Centering Students' Identities and Assets
Storypath places learners at the center of the of the learning endeavor. The constructive inquiry process threads together learners’ identities and assets as they create the storyline guided by the teacher.
An Inquiry Process
The storyline is framed by questions. A compelling question frames each unit. This open-ended question provides space for learners to ask their own questions to move the storyline forward making personal connections based on their identities and experiences.
Collaborating on the Setting
Storypaths begin with the setting for the story in which learners collaborate on deciding what goes into the setting. The visual and tactile experience of creating a place allows for all learners to successfully contribute to the setting establishing ownership for setting for the story.
Becoming Characters
The characters are created for the story by the learners with each learner shepherding their character through the events that will follow. The intimate relationship between the learner and the created character results in learners’ characters reflecting their own assets, identifies, and aspirations reflected in their created character.
Engaging Learners
The setting and characters grounds the learning and creates excitement for the learning tasks that follow. Learners see themselves as agents in the storyline—their voice matters—important ingredients in motivation for learning.
Planning Inquiries
There are problems to be tackled through the “plot” of the story. Learner ownership for resolving the problems affirms their assets and identities—what learners know and can imagine as they tackle the problems presented through the storyline.
Fostering Classroom Discourse
The inquiry process structures classroom discourse so that learners talk with their peers to resolve controversies. When controversies arise like differences of opinions about a problem, learners are encouraged to talk about those differences considering differing viewpoints thereby deepening their content knowledge and and skills making cross-curricular connections—important civic learning skills that carry beyond the classroom doors.
Students Investigating their Cultural Heritage through Storypath
In Ms. Bromley’s 5th grade, students investigated their family heritage both near and far to create parade floats in "The Parade." As parade planners, they interviewed their families about their heritage so they could construct a representative float about their culture. A “complaint” about plans for a noisy parade engaged students in constructing a response integrating their persuasive writing and speaking skills about freedom to assemble and the value of celebrating and affirming their heritage.
