The Moth: All About Storytelling

How do students learn what a story is, what are the elements of a story are, what makes a good story?  One way is for them to listen to a number of stories and discuss these questions.  The online storytelling site The Moth is an outstanding resources for teachers to use in helping them do this. Depending on the age of the students they teach, teacher’s may want to filter the moth a bit and only present what’s age appropriate.  But this is a great site to go to to get students talking about what makes a great story.  

Directly from the website:

The Moth is an acclaimed not-for-profit organization dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. It is a celebration of both the raconteur, who breathes fire into true tales of ordinary life, and the storytelling novice, who has lived through something extraordinary and yearns to share it. At the center of each performance is, of course, the story – and The Moth’s directors work with each storyteller to find, shape and present it.

Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide.

Moth shows are renowned for the great range of human experience they showcase. Each show starts with a theme, and the storytellers explore it, often in unexpected ways. Since each story is true and every voice authentic, the shows dance between documentary and theater, creating a unique, intimate, and often enlightening experience for the audience.

Moth stories dissolve socio-economic barriers, expose vulnerabilities, and quietly suggest ways to overcome challenges and see with new eyes.