One-Day

All it takes is 90 minutes! Really. If you want, schedule two hours. Students choose cards, write, and edit all in one session. To ensure that this approach works well, we recommend that you have several volunteers involved.

Three-Day

If you like, you can spread the steps out over three simple 30- to 45-minute segments.

• Day 1: Explanation and choice of cards
• Day 2: Writing
• Day 3: Editing

Five-Day

Our StoryDecks can be used as part of a five-day program, which can conveniently be done over a single week or which can be spread out over a longer period of time.

• Day 1: Explanation and choice of cards
• Day 2: Writing
• Day 3: Writing, continued
• Day 4: Small group editing
• Day 5: Class editing

Seven Teams, One Story

Each story can be broken down into five writing groups, one each for the introduction, each of the three problem scenes, and the conclusion. In addition, you can add one team for illustrations and one team to write "marketing materials" (a summary of the story suitable for the back cover as well as quotes from people-real or not-who liked the book).

Five Teams, One Story

If you want, skip the illustration and marketing teams.

One Team, One Story

Or, do everything together as one group, producing one fantastic story.

Multiple Teams, Multiple Stories

Another possibility is to break up into multiple teams and have each team write (and illustrate) their own story. The teams might write using the same StoryDeck cards, or might make their own selections. Or, the teams might even use different decks altogether.

Classroom

Most teachers have used our StoryDecks in their classrooms. Teachers can run the program by themselves or can ask volunteers to help.

After-School Program

Some schools have run after-school creative writing programs utilizing our StoryDecks. For example, Nordstrom Elementary School in Morgan Hill, CA did so for one of its after-school GATE events.

See stories written by students who have used our StoryDecks