Artist Residencies

Note: Supplies are to be provided by the school. Residencies can be day-long, week-long, or two weeks long. The best residencies are planned well in advance. It is a collaborative effort between the residency coordinator, the participating teachers, and Dianne. Please note that Dianne only does a couple of residencies a year so they need to be booked six months to a year in advance. Please contact Dianne for residency fees.

 

A is for Alligator: Draw and Tell Tales from A-Z
Grades: PK-6
Students will learn how to create unique draw-n-tell tales that use each letter of the alphabet to illustrate animals with accompanying stories that everyone will love! Students will be amazed as the lines they draw become a clever picture of favorite animals. A fun way to introduce the alphabet and science in literacy. A is for Alligator: Draw and Tell Tales from A-Z is a title with Libraries Unlimited (2011).

 

Handmade Tales: Stories to Make and Take
Grades: PK-6
In this “hands-on” residency, students will learn tales that use hands as an active part of the telling: string stories, draw and tell, cut and tell, paper tales (fold and tell, roll books, paper fortune teller tales), hand stories and finger plays, and other tales (handkerchiefs, napkins, and towels). Handmade Tales: Stories to Make and Take is a title with Libraries Unlimited (2008). Materials are provided by host. 60 min. – 3 hrs.

 

Handmade Tales 2: More Stories to Make and Take
Grades: Gr. PK-6
In this “hands-on” residency, students will learn tales that use hands as an active part of the telling: string stories, draw and tell, cut and tell, paper tales (fold and tell, tear and tell, paper plate tales, and paper bag tales), and other tales (handkerchiefs, napkins, and towels). Handmade Tales 2: More Stories to Make and Take is a title with Libraries Unlimited (2013).

 

Kamishibai Story Theater: The Japanese Art of Picture Telling
Grades: 3-8
Kamishibai is the Japanese art of telling with pictures. Dianne will guide students in telling stories from Asia with self-illustrated story cards. The workshop culminates in a collective performance of a Kamishibai story by the students. An amazing collaborative process, this residency brings out the creativity in each participant. Kamishibai Story Theater: The Japanese Art of Picture Telling is a title with Teacher Ideas Press (September 2006). 60 min. – 2 hrs.

 

Picture Book Make and Takes
Grades: PK-3
Through The Cajun Cornbread Boy, Madame Poulet and Monsieur Roach, Mama’s Bayou, The Gigantic Sweet Potato, There’s a Dragon in the Library, Dinosaur Mardi Gras, and Beware, Beware of the Big Bad Bear, students will enliven their libraries and classrooms. Students will learn how to use masks from The Cajun Cornbread Boy, “story shakers” from Madame Poulet and Monsieur Roach, a bear collage from Mama’s Bayou, a cookbook from The Gigantic Sweet Potato, a Dewey the Dragon accordion puppet from There’s a Dragon in the Library, a dinosaur Mardi Gras mask from Dinosaur Mardi Gras, and bear paper bag puppet from Beware, Beware of the Big Bad Bear. In addition, students will learn songs that accompany the stories. Dianne’s “Tell Along Tales” are kid-friendly and specifically designed for the read aloud.

 

Scared Silly: Telling Tales that Tickle and Thrill
Grades: 3-6
Through Dianne’s signature audience participation storytelling techniques, students explore the anatomy of a scary story, learn techniques for telling to all ages, and take home several ready-made tales that tickle and thrill. Scared Silly: 25 Tales to Tickle and Thrill is a title with Libraries Unlimited (2009). A complete handout is provided.

 

Stories on Board: Creating Board Games from Favorite Tales
Grades: K-6
Hands-on and interactive, the Stories on Board! residency will have students creating fun board games with adapted tales from around the world. Working in groups, students will select their favorite folktales, storymap, and turn the stories into colorful board games they will play, integrating language arts, math, and social studies. Stories on Board: Creating Board Games from Favorite Tales is a title with Libraries Unlimited (2010).

 

Story Fest: Reading Comprehension Through Story Theater
Grades: 2-6
Through Dianne’s innovative story theater scripts designed for whole classroom participation, creative movement, drama, and rhythm instruments, students will explore storytelling and collectively create a performance masterpiece! Fast-paced and fun! The technique is easily implemented in the classroom or library.

 

Tangram Tales: Story Theater with the Ancient Puzzle
Grades: K-6
Through Dianne’s signature story theater technique developed for whole classroom participation, students will explore the Tangram, an ancient Chinese puzzle. Combining math and storytelling with geometric manipulatives, the workshop content can be tailored to succeed with all grades. Students will work with Tangrams and create a Tangram story theater. Tangram Tales: Story Theater with the Ancient Chinese Puzzle is a title with Libraries Unlimited (2008). Limit 100 participants 60 min. – 2 hrs.

 

Tell Along Tales: Playing with Participation Stories
Grades: Gr. 4-6
Shake, Rattle & Play! Using movement, chants, songs, and rhythm instruments, students will explore how to play with stories using audience participation. Don’t expect to stay seated in this workshop! Participants will leave with tales they use for audience participation story times. Tell Along Tales: Playing with Participation Stories is a title with Libraries Unlimited (2013).

 

The “Write” Recipe for a Story
Audience: Gr. 4-8

 

Using her book, The Little ‘Read’ Hen, Dianne takes students through a fun, yet fast-paced creative writing workshop that highlights the steps of story writing: brainstorming, researching, outlining, drafting, editing, and proofing. At the end of the residency, students create a small book that they can take home.