Stories from Scratch - Storytelling with Vocabulary

Unlock your students creative potential and improve their word acquisition skills in one easy to use lesson.

When I was a kid I remember hated memorizing vocabulary, but I loved to write. A teacher of mine discovered that passion and unlocked my love for language and storytelling. That spark led to this storytelling lesson.

Because vocab should be more than just rote memorization....

This curriculum tool is designed to elicit higher order thinking skills in your class and promote a deeper understanding and finer appreciation of any vocabulary list.

Because the power of a story can leave an indelible impression...

Included within the Google Drive folder is an engaging teacher presentation, as well a fun student worksheet that corresponds perfectly with the slides. Score points on your class evaluations by easily scaffolding your instruction. Teach the lesson while students work independently allowing you to monitor their work and assist where needed. Or break them into groups and let them brainstorm and develop the stories on their own.

There is also a clear, easy to use rubric for grading student work.

Also included is a list of vocabulary words to use to get you started, though using your own list is recommended.

What exactly are the students learning?

Students are introduced to the basic elements of a story (Characters, Setting, Conflict and Plot) and are challenged to incorporate their vocabulary words into their original works. This lesson has high replay value and has been refined in my own classroom.

This unit is perfect to supplement what you're already teaching or to use as a fun standalone activity for a down day or as a sub plan that will keep your students engaged and out of trouble. I think it's also a great unit to flex your higher order teaching muscles and scaffolding your instruction to reach more students.