Storytelling for Teachers: Passionate Facts Workshop
Storytelling Training Workshop For Science,
History & Environmental Educators, Interpreters,
Resource Managers, and Parents
"Facts can lie as dead pieces of information on the listeners' ears. But, woven into story, they come to life. Henry Thoreau, David Attenborough and other great teachers of natural history practice an art of weaving their observations of nature into a garment of meaning and beauty that touches something deep within the human soul. This art is a story way of giving information. It is the inheritance of every naturalist and every great teacher." - Susan Strauss
Workshop Description:
Story is the most accessible way for humans to digest information and reflect upon experience. Why this is so and how story works in relation to human brain function is the focus of this workshop.
Each participant will share a personal experience or anecdote with partners and then, put their anecdote through a series of activities that will reveal how story works and also, refine and prepare the story for public telling. This process will then be applied to the telling of math, science and history as story.
Participants develop an understanding for the essentials of how to express "a story way of giving information." Participants need to bring to the workshop a personally moving experience they had in or with Nature, History or Culture. Activities include:
~ Transforming information into imagery.
~ Developing a sense for the “hook phrase” and ending phrase.
~ Use of repetition.
~ Building denouement and the element of mystery.
~ Development of sensory experience.
~ Use of metaphoric language.
~ Use of voice, picture-making capacity of language, sound effects and dialogue.
Locations, schedule and cost:
Salida Regional Library, 406 E Street
Tuesday, November 18, 4 - 8 PM
Cost: Free to Salida residents, $50 to non-residents.
Buena Vista Public Library, 115 Lindermann, Buena Vista
Thursday, November 20, 4 - 8 PM
Cost: Free to Buena Vista residents, $50 to non-residents.
SPACE IS LIMITED SO REGISTER TODAY!
How to register:
Contact Susan Strauss at 
or call her at 541-610-5350 to
let her know you are planning to come, and then mail check, if applicable, payable to
Susan Strauss to P.O. Box 1141, Bend, OR, 97709.
OR contact Judy Green (CMC) at 221-9842 to reserve your space and to obtain registration information.
About the presenter, Susan Strauss:
Susan Strauss is a storyteller, visiting children's author, natural history author, keynote speaker, creator of The Passionate Fact Interpretive Training Workshop (TM) on Storytelling Science, Natural History & Cultural Information, an environmental educator, natural history interpreter and studying eurythmist. She is recognized internationally as a storyteller of natural history performances combining mythic/traditional story with personal anecdote and scientific information to provoke an experience of natural archetypes including: water, wolves, weather, coyotes, plants, marine life, landscapes, trees, bears, birds and other creatures as well as telling fool stories, hero myths and traditional stories of feminine and masculine archetypes. She gives storytelling performances and storytelling training workshops at cultural centers, museums, aquariums, botanical gardens, National Parks & Forests, interpretive centers and for conferences of interpreters, soil scientists, sylvaculture scientists, wolf biologists, birds lovers, environmental educators, fine art museum docents, zoo & botanical garden curators, reading and literacy teachers, educators and visiting author school assemblies throughout the U.S., Europe and Australia. Including:
Royal Botanical Garden, Edinburgh, Scotland
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.
Smithsonian Natural History Museum, Washington, D.C.
Special exhibits of Robert Bateman, Karl Bodmer and Discovery Theater World Conferences on Heritage Preservation in England, Hawaii & Scotland
International Congress of Botanical Gardens, Sydney, Australia
Columbia University, New York City Oregon Symphony, Portland, Oregon
The original Waldorf School, Stuttgart, Germany
Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California
What people have said about master storyteller and teacher, Susan Strauss:
"No teller embodies the animals with the same fierce aliveness as Susan!" - Dr. Linda Sussman, Author of The Speech of the Grail
"Susan is a very creative collaborator and blended her original script beautifully with the music (The Firebird Suite). Her talent is a so large that the children in the back rows of our 2800 seat hall were mesmerized." - Peggie Schwartz, Oregon Symphony
"I thought I had seen the best in storytelling until I met Susan Strauss. Susan lives her stories and embodies each of her characters, bringing them to life with such vivid visual and auditory detail that her audiences literally lose themselves in the fantasy. Absolutely captivating!" - Dr. Sam Ham, Professor of Interpretations, University of Idaho
To visit Susan's website, go to: straussstoryteller.com
Susan's visit to the Upper Arkansas River Valley
is made possible with support from
Lakeside Motel,
Family & Youth Initiatives,
Salida & Buena Vista Libraries and
Colorado Mountain College.
Syn number for Buena Vista workshop is 39413
Course Code is EDU-901-CH02
Course Title is Storytelling: Passionate Facts Workshop
Syn number for Salida workshop is 39843
Course Code for Salida workshop is EDU-901-CH03
Course Title is Storytelling: Passionate Facts Workshop