Beyond the Beanstalk: Interdisciplinary Learning Through Storytelling

By Lynn Rubright

Book Overview

Classroom teachers are just beginning to discover what art specialists have always known: storytelling and other expressive arts fire students' imagination and generate innovative, creative thinking. When the arts are integrated across the curriculum, content becomes meaningful to children and they are motivated to learn. In "Beyond the Beanstalk," storyteller and teacher Lynn Rubright demonstrates how K-6 teachers can use storytelling and the expressive arts not only as motivational tools to develop students' skills, but also as ways to improve their own teaching styles. Lots of tried-and-true methods that teachers can put to immediate use are provided, including specific activities, stories to tell, drama games to enhance children's creative responses, and much more. Teachers will gain confidence in their ability to tell stories and discover for themselves how stories effectively told can motivate and engage students.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0435070282
• ISBN13: 9780435070281
• Release Date: August 1996
• Publisher: Heinemann Drama
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.1" x 9.0"
• Grade Range: Kindergarten to Grade 5

Customer Reviews

Story is an Effective Tool Across the Curriculum

Don't let the title of this book limit you. It provides you with ways to incorporate many folk and fairy tales, as well as, other fictional stories into your subject area. Through story a teacher can " reach, touch and teach." Read this book for some excellent ideas to motivate your students to want to learn more.

a real treasure

This book is as practical as it is inspirational for teachers of all subject areas and all grade levels. In BEYOND THE BEANSTALK, Lynn catalogues a career's worth of applications of storytelling in a variety of educational settings. She cruises across the curriculum with the same ease she shifts from grade level to grade level. Each chapter not only pinpoints the subject areas addressed, it also identifies the grade level(s) for the material presented. And these are not just suggestions for teachers, these are classroom tested with the roster of educators Lynn has worked with throughout her distinguished career. While most of the chapters address grades K-8, there are some applications for high school, and it would take very little effort for a creative teacher to "upgrade" the ideas presented in the book for the high school classroom. BEANSTALK also offers several stories and activities, explained in excellent detail, which serve as superb supplements to the classroom units covered. As if that wasn't enough, the bibliography is noteworthy as a resource for the teacher who is looking for still more. In an era where drama specialists are being asked to wear many hats within the school system, this book will assist in making the experience as rewarding for the teacher as for the student.