For this project, your students will make their own prompt tools. Instead of dice, they’ll make card.
Cut Out Some Cards
First, students will need something to write on. Cut some rectangles from colored paper. Use 4 different colors, one for each of the different categories described below. The standard size of playing cards is 2.5”x3.5”, but you can adjust the size if you choose (but try to be consistent). You decide how many cards to do (I recommend about a dozen of each color in a set). Hand out a set of cards (where a set has all of the colors and one set is identical to the next) to each student or group of students.
As an alternative, you can have your students type up their cards, in which case you wouldn’t cut the cards until after they’ve printed. But for the rest of this article we’ll presume the card will be hand-written.
Make Character Cards
The story should be populated with characters, of course. Give your students the following ideas, then give them time to write several specifics for each. (Maybe give these prompts one at a time so they can think of multiple specifics for each instead of narrowing their focus). Students are free to add adjectives along with each noun.
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What are some interesting professions?
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What kinds of people do you admire?
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What kinds of people scare you?
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Which animals do you wish could talk?
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What are your favorite mythical creatures?
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By the way, I recommend that students limit the proper nouns they use. When they do use proper nouns, it should be someone that everyone in the class is familiar with, perhaps a famous person. For an unknown person, don’t give them a name (“a fat astronaut” is better than “George”); names can come when it’s time to tell stories.
Make Action Cards
Next, let’s write down some verbs. Give your students the following ideas, then give them time to write several specifics for each. Students are free to add adverbs.
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What actions look really cool?
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What actions are very difficult?
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What actions make you laugh?
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What actions solve problems?
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What actions cause more problems?
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Make Setting Cards
The story needs times and places to happen. Give your students the following ideas, then give them time to write several specifics for each. The times and places can be relative (e.g.: ‘the next day’, ‘the other side of the room’) or definitive (e.g.: ‘a bright summer day’, ‘a haunted mansion’).
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Where do you spend most of your time?
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Where is a place you’ve always wanted to visit?
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What’s a place that’s impossible or almost impossible to get to?
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Where do you feel safe?
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Where do the craziest events take place?
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Name four different time expressions.
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When is the most boring time of the day?
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What year would you like to visit?
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Students should write their answers as nouns and not include prepositions (as the prepositions will depend on the context; the storytellers will decide the right prepositions in the middle of the story).
Make Item Cards
What do the characters interact with? Give your students the following ideas, then give them time to write several specifics for each. Students are free to add adjectives along with each noun.
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Name four everyday objects.
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What is something really expensive?
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What is something very rare?
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What is something you play with (perhaps an instrument, a game, or sports equipment)?
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What is something dangerous?
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Shuffle the Cards
Shuffle the cards together. You may choose to keep each set separate or to combine them all. You could have your students share what they wrote to compare and contrast with other students, or you can keep the cards a surprise until they are played.
Bind up the cards with a rubber band or set them in small box until you’re ready to make some stories!
When you later play the cards, follow instructions similar to these: [story dice instructions]
