Project Description
The Story Laboratory offers a fresh way to play with story. This residency is structured as a series of workshops that will inspire students to create stories in response to playful, thought-provoking prompts, including unusual book formats, chance, and visual brainstorming. These activities will give them new insight into how the stories work that they already know and spark their own creative tales without the stress of a blank page. During the residency, students will write, draw, and/or tell 3 original stories and produce a creative tool they can use to make many more.
Final Product
Each student will create three stories (all or some in the form of little books) and their own creative tool for generating future stories.
Learning Outcomes
- Students will practice using playful strategies for creating their own stories and will learn how chance and play can be useful for breaking into writing a story that helps write itself.
- Students will understand different ideas artists communicate using holes in their books and will use the physical qualities of a starter book to make a “hole story” of their own.
- Students will be able to connect a set of images to create a story through drawing, writing, and/or speaking.
- Students will brainstorm ideas about character, setting, and plot, and connect these elements into a story through drawing, writing, and/or speaking.
- Students will work together to generate ideas and create stories.
- Students will share their stories and discover how different authors create unique stories even when creating from the same elements.
Suggested Grades
- 1st-12th grade
Pricing Breakdown
- 4 visits at 45 minutes each
- Prep hours: 3 hours per classroom
- Materials: $3 per student
- Travel from Eugene
Meet the Artist
Why I teach art:
“There’s nothing better than being around students who are curious, creative, and playful. My work is to help them become more so—and to stay that way.”
—Sharon Kaplan
