Anticipating the text

Can you remember the last time you were told a story? When did you hear it and where were you at the time? Perhaps you are thinking of a children’s story, but what about TV soaps, jokes, or the way people tell you about things that have happened to them? These are stories also.

‘Brokenville’ is a story. It’s written in the form of a play but you could also read it as a story. Being a play it is designed to be presented to an audience who will see and hear the story unfold.

The story of ‘Brokenville’ is about people who make and tell stories. The play explores both how stories are made and told. The play might also make you think about the different reasons why people make and tell stories.

Activity

• Imagine an alien has landed from outer space and knows nothing about earth or human beings at all. How would you explain to them what a story is? What does a story need in it? What are the ingredients? How do we use stories? How do we tell them? What different sorts of stories are there? Why do we tell them?
• In groups, brainstorm your thoughts about stories in the box below and print a copy off to share with the rest of your class. (Alternatively, write the headings on a sheet of card and jot down your ideas with felt pens.)

• Using your brainstorm to help you, tell each other about stories you enjoyed when you were a young child. Try to explain what you liked about:
  • The characters
  • The different things that happened
  • How the excitement was built up
  • Where the story took place
  • The type of story it was - for example, was it a romance, an adventure, a bit scary, or funny?
  • How it ended

• Think about the sort of stories you enjoy now - they might be fictitious or factual, or perhaps you most enjoy hearing people talk about their own experiences. How do the stories you like now relate to the ones you liked as a child? What do they have in common?
• In the box below, write a brief description of what you want from a story, print it off and compare it to other members of your class (perhaps by making a wall display of all of the different ideas):