Story Corps began in October 2003 with the opening of a storybooth in Grand Central Terminal in New York City, their mission is to “preserve and share humanity’s stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world.” Story telling and listening are critical skills for our students and the Great Thanksgiving Lesson creates an opportunity for students to interview a grandparent, sibling, mentor, or friend. They are asked to sit with the person for a number of minutes, ask important questions, and listen carefully.
Watch the video below to learn more about Story Corps and the Founder Dave Isay as he models a student interview with his nephew.
Adobe Spark and Story Corps have a new partnership that enhances the Great Thanksgiving Listen lesson to include a TedEd style Adobe Spark video as a culminating project. The Story Corps lesson materials include video resources, planning worksheets, and interview day handouts. Get all the materials here. The lesson plan was created for secondary students, because the Story Corps app used to record has a minimum age of 13 to use. All students under the age of 18 need parental consent to register for a Story Corps account, here is a sample permission slip. If this is not a fit for your classroom, it could be a great family activity over break. Enjoy!
