As we wrap up our discussion on the role and nuances of storytelling in cultures around the world, I hope you’ve enjoyed our journey. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of storytelling in oral cultures is their reliance on collective memory. In the Age of Information, the amount of text we’re confronted with is astounding. This makes the memorization of the past even more impressive. As teachers, we can use that not just when working with students from other cultures, we can incorporate new techniques to help students learn and process new information.
One way, whose use is seen in science and mathematics, is the mnemonic device. Try giving your students the chance to create their own. You can also incorporate rhyming, moving beyond the sounds familiar to rhythm in the English language to rhyming ideas and themes. Finding ways to introduce repetition in class, adding the phrase, “And Julius Caesar continued to gain power,” can serve to strengthen student understanding of the fall of the Roman Republic.
These sort of hacks often come from circumstances and can serve to help teachers and students alike adapt their teaching and learning styles. At the end of the day, what you really want is for your students to have as many tools at their disposal as possible to not just satisfy a learning objective, but ultimately, as they continue learning for the rest of their lives.
If you’re looking for stories from antiquity to practice these skills but just don’t have the time, no worries! Click here for my collection of resources designed to make your busy life easier. I look forward to hearing stories from the experiences you create in your classrooms.
Happy teaching,
Ryan Wagoner The Lyceum of History
“I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well.” ~Alexander the Great
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