French Storytelling Dice are an engaging activity to help your students practice sentence building, conjugating verbs and learn new vocabulary. They can be used with Core French or French Immersion students in many ways. On top of being a ton of fun, they foster creativity, collaboration, and help build confidence.
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ways teachers can use storytelling dice:
1 - Get to know each other
Each student throws the dice and must share something personal about themselves related to the picture on the dice. For example, if a kiddo gets the picture of a bee (une abeille), he could say: J’ai très peur des abeilles car une abeille m’a piqué l’an passé. This can be done orally, or you could have the students write their own sentence down. Depending on the level of the group, you can ask for more of an elaborate answer.
2 - Write unique stories
Have your students roll the dice and write a unique story using the verb and vocabulary they get! They can roll the dice multiple times to add more to their stories. You can either have each student roll the dice and create a story individually, or you could have all of your students write different stories using the same prompts. It is cool to see how different kid’s imaginations create different stories with the same prompts.
Stories can be very simple if you have beginner students, or more detailed for more advanced students. At the end, sharing the stories verbally helps students practice their presentation skills.
3 - Write a story together
Start with the first student throwing the dice and creating a story from the variables presented on the dice. The next kid now has to build on that story when (s)he throws the next round of dice. Each student adds to the story and reuses characters and ideas from the existing story to strengthen it until each person has had a turn. It is so much fun!
4 - Create a comic
If traditional story writing is too boring or getting old, you can always switch it up and have your students create a comic using the prompts. It can be a one page project using electronic devices if they are techy or pencils and paper if they like to draw
5 - Retell the Story with play dough
Have your students read the stories they wrote using the prompts. Then have them use playdough to set the scene. It can be as simple, or elaborate, as you want. Tip: Adding googly eyes to the characters always brings them to life! After you read the story, use your playdough characters to re-enact it. It is a lot of fun for the kids!
How Storytelling Dice Help Students
Teachers can use storytelling dice as a creative and engaging tool in the classroom. Here are some ways to incorporate storytelling dice into your teaching:
Introduction: Begin the lesson by introducing the storytelling dice, explaining that they will be used to inspire imaginative and collaborative storytelling.
Group Activity: Divide the class into small groups and provide each group with a set of storytelling dice. Instruct the students to take turns rolling the dice and using the images or symbols that appear to create a story. Encourage them to incorporate as many details as possible, such as characters, settings, and events.
Guided Prompts: Provide specific prompts or themes related to the lesson or topic being studied. For example, if the lesson is about animals, ask students to roll the dice and create a story that includes the animal symbol shown.
Language Practice: Use storytelling dice as a language practice exercise. Instruct students to roll the dice and then orally or in writing, create a story using the vocabulary or grammar concepts they have learned. This helps reinforce French language skills in a fun and interactive way.
Extension Activities: Encourage students to expand on their stories by incorporating dialogue or moral lessons. They can also illustrate their stories and label with French vocabulary.
Storytelling dice provide a visual and tactile element to storytelling, making it more interactive and stimulating for students. They enhance creativity, language skills, and collaboration, while fostering a love for storytelling and imagination.