Introduction

Storytelling requires two things: someone to tell the story and someone to listen to it. How often do you get to tell a story? When was the last time you were entertained by someone telling a story? Here is your chance to be a storyteller and see what it feels like to entertain simply by talking about a great tale.

Instructions

Select a ballad to read aloud to a friend or family member. Choose a ballad that is either a poem or a song-possibly one from your journal entry. Be dramatic in your reading. Be attentive to your volume, rate, and pitch. As well, plan how you will express yourself - bringing emotion into your reading. Set the mood if you like - dim the lights or read by candlelight, for instance. Make eye contact with your audience. Afterwards, ask your audience what it was like to have a story read to them. What was their favourite part? How would they have read the ballad differently? Ask them for feedback on your reading skills. What could you improve for next time you read formally?

Look at the Dramatic Reading Scoring Guide below. With your audience, go through the scoring guide and give yourself a mark. This will be useful preparation for the oral reading that you will submit to your teacher later on in this module.

Click on the pdf icon to view the scoring guide.

Dramatic Reading Scoring Guide PDF

Complete Section Assignment 4.1B: Graphic Ballad.