What is Kamishibai Storytelling?
Several years ago, I taught four hundred sixth graders each year (yikes!) I was always searching for different drama lessons including storytelling styles.
Then, I ran on to Kamishibai storytelling.
According to Wikipedia.com,
“Kamishibai, sometimes called Paper Drama, is a form of Japanese street theatre and storytelling that was popular during the Depression of the 1930s and the post-war period in Japan until the advent of television during the twentieth century. Kamishibai was told by a kamishibaiya (kamishibai narrator) who travelled to street corners with sets of illustrated boards that he or she placed in a miniature stage-like device and narrated the story by changing each image. Kamishibai has its earliest origins in Japanese Buddhist temples where Buddhist monks from the eighth century onward used emakimono (“picture scrolls”) as pictorial aids for recounting their history of the monasteries, an early combination of picture and text to convey a story. ”
Because of these many years of teaching storytelling, I created an upper elementary/middle grade unit using Kamishibai. It is one of my most successful units. It incorporates writing, reading, storytelling, drawing and performing. How much better can you get than that?
Students enjoy it very much.
I think one of its strengths is the fact that reluctant performers feel safe storytelling in this manner. By holding picture boards in front of them while the students tell the story, they feel protected from the audience. Better yet, my students performed in tandem on their stories. It’s great cooperative learning.
What’s the importance of teaching storytelling to students?
I was looking around for information for this post.
Luckily, I ran on to a great blog post about storytelling at mensaforkids.org:
“You are surrounded by stories every day. The news on television, radio, and in the newspaper is nothing but stories. The Bible and other religious books are full of stories. The lessons teachers give in school are often stories. Songs tell stories. Pictures tell stories. Movies tell stories. Comedians make up their routines with stories. When you tell a friend about something that happened to you, you are telling a story. Can you think of the last story you heard? Think hard: it may be something you just heard a few minutes ago!
Some stories have lasted hundreds and even thousands of years and are still being told. Stories began with the oral tradition, meaning they were passed on by being heard and retold. Later, people began to write the stories down, but we still love to hear stories told out loud.”
What is Kamishibai Storytelling?
“Stories are powerful. They can teach morals — the values that the author of the story thinks people should live by. They can teach history. They can entertain us. They can make us think about things in ways we’ve never thought of them before. They can make us laugh. They can make us cry. Telling stories is a large part of what makes people connected to each other.
Stories are a part of every culture. Stories about our country and its history help us feel proud of our nation. Stories about our ancestors teach us about where we came from and the things we have in common with other people around us.
A man named Robert Moss said that the Australian Aborigines think that the important stories are always seeking the right person to tell them, looking for the storyteller like an animal hunting its prey.”
Isn’t that great?
As adults, there are many times we must tell a story–when we have a car accident and must explain it to the police officer, explain to our children about a particular moment in their lives, asking a question of a company and explaining our problem to them, etc.
Over time, I perfected my Kamishibai storytelling unit. It is one of my favorite units to teach because it allows the students a lot of creativity and imagination. As I mentioned previously, they must work cooperatively and finally share their story.
What is Kamishibai Storytelling?
This ONE WEEK unit focuses on a Japanese form of storytelling called Kamishibai. This unit is successful with third through seventh grade students and classes in language arts, reading, drama, world history, social studies and ESL.
Broken into eight class periods, the unit can be halted intermittently if need be.
The product includes:
- What is Kamishibai storytelling (using its form as a model)
- The History of Kamishibai
- How to Analyze Illustrations Just Like Film Makers Do!
- Effective Storytelling Techniques
- Procedure
- Teacher’s Script–What I Say and How I Say It!
- Materials List–Most You Will Have in Your Classroom All Ready
- Instructions How Create the Boards and the “Tricky Part”
- Tips and Advice
- Editable Storytelling Rubric
- Sources
The best part? This storytelling style can be used with ANY story. Students are highly engaged and LOVE this unit!
Storytelling with Student Created Pictures
You will find this unit and others pertaining to storytelling in my teacherspayteachers.com store at: Dramamommaspeaks
Here is a storytelling rubric which I created. It’s editable, so if you can give more points to the assignment or change the expectations if you’d like.
What stories do you like to share with your family or friends? I have several which come up ever so often when my family is together. I know one about my brothers and sister nearly drowning when my father drove a car with them in it onto a frozen river. It’s quite a funny, crazy story.
Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net
