quickly refer to a story in the course of their daily lives. A phrase, such as “It don’t take long to look at a horseshoe,” can bring family members back to the original story, as well as remind them of the moral of the tale.

8 Communities and families also may wrap their history in stories in order to remember details of events long past. A moment in time can be preserved by creating a story and telling it a few times. The story format bundles the facts into a neatly tied packet that is more readily stored and retrieved than a number of separate details.

The author organizes the information in paragraphs 7–8 to —

• explain the ways in which storytelling presents information

• suggest that groups rarely rely on stories to preserve the past

• demonstrate the various uses of storytelling in media

• contrast how different groups of people use storytelling

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9 Stories also help to broaden awareness of other cultures. The folktale genre, in particular, reflects many traditions and helps to familiarize people with world cultures.

Imagine that the author of the selection plans to add the following ideas to the end of paragraph 9.

• Many folktales include moral advice.

• The folktale genre is a good way to get to know about the values of other cultures.

How can the author combine the ideas into one complete sentence that correctly represents how the ideas are related?

• Even though many folktales include moral advice, the genre is a good way to get to know about the values of other cultures.

• While many folktales include moral advice, the genre is a good way to get to know about the values of other cultures.

• Because many folktales include moral advice, the genre is a good way to get to know about the values of other cultures.

• Until many folktales include moral advice, the genre is a good way to get to know about the values of other cultures.

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10 Stories also can be used for educational purposes. Stories can help to develop a child’s literary sensibilities, and listening to tales impresses a sense of story structure into a child’s mind. Stories aid in stretching vocabulary, and children who are able to tell stories often gain advanced verbal ability and an increased sense of self-worth.

11 Storytelling provides other growth opportunities, as stories help listeners to see through another’s eyes and to share the protagonist’s feelings of anger, fear, or love—all from a safe place. The Austrian-born American writer and child psychologist Bruno Bettelheim explained that stories are important to children because battling difficulties through story can help them face real-life troubles. Stories provide role models who show us how to face demons and overcome adversity.

Which two words in paragraph 11 help the reader understand the meaning of adversity as it is used in paragraph 11?

• demons

• love

• troubles

• show

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12 Perhaps best of all, stories stretch the imagination. The teller takes the listener to distant places where remarkable things happen. And once stretched, an imagination stays stretched.

What details in paragraphs 11–12 describe how stories affect the 

imagination. Use these details to infer the meaning of the final sentence.

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The author wrote the selection most likely to —

• encourage people to start telling their own stories

• present the ways storytelling impacts the world

• explain the educational qualities of stories

• persuade people to read books about storytelling

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