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GRADE.LEVETS
r' K-2
r' 3-5
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#:1
II Time.Continuity,
andChange
INrnooucrroN
Telling social studies stories on a flannel board helps young students connect v/ith characters
through the use of a manipulative. As they learn the story and its imbedded concepts, students have a
visual connection to the events recounted. For students examining the American Revolutionary eru,
the story of Samuel Adams comes to life as they look at his experiences, how he changed, and what
issues he faced. Students und€rstand and interpret historical narratives through characters and places
(Yeager & Foster, 2001). For younger students, the teacher can prepar€ flannel board stories to
illustrate important social studies concepts, people , or events. Older students can make their own
flannel board manipulatives to illustrate stories they share with their peers.
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PnocmunnL REcoMMENDATro
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Purchase or make a flannel board.You will need a piece of flocked cloth or flannel large
enough to completely cover a piece of masonite , pl1'wood, or cardboard with material enough
to fold over to the back. After trimming off exc€ss fabric, use glue to adhere the flannel to the
back of the board. Keep the flannel stretched tightly across the front.
Select photos of the main characters in the story to scan and print on glossy pap€r. Textbooks,
picture books, magazines,coloring books, or even original student art are good sources. Cut
these pictures ollt, mount them on heavy card stock or tagboard, and glue flannel, sandpaper,
emery cloth. orVelcro@to the back of each.
Tell the story introducing, moving, and removing characters as needed. At junctures you
determine in advance, pause and have students predict what happens next. Also have students
evalLlatethe actions of the characters.
Have students use the charactersto retell the story to assesscomprehension.
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FlannetBoards
Oralll' prescnt a diff-ercntstorv abotrt the same character(s) or event(s) to the sttrdemts.Agrrin,
have stuctentspreclict what happens next and evaluate the actions of the characters.
usc the flanncl boarcl characters to retell the stor_r'.
Have str-rclents
str-rclcnts
[Iar.'e
conpare the t$'o stories,cliscussingthc diff-erentinterpretati()ns.
AppucarroNsANDIorns
Studentsin a filurth-gracleclassrclornexamine the lif-cof Abraham Lincoln. First. the,vform
partnerships and select an aspect of his life they want to stllcly.Some students want to expkrre
Lincclln'sfamill, and chilclhood;others are interested in his political career or his presidency; still
others want to examine his role in the Civil War and his personal and political relationships.They
select pictures the1,wish to scan,nrolrnt them as clirected eadier,and retell what the-vhave read
rbout Lincoln by manipulating the characterson the flannel boarcl.As they retell tl'reir story, stuclents
p()int out a compelling issue.They show how Lincoln made a clecision,explaining the positive ancl
qegative aspectsof that decision. The teacher has students discussthe cpestion,"\il'oulclcitizens elect
Abr:rharn Lincoln to the office of presiclency in the twenty-first centlll'v? "
In a second-gracleclassroom,the teacher reads ,IeanFdtz's Wlt1,Don't)'ort (iet a Hrtrse, Sam
Adants.2Studcnts create flannel boarclcharacters and then retell the stor\. to ()11canothcr. Latcf,
studcnts hear another story b1' Jean Fritz about John Hancock. Once again,thcv retell the storv to
-l'he
fheir peers using flannel boarclfigures.
students then compare tltese two figures who livecl at the
siuuc time ancl in the same place,and who worked for the same callse.W'hile studcnts retell the
stories the tcacher'.rsksquestions to nleasllre their comprehension. She asksstnclentsto juclge
lvhethcr thcsc trvo ligures rvould tre effective political leaders toclal'
'Ieuchers
choosing t() assessstudent comlrreltensiclnof the story use a pcrfirrmance nrbric
similar to thc ()ne in f able 2l - l. After initially telling and cliscussingthe storv,studellts retell ancl
interpret the storl'.
ANDResouncss
RrrrnrucEs
Iianks, D., & Gallagher,I). (1993). Teaching as a sensory activity: Making the Mava corrc to lite. Socictl
StttcliescutcltlreYrung Leurne4 5G),ll-12.
llarnet,.t.N,l.(197U).Horv things c:rmeto be.htterccnt, 90-9 1,17-15.
T AB L T
2 1 -1
FrenHrl BonnoCompnEHENsroN
PrRronlannce
Cuscrlrsr
EssrHnnlElrmrnr
Correctlyidentifieskey characters.
Correctlvsequencesevents.
Verballyor visuallydemonstrates
understanding
of key concepts.
makesreasonable
Uponquestioning,
predictions
of subsequentactions
in the storv.
makesreasonable
Uponquestioning,
and developmentally
appropriate
of characterbehaviors.
evaluations
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0ssrnveo
Nor0esrRvso
Commrnrs
Ftanne[Boards
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Barnet,J. M. (1978).'Wisdon-rcomes with living awhile.Intercom, 90-91 ,32-40.
Baumgartner,B. (1981). The beginning;sof an investigation into folktales told in Pennsylvania.Socicrl
StudiesJournal, I I, 45-19.
Combs,M., & Beach,J.D. (lc)94). Stories and storytelling: Personalizingthe social stuclies.Read,ing
Teacber,47,164-471.
Fritz,l. (1996). Wh1.clon't you €ieta horse, Sam Adams?NewYork: Putnam.
Henegar,S.(1998). Storyelling and history. Social StttdiesReuieut,37(2),68-71.
Henegar,S.(1998).Storltelling and history: Part2.Social Studies Reuieut,,38(1),80-83.
'1.(.1996).
Lindquist,
Social studies now. Use simple puppe ts to connect core subjects.Instructor;
106(r),97-92.
Marmor,M. (1995). The Holocaust: A personal encounter. Cqnqdian Social Studies, 29,15O-153.
Millstone,D. H. (1987). Homer's Odys5sy,An elementary passion.Classical Outlook, 65(2>,53-57.
Millstone,D. H. (1995). An elernentary o6lys5s1:;Teacbing
antcienl cittilization tbrougb sktry.
Portsrnouth,NH : Heinemann.
More, R. (1987). Storltelling as a teaching tool. SocicllStudiesJournal, 16,25-26.
Ramiiez, C. C. (199 4). Rewriting history. Englisb i n kxas, 2 6;<l), 37 - 39 .
Spagnoli,C. (1995). Storytelling: A briclge to Korea.Social Stuclies,86,221-226.
Spagnoli,C.(1995). These tricks belong in 1'our classroom:Telling Asian trickster tales.Social Studies
and tbe Yourtg Leqrner, 8(2), 15 -17 .
Totten, S.(1994). Telling the Holocaust story to children. Pullout feature ll.Socia,l Studies and the
Ytung Lectnte4 7(2), 5-8.
Yeager,E. A., & Foster,S.J. (200 1). f'he role of empathy in the developnent of historical
understanding.In O. L. Davis,Jr.,E. A.Yeager,& S.J. Foster (Eds.),Histot'ical enxpatl4/ and
perspectiue taking ht tbe sctcialstudies 1pp. 13- 19). Lanham,MD: Rowman & Littlefield.