THE POWER OF STORY
Humans are natural storytellers. Throughout history, we have told stories to share knowledge, ponder our existence, and connect to each other. Stories can inspire compassion, outrage, and a deep connection to what it is to be human. This transformative power exists for both listener and teller; we are changed both by listening to stories and by telling them. In this project, we will explore the power of stories as we seek to answer: How do we tell personal stories in order to offer readers an engaging, humanizing understanding of human rights and social justice issues?
AMPLIFY UNHEARD VOICES
Many people’s stories go unheard by others in society. This is especially true when a person’s human rights are not recognized. For the Voice of Witness project, you will tell the story of another person, thus giving them power and transforming the way they are seen by society. In telling their story, or narrative, you will:
● Engage the reader by introducing the situation;
● Use narrative techniques to develop the events and characters in the story;
● Sequence events to create a cohesive story.
Before you create your narrative, you will learn about oral history by:
● Reading and analyzing narratives from the “Voice of Witness” book series;
● Identifying a person who has been impacted by injustice;
● Conducting and transcribing an oral history interview.
THE STRUGGLE TO FULFILL A DREAM
Telling stories gives you an opportunity to better understand the world you live in through making a human connection. One way in which we are all connected is through our dreams. To help you tell the story of someone who is struggling to achieve their dreams, we will read “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, about two migrant workers during the Great Depression who are in search of new opportunities. As you read the novel, we you will consider our essential question: What makes a dream worth pursuing? In addition, you will learn about creating a narrative by analyzing how the author’s choice of structuring events contributes to the overall impact of the story.
DISCOVER YOUR VOICE
By engaging with these stories and learning to tell your own stories, you can discover your voice and your relationship to human rights and social justice issues in your community and around the world. Voice of Witness is an organization that is dedicated to sharing stories that illuminate the voices of people impacted by injustice. Their books are are taught worldwide in social studies courses and their website is read by people from all walks of life —from students to policymakers. Voice of Witness is accepting new stories through January 24th 2017, so it’s time to go out and find a good story to tell. You may discover something you never knew about another person —and yourself!