oral tradition notes

1. Beyond Books
Storytelling and the
Oral Tradition

2. Oral Tradition
• Communication of cultural
material by means other
than writing
• Method for transmitting
law, history, or literature
among generations in a
culture without a system of
writing
• Mode of education,
despite writing

3. Examples of Literature in the Oral
Tradition
• Myths
• Legends
• Epics
• Folktales
• Memorates (account of personal
experience with supernatural-
http://www.mpm.edu/wirp/ICW-14.html#types)

4. Storytelling
• Composition
• Performance
• Self-Assessment
• Group Evaluation

5. Composition
• Basic narrative structure
• Word choice
• Characterization
• Innovation

6. Performance Skills
• Voice Mechanics
• Face, Body, and Gesture
• Focus
• Characterization
• Use of space
• Pacing

7. Self-Assessment
• Nerves
• Memory
• Distraction
• Pleasing
• Insights
• Personal Best
http://www.storyarts.org

8. Peer Evaluations
• Did the story keep your
attention?
• Could you visualize?
• Did it make sense?
• Voice Mechanics
• Facial Expression
• Body language & gesture
• Focus
• Characterization
• Use of space
• Pacing