Why This Class

As you know, one of the most powerful methods for sharing an idea is storytelling. Wherever your student goes in life, you want them to become a skilled and confident storyteller—and this course helps by introducing them to the inner workings of great stories.

Mentors in this course guide students in an exploration of folktales and short stories from multiple cultures. Through frequent writing practice and detailed mentor feedback, students master fundamental grammar, punctuation, and style techniques to support their success in both written and verbal communication. Students practice rhetoric in a series of in-class debates and evolve as storytellers by retelling a classic story or presenting one of their own. Mentors also emphasize the etiquette of writing in the digital age and the importance of validating online sources.

By completing this course, students learn to recognize the elements of great stories in the messages and media all around them. They improve their writing and speaking skills and gain confidence in using storytelling to persuade and inspire others.

Overarching Questions

How do the stories I read teach and change me?

Why do we need stories?

How does knowing the elements of great stories become a tool to help me find their meaning?

How can we establish a common vocabulary so we can talk about stories?

What do the stories a culture tells reveal about that culture?