Everyone loves a good story - especially the young people we teach. In fact, being able to tell a story in an interesting and compelling way is an important teaching skill. This is because a good story is not only entertaining but is capable of holding student attention while they learn important concepts, attitudes and skills.
In her book, Earthtales: Storytelling in Times of Change, Alida Gersie (1992) notes that storytelling relates to current concerns about our future because most stories focus on the Earth, how it was created, and the problems that can arise when we forget the importance of living in harmony with it and each other.
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Storytelling is currently experiencing a considerable revival of interest. This has led many educators to think about ways in which storytelling can be used to explore important shared themes and visions. The current concern about environmental issues is connected with this revival, since folktales about the relationship between the Earth and its human inhabitants have been at the heart of storytelling since earliest times. Not only do such stories offer a source of inspiration, they also contain a potential for understanding the many ways in which we value and devalue our beautiful green and blue planet. Stories provide us with practical insight into approaches to our most persistent environmental difficulties. |  |
Source: Adapted from Gersie, A. (1992) Earthtales: Storytelling in Times of Change, Green Print, London, p. 1.
This module focuses on storytelling as a key teaching strategy for achieving the objectives of education for sustainable futures.
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To develop an appreciation of stories as educational resources, especially as sources of teaching themes that support education for a sustainable futures; |
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To develop skills in locating and telling stories as part of a teaching programme; and |
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To develop strategies for integrating storytelling approaches into teaching units to achieve the objectives of education for a sustainable future. |
| 2. The value of stories |
| 3. Finding and telling good stories |
| 4. Using indigenous stories |
| 5. Using success stories |
| 6. Reflection |
| Bardwell, L. (1991) Success stories: Imagery by example, Journal of Environmental Education, 23, pp. 5-10. |
| Barton, B. (1986) Tell me Another, Pembroke Publishers, Toronto. |
| Campbell, J. (1988) The Power of Myth, Doubleday, London. |
| De Young, R. and Monroe, M. (1996) Some fundamentals of engaging stories, Environmental Education Research, 2(2), pp. 171-187. |
| Gersie, A. (1992) Earthtales: Storytelling in Times of Change, Green Print, London. |
| Gersie, A. and King. N. (1990) Storymaking in Education and Therapy, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London. |
| Kane, S. (1994) Wisdom of the Mythtellers, Broodwin Press, New York. |
| Knudston, P. and Suzuki, D. (1992) Wisdom of the Elders, Unwin and Allen, Sydney. |
| Livo, N. and Rietz, S. (1986) Storytelling: Process of Practice, Libraries Unlimited, Englewood, Colorado. |
| Livo, N. and Rietz, S. (1991) Storytelling Folklore Sourcebook, Libraries Unlimited, Englewood, Colorado. |
| Sawyer, R. (1986) The Way of the Storyteller, Penguin, Harmondsworth. |
