Story Drama

Book: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

Written and Illustrated by William Steig
Teachers: Rachel Zapata, Kayla Kennedy, Kyla Masserant, Kelley Sasser, Allyson Roberts
(narrator), and Emily Hoepner (planner)
Date: February 18th, 2016
Overview: In this story drama, there are a total of four activities, with one in the beginning, two
in the middle, and one at the end. The first is a whole group art activity focused on what the
students' may wish for, and then after reading the first seven pages of the text, there is a second
activity, an improvisational story-telling whole group activity based around one of the wishes
prompted from the first activity. The third activity, played after reading a bit more, is an
improvisational pair activity which puts students in the shoes of the main character of the story
and asks them to reflect on the dynamics of the possible outcomes of getting what you wish for.
After finishing the book, the forth activity is reflective both intrapersonally and interpersonally,
asking students to write about and discuss a time that they got what they wished for and it didn't
end well.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1. What Would You Wish For (approx. 5 min)
Facilitator: Kelley Sasser
Grouping: Whole Group
Strategy: Brainstorming
Administration: Large Chart Paper, Sharpie, Sticky notes
Focus: Students will be able to brainstorm using their own experiences in preparation for
the story.
Choose a volunteer to lay on the chart paper and another volunteer to outline the person on the
paper. Display outline in front of the room.
Teacher: Have any of you ever wished for something before? Would anyone like to share their
wish with the class?
Choose 2-4 students to share their wish
Teacher: Now, I want you to close your eyes and take a few seconds to think about a wish you
would make if you knew it would be granted to you.
Provide each student with one sticky note.

Teacher: You can open your eyes. I am giving you all a sticky note. You do not need to write
your name, but I would like you to write down your wish and place it inside our outline. Please
sit in a circle once you've added your wish.
Hang up the outline with all the sticky notes on a wall in the classroom.
--*start reading*
*stop at page 7 (from the beginning of the text)*
--2. Fortunately/Unfortunately (approx. 5 min)
Facilitator: Kayla Kennedy
Grouping: Whole Group
Strategy: Improvisational Group Storytelling
Administration: Sit in a circle and pass around a magic pebble. Whoever has the pebble
speaks.
Focus: To start a story off and have each person add onto it and see if it ends where we
thought it would.
Teacher: Okay, so remember when we wrote down all of our wishes earlier? Now we are
going to create a story using one of those wishes. I am going to close my eyes and
point to one of them so we can get started. When I point to one whoevers it is will
start off the story.
The teacher closes their eyes and points to one of the wishes written down. They then ask the
student to remember what their wish was and start off the story using their wish. The first student
starts off the story. i.e., "Once upon a time I found a magic stone and wished that I could become
a mermaid." The second student will then say "unfortunately" and add something onto the
story. Then the third student will say "Fortunately" and add their part into the story until they
make it all around the circle.
Teacher: Okay! Now, (to the persons wish we used) did your wish end liked you had
hoped it would?
Wait for them to respond.
Explain to them that sometimes when you wish for things they dont always turn out the way we'd
hoped.

--*Start reading from pg. 8*

*Stop on pg. 19*
--3. Partner Stone/Rock (approx. 5 min)
Facilitator: Rachel Zapata
Grouping: Pairs
Strategy: Improvisation
Administration: None
Focus: To persuade and Reflect on movement/stillness
Teacher: Decide who is partner 'A' and who is partner 'B'.
'A's, will you stand for a moment?
'B's, please sit down.
(To 'A's) Pretend that you are Sylvester, you have a magic pebble, and you have
just wished your self to become a stone or rock. In Sylvesters case it was because
of a lion, can you think to yourself what has happened to make you turn yourself
into a stone or rock?
As you are thinking about how this happened to you, please go and find a place in
the room and create the frozen or moving position that your partner will find you
in. The position or movement must hint to the reason why you wished yourself to
become a rock.
When the 'A's have found their places,
Teacher: Relax for a moment and listen.
'B's, you are the person who finds the 'A's in their positions. You have to guess
what happened to them that made them turn to stone or rock. Once you have
guessed correctly then pretend to pick up and put the magic pebble onto person
'A' and wish for them to turn back to normal.
'A's, think about how you can make your frozen position or movement as
convincing as possible so that person 'B' can fairly easily figure out what made
you wish yourself into a rock.
'A's, take your frozen or movement position.

'B's, move slowly toward your partner and when you are ready, begin the scene.
When you have figured out what caused person 'A' to wish to become a stone or
rock and you have wished them back to normal, sit down quietly together. Dont
talk, just wait until everyone is finished.
When the majority of the class is sitting, then have partner 'A' and partner 'B' switch and re-do
the steps. Once both partner 'A' and 'B' have had a chance to try both parts and a majority of the
class is sitting down,
Teacher: Thank you, everyone.
--*Start reading from pg. 20 and finish the book*
--4. Reflection (approx. 5 min)
Facilitator: Kyla Masserant
Grouping: Whole group
Strategy: Reflection
Administration: None (pens/paper if necessary)
Focus: Personal application
Students will need to come prepared with a pen and a piece of paper.
Teacher: I know that you all have experienced a time when you really wanted something,
but when you got it; it really wasnt as great as you thought. I want you to think of
that certain time and write down what it was, how long you waited and your
emotions you experienced before you got it and after you got it. When everyone is
finished, if any one would like to share; they will be able to.