Story Circle Extensions

A collaborative storytelling activity for the classroom

Overview

Story Circle Extensions is a dynamic, interactive activity that builds upon the adventures of Clumsy & Friends characters. After reading one of the stories together, students take turns adding their own creative sentences to extend the narrative, fostering imagination, listening skills, and collaborative storytelling abilities.

Group Activity 15-20 minutes Ages 5-10

Learning Objectives

Materials Needed

A Clumsy & Friends storybook
Story prompt cards (optional)
A "talking object" (stuffed toy, special stick, etc.)
Timer (optional)
Recording device (optional)

Preparation

  1. Select an appropriate Clumsy & Friends story that aligns with your learning objectives or themes
  2. Arrange your classroom seating in a circle formation
  3. Prepare any visual aids or story prompt cards if needed
  4. Select a special "talking object" that will be passed around the circle

Activity Instructions

Step 1: Read the Story

Begin by reading a Clumsy & Friends story to the class. Engage students by asking questions about the characters, setting, and plot as you read.

Step 2: Discuss the Story

After reading, briefly discuss what happened in the story, focusing on key events, character choices, and the conclusion. Ask students:

Step 3: Introduce the Story Circle

Explain to students that they will be creating their own extension to the story by adding one sentence at a time. The story will continue from where the book ended, or you can choose a different starting point.

Step 4: Establish the Rules

  1. Only the person holding the "talking object" may speak
  2. Each student adds ONE sentence to the story
  3. The sentence must connect logically to the previous sentence
  4. Be respectful of others' ideas (no negative comments)
  5. Keep sentences appropriate for school

Step 5: Begin the Story Circle

Start the activity by providing the first sentence yourself. For example:

Step 6: Pass the Talking Object

Pass the talking object to the first student, who will add the next sentence to the story. Continue around the circle, with each student adding one sentence at a time.

Step 7: Guide and Support

As the activity progresses, provide gentle guidance if needed:

Step 8: Conclude the Story

Decide in advance how you'll end the story:

Step 9: Reflect and Discuss

After completing the story, discuss the experience:

Teacher Tip: Consider recording the story (audio or written) so you can share it later or use it as inspiration for writing or art activities.

Variations and Extensions

For Younger Students (Ages 5-6)

  • Picture Prompts: Provide visual cues or pictures to help students generate ideas
  • Sentence Starters: Offer simple sentence frames (e.g., "Then Clumsy saw..." or "Next, they went to...")
  • Smaller Groups: Divide into smaller circles of 5-6 students for more speaking opportunities

For Older Students (Ages 7-10)

  • Genre Challenge: Set a specific genre for the story extension (mystery, adventure, comedy)
  • Character Focus: Each student must focus on a different character's perspective
  • Problem-Solution: Introduce a new problem that the characters must solve together
  • Five Senses: Challenge students to include sensory details in their sentences
  • Written Extension: After the oral activity, have students write a paragraph continuing the story

Multi-Day Extensions

  • Illustrated Stories: Have students draw pictures to accompany the collaborative story
  • Mini-Books: Create a class book based on your extended story
  • Dramatic Play: Act out the original story plus your class extension
  • Character Creations: Introduce new characters to the Clumsy & Friends universe

Assessment Opportunities

Use this activity to informally assess:

Story Prompt Cards

Cut out these prompt cards to help guide students who need extra support:

Character Action
"Then [character] decided to..."
New Setting
"They arrived at..."
Problem Appears
"Suddenly, they realized..."
Character Feeling
"[Character] felt..."
Magical Element
"Magically, the..."
New Character
"They met a..."
Weather Change
"The sky suddenly..."
Solution Idea
"[Character] had an idea..."

Story Starter Examples

Here are some story starters for popular Clumsy & Friends stories:

The Great Veggie Cup Victory

Minnie Tickledust

Yawnzarella and the Sneezing Clocks

Timmy's Adventure in the Tooth Kingdom