We are storytellers. In our cultura we have a long history of oral storytelling from indigenous traditions that predated the Spanish conquest to conversations at the dinner table today. This telling and retelling of stories takes many forms -explaining dichos we hear from abuela, reciting prayers that are felt deeply, singing songs and corridos that narrate historical events or recount heartbreak and love. Every story passes on traditions and values and provides a means for the survival of our day-to-day culture. When we retell our stories, we share family bonds and help construct our identity. Here are a few topics to explore and projects you can do with your family and friends. Everyone has a story.
Recount family traditions or historical events and create a book using scrapbooking techniques to keep the stories alive.
Elders have a wealth of information. Here is how you can capture their stories and save these memories.
OTHER STORYBOOK TOPICS:
■ CODEX - The Aztec codices recorded history with symbols that told the story of their origins and
daily life. Learn about these symbols and how to tell their own stories with symbols.
■ CORRIDOS - The tradition of putting historical events into a song is known as a corrido or a ballad.
Many daily news events are recounted in corridos and for many people it's a way to share history and
current events.
■ ARPILLERAS - From Chile to Peru to Mexico women have used their brightly colored threads to make
pictures that tell stories about everything from revolutions to the community harvest and even holiday
celebrations.
■ ART QUILTS - Fabric scraps have been sewn together into images that tell stories and document history.
This tradition continues today with story quilts that can use fabric scraps, computer images, printed
t-shirts, and trims that convey messages or tell stories.
■ GRAPHIC NOVELS COMIC BOOKS - Telling stories using illustrations in booklets were first used in
countries with low literacy levels. You can find novelas, cook books, and humorous comic strips that tell
stories. Today they have become popular book forms for superheroes that emerge from everyday
situations to overcome challenges.
■ STORIES IN THEATER - Whether your first experience with theatre was a campesino performance, a
puppet show in the park or a Broadway play, all three forms of theatre told you a story. Explore three
basic processes for theatre: develop, write, and perform a story. The theater is a rich art form that
supports many different elements and will allow us to use music, art, design and so much more as
we tell our stories on a stage.