Re: [LM_NET] HIT: T-shirt tear AND the Story

[Judy Freeman <bkwssf@AOL.COM>]

Hi Storylovers--
Here's another source for that paperfolding story Corrin Sellen was looking for, 
this one called "The Rainhat." I first heard Alice Yucht tell another version of it 
when we were doing workshops together in NJ many years ago. She had gotten it from 
the storytelling book, Just Enough to Make a Story by Nancy Schimmel. (Alice has 
always been a master storyteller, in case you didn't know.) I started telling it to 
my students back then--it's gotta be 20 years by now--and revised it substantially 
over the years, expanding the story, adding music, and new touches. It's very fun 
to tell, about a little girl who wants to play in the rain, but her mom won't let 
her because she doesn't have a rain hat.
You'll find my complete version, with diagrams, in my book, Once Upon a Time: Using 
Storytelling, Creative Drama, and Reader's Theater with Children in Grades PreK-6 
(Libraries Unlimited, 2007), which you can get from www.LU.com or Follett, or your 
jobber.
When you tell "The Rainhat" to kids, they think you are a magician. You'll 
transform a "boring piece of paper" (I use a big piece of chart paper; newsprint is 
messy) into a pilgrim hat, a rainhat, a firefighter's hat, a pirate hat, a boat, 
and finally, a life jacket. Pretty darn spiffy.
Afterwards, in my school library, I used to have the kids retell the story and fold 
everything with me--using 8X11 paper--and then they decorated their boats with 
crayons. Now I tell it when I do school assemblies all over creation, and the kids 
get very happy. You'd think I'd be sick of it after telling it hundreds of times, 
but I still love it (and, best of all, so do they). When you start the story, some 
of the kids will give you the hairy eyeball. (Hmph. What's the big deal with a 
stupid piece of paper? Oh, yeah, she made a hat. Big whoop.) Their skepticism 
changes very quickly, and by the end, they're laughing and cheering. I usually do 
it with grades PreK-3, but you can go older, no problem.

It'll take you a bit to master the folding, but it's not hard. Just keep a copy of 
the story on a chair in front of you as a crib sheet, if you need it. Cheating is 
just fine when telling stories. The kids won't mind a bit. They'll still think 
you're the bee's knees.


Judy


Judy Freeman
Children's Literature Consultant
Reviewer for www.READKIDDOREAD.com
Author of Books Kids Will Sit Still For 3
(Libraries Unlimited, 2006; www.LU.com)
and Once Upon a Time:
Using Storytelling, Creative Drama, and
Reader's Theater with Children in Grades K-6 (2007)
and The WINNERS! Handbook (2009)
65 North Sixth Avenue
Highland Park, NJ 08904
732-572-5634 / BKWSSF@aol.com
www.JudyReadsBooks.com



Is this it? 
http://everything2.com/title/The+Impressive+and+Wonderful+Paper+Boat+Story
 
YES!!! thank you Anne Oelke!  And it even contains the story!

On 2/22/2010 11:15 AM, cb sellen wrote:
> Hello everyone,
>  How does one tear a simple paper square or rectangle so that with only two or 
three tears it looks like a t-shirt?  I have a story that goes with it, but not 
the directions for tearing the paper.  Somebody out there MUST know!
>  Thanks in advance for your help.
>  Corrin Sellen
> csellen@swedesboro-woolwich.com
> Librarian
> General Charles G. Harker School
> Woolwich Twp. NJ



 

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