Framing the story is the process of developing a structure to support the information being shared. The simplest story frame is the "First..., Next..., Then..., Finally.... frame that students learn early in elementary narrative writing activities.



Ira Glass of "This American Life" talks about two building blocks of a story: the Anecdote, and the Moment of Reflection.

"The two interwoven...will make something larger than the sum of its parts."

Improv artists practice the art of storytelling through collaboration. In order to create a successful story, they must accept and build on the story segments created by their fellow artists. Using improv activities to help students build story frames gives them practice in creative thinking. Because improv activities are fast paced, they keep students engaged in the creation process while teaching them the art of brainstorming and free association to add surprising elements to the story.

Use the links to the left to find story frame ideas and add your own ideas for others to use.