Introduction

Stories are told for many reasons. A friend may want to share an incident at school. A parent or grandparent may want to share a childhood memory. Throughout history, stories have been told to preserve history, to share traditions, and to make the world a better place. Although many stories are told with humor, they can be communicated with any of the spectrum of emotions. They can resonate with the reader and make him or her think. When it comes down to it, stories are a way for people to communicate ideas, and this can be done in any number of ways.

For this exercise, you will explore some different kinds of stories and learn why people wanted to tell them. Then it will be your turn to tell a story of your own, with an objective in mind. Why do you want to tell this story? What is the best way to tell the story to get your point across?

Stories to Explore

The Power of Storytelling
(http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2003/12/20031210_a_main.asp)
Story Telling in Poetry
(http://www.theotherpages.org/poems/SubjIdx/story.html)

Directions

Start with "The Power of Storytelling." Click on the links under "Audio Highlights," and listen to the different stories that Gcina Mhlophe has to tell. After you have finished with that section, go to "Subject-Story Telling" on the Poet's Corner Web site. On this site, you can click on poems that interest you and read them. Read at least three different poems, and take notes on why you think the poets wanted to tell these stories.

1.	Once you have finished exploring the Web sites, write a story that you would like to tell. At the end of your story, include an explanation of why you wanted to tell the story and why you told it in the style in which you used.