StoryBased Learning

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Story-Based Learning

• The PACE Methodology for Elementary Aged Learners
• Jeannie Gigliotti
• August 2008

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Why Story-Based Learning?

• THE PROVEN RESULTS!
• Increased Student Interest Level
• Increased Student Success and Long Term Retention
• Grammatical Structures in Natural Discourse
• Contextualized Vocabulary

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So How Do I Do It?

• The PACE Methodology
• P Presentation
• A Attention
• C Co-Construction
• E Extension Activities

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P Presentation

• Choose a story, song, poem with REPETITIVE use of
  the grammatical structure
• Identify the vocabulary needed to UNDERSTAND the
  story

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P Presentation

• For example
• Story Goldilocks and the 3 Bears
• Grammar Structures me gusta, no me gusta, me
  gustan, no me gustan
• Needed Vocabulary Bears, house, porridge,
  chairs, beds, hot, cold, perfect, hard, soft
• Helpful hint Keep the story as simple as
  possible!! I almost NEVER, EVER, EVER use the
  real version that a native speaker would
  read-because it is too advanced! Re-write it
  yourself, keep it simple, and make sure the
  grammatical structures repeat themselves OFTEN!

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P Presentation

• Example of Simplified Text
• Goldilocks sees three bowls of porridge. She
  says, I love (me gusta) porridge! She tries the
  first porridge. Yuck! I do not like (no me
  gusta) hot porridge. She tries the second
  porridge. Yuck! I do not like (no me gusta) cold
  porridge. She tries the third porridge. Yippee!
  I like (me gusta) the perfect porridge! I do not
  like (no me gustan) hot and cold porridge.
• Helpful Hint Make sure the targeted structures
  repeat themselves often!

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P Presentation

• You are ready to begin!
• Step 1 Introduce the vocabulary that your
  students will need. (NOT THE GRAMMATICAL
  STRUCTURES your students will be figuring out
  what those mean on their own!)
• Ideas for Introducing the Vocabulary
• flashcards, props, speak and draw
• Depending on your learners, this could take
  minutes or days!!

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P Presentation

• Step 2 Tell the story Give as many visual
  clues as possible! In total, you will tell this
  story at least 3-4 times!
• Ideas for Telling the Story
• Picture Walk (with transparencies) no speaking
  just pictures
• Tell story with transparencies (2 or 3 times if
  necessary)
• Keep them focused! Story Sequence box!
• Have students retell the story!
• Helpful hint 1 At this point, the grammar is
  not important! Instead, it is crucial that the
  students understand the events of the story!

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A Attention

• Step 3 Once students have mastered the story,
  draw attention to the 4 important phrases (me
  gusta/no me gusta).
• Example of Teacher Discourse
• Im going to re-read this story one more time
  and I want you to focus on these 4 phrases.
  Think about what they mean!

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C Co-Construction

• Step 4 After re-listening to the story and
  focusing in on those phrases, the students are
  going to co-construct the meaning of what they
  mean! ( This figuring it out method is what
  leads to higher retention!)
• Teacher as facilitator!
• Example of Teacher Discourse
• Has anybody figured out what me gusta means?
  What about no me gusta? Can you give me an
  example of how Goldilocks uses it? What about me
  gustan? How is me gusta different from me
  gustan?

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C Co-Construction

• Help them categorize/visualize it (depending on
  age)!
• Me gusta Me gustan
• perfect porridge perfect porridge
• Me gusta perfect chairs
• The Perfect chair perfect beds
• INPUT, INPUT, INPUT! It should start to sound
  right to them!

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E Extension

• Step 5 Use the new grammar in as many new ways
  as possible!
• Start off simple!
• Stick to the story (what did Goldilocks like?
  What did she say?) This is safe for them!
• When the students start to feel more comfortable
  with the structures progress to harder extension
  tasks!

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E Extension

• Extension Activity Ideas (easy to hard)
• 1) How are you similar to Goldilocks? What do
  you like that she likes? Do you dislike anything
  that she likes? Do you like anything that she
  doesnt like?
• 2) What would Hannah Montana say that she likes?
  Dislikes?
• 3) Who likes what? Matching game!
• 4) Other suggestions?

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PACE In a Nutshell!

• 1) Pick a story that repetitively uses a certain
  grammatical structure!
• 2) Tell the story (at least 3-4 times)!
• 3) Draw attention to your grammar and ask the
  students to help you figure out what it means!
• 4) Have the students use the new structure in as
  many ways as possible!

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Questions?