Time to listen
Before you listen to some Dreaming stories think about the art of telling stories. What makes a storytelling session appealing and engaging to you? What do you like and what do you dislike when being told a story?
In your journal devise a plus/minus chart by dividing the page into two columns. One column will be titled 'Plus' and the other 'Minus'. Complete the chart with your ideas. For example, under the 'Plus' heading you could write 'expression of the storyteller's voice'. Under the 'Minus' heading you could suggest 'not looking at the audience'. Share your ideas with others and add to your own chart if you hear some good ideas.
Listen to some Dreaming stories. They are told by Aboriginal storytellers with some different effects to enhance the telling.
As you listen, consider:
- the story itself and what it aims to 'teach' the listeners
- how the storyteller makes the story appealing to the listeners.
Write your observations in your journal.
Follow the instructions below to access the stories.
- Open the ABC homepage: www.abc.net.au.
- In the top menu bar select 'RADIO'. This will take you to the ABC Radio page.
- In the search bar in the top right-hand corner type 'awaye features' and press enter. This will bring you to a list of search results for the ABC Radio site.
- Select the link 'Features - AWAYE! - ABC Radio National'.
Scroll down to find and select the heading 'Sharing Our Stories' dated Wednesday 30 May 2012. You will be directed to a page which presents some Aboriginal Dreaming stories which you can view or listen to.
The story you are about to listen to is a story that provides a moral warning. It warns about the consequences of doing bad things. What stories from other cultures give similar warnings? Discuss with others and your teacher. Record these in your journal.
- Listen to the first story, 'The Devil Devil Story', and complete the overview at the link below. Share with your teacher.
Dreaming story overview - When you have finished you can look at a completed overview by opening the next link. How does your response compare to this one?
Dreaming story response example - There are five remaining Dreaming stories to listen to on the ABC Radio website.
Your teacher will allocate stories to you. You might be asked to work in pairs or small groups.
- Listen to the story.
- Using the 'Dreaming story overview' at the link above, complete an analysis of the story.
- Present your analysis to others in the class.
- Compare your style of speaking to the style of these storytellers. You may need to listen to the stories again. Consider how your speech is similar or different. Explain why this may be so.
The accents and style of speech shared by a group of people also serve to create a social identity. Work with a partner or a group to make a list of the elements of spoken language which help to create personal and social identities (for example, special words only the group knows and uses).
- Make a storyboard which represents the events in one of the stories. Beneath each frame of the storyboard provide:
a) a brief explanation of what is happening within the frame
b) a note of possible sound effects you could use to enhance the telling of the story.
Make sure you have your sequence of events in the right order. Use the storyboard framework at the link below.
Oral storytelling features
Listen again to the stories and note the different techniques and features used to convey the story to the listeners. Describe the effects of each of these features.
