I tend to judge course books on the stories that they offer. But even when they contain good stories, the course book format doesn't lend itself well to their telling.
Mrs Taylor – a schoolteacher
On the 24th October, 1901, a schoolteacher called Mrs Taylor got into a rowing boat with two companions.
They left the shore and rowed out to the middle of the river. Once there, they put a barrel over the side of the boat. Mrs Taylor climbed inside.
Once inside the barrel, her companions screwed on the lid and used a bicycle pump to compress the air inside. They sealed the hole with a cork.
They pushed the barrel away from the side of the boat and rowed back to shore, leaving Mrs Taylor and the barrel in the middle of the river.
Inside the barrel, Mrs Taylor started to pray.
It was her 63rd birthday.
The curiosity factor
I have been fascinated by the story of Annie Edson Taylor ever since I learned of it a few years ago. I consider it to be the greatest Hollywood film that has never been made.
Assuming that you don’t know the story, do I have your attention? Are you motivated to find out more? Are you curious?
If so, then I have done my job as a storyteller. I have made use of a literary device called a narrative hook – a technique that we have spoken about before (see here.)
A good story has an unknown destination. The journey will take twists and turns. You will be surprised and delighted along the way. You pick up the book, listen to the podcast, or continue with that Netflix series because you want to keep going with the ride. You are invested in the narrative. You want more.
So let me tell you …
Annie Edson Taylor was an American schoolteacher who, on her 63rd birthday, became the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel and survive.
According to one account that I have read, her first words upon being rescued were:
“Nobody ought to ever do that again.”
Stories in course books
Now, imagine if the story of Annie Edson Taylor was published in a course book. Imagine how it would be presented.
You would have the images and the text, possibly spread out over a page and a half. The headline would read something like: Over the Falls in a Barrel. It would be structured as if it were a newspaper article – designed for students to put reading skills and comprehension strategies into practise.
The elements would be laid out on the pages so that students would see everything at once. And this is the problem. Because although the story may be interesting, the presentation or telling of it is not. This arrangement is not conducive to arousing curiosity and holding attention.
The elements would be laid out on the pages so that students would see everything at once. And this is the problem. Because although the story may be interesting, the presentation or telling of it is not. This arrangement is not conducive to arousing curiosity and holding attention.
It seems to me that the problem results from the practice of producing students’ books which are necessarily self-contained. In other words, all content must be complete and not dependent on anything else. And that includes the stories.
There may be exceptions and if so, I would be interested to hear about them. But in the meantime, teachers have to learn to use story to engage students for ourselves. And there are many storytelling devices to add to our toolkit.
And with that, I would like to share some exciting news. Coming very soon is version II of the LessonStream Story Course. Sign up for the LessonStream Post (below) and I’ll keep you .. well, posted!
Thank you for reading.
Note: This article was originally shared as a LessonSteam Post. Click on the button below to sign up for free and I’ll keep you informed about the LessonStream Story Course which is coming soon.
