People · Communication and storytelling
15 min · pencil
★☆☆
Story spine
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Lots of great stories share the same backbone. Fill in each line to build your own.
- Pick a hero: a kid, an animal, even a robot.
- Finish each line in order.
- Read your story out loud to someone.
Example: Once upon a time there was a snail called Zip. Every day he was the slowest…
- 1.Once upon a time…
- 2.Every day…
- 3.But one day…
- 4.Because of that…
- 5.Because of that…
- 6.Until finally…
- 7.And ever since then…
Grown-up corner
Why it matters: A simple story shape helps kids organize ideas, a skill they will use in writing, talks and pitches.
- What was the big change in your story?
- What could make the ending more surprising?
Extend it: Take a film you both know and fit it onto the story spine.
My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy
One thing I learned: ________________________
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