Advanced Protocol for Developing Critical Complexity Lesson Plan

Before Teaching Cards-Write cards for each of the three roles (storyteller, detective, umpire) Write down the rules and duties for each role in each stage. One way to randomly group students would be to mix up the role cards and hand them out as they walk in the room. However, you may want storytellers to be volunteers since they are personal stories, and it may be difficult for some students to share first. Each student should be each role at some point. Groups Minimum 3 people per group Maximum recommended is 7 (1 storyteller, 2 detectives, 2 umpires). The Stories The story should be personal The story should represent real struggle about thinking, practice, or experience. The story should be very detailed; it is supposed to take 7-10 minutes to tell the story. Allowing storytellers to write and use notes during the story might help.

During Teaching Modeling is important with this exercise. The teacher should be the first storyteller, and he/she should get a few (2-3 for each role) student volunteers to act as detective and umpires during modeling. Have students brainstorm memories of times that they have struggled This should be a quick-write, 3-5 minutes of silent individual writing Complete sentences, spelling, etc. shouldn’t matter; this is just about accessing details of stories. Do 2-3 quick-writes, asking the students to write details of different struggle memories, so they can choose the most detailed or most difficult struggle when they are the storyteller. Create groups and assign initial roles.

Stage 1- 10 minutes Storyteller Detective(s) Tells the story. Be specific Be descriptive Include your perspective, feelings, reactions, assumptions. Listen & take notes Identify explicit and implicit assumptions about the storyteller’s viewpoint of the story. Try to imagine themselves inside the heads of other people in the story. Umpire(s) Listen & take notes Identify explicit and implicit assumptions about the storyteller’s viewpoint of the story.

Stage 2 10 minutes Storyteller Detective(s) Answers questions completely and honestly. Storyteller may ask why a detective has asked a question before answering. Ask questions of the storyteller. These questions should be for clarification or gather important information about the events (Can you tell me more about…). Only 1 question at a time. No statements, just questions. Detectives may not give opinions or advice to the storyteller. Umpire(s) only speaks if Detective breaks the rules or asks a judgmental question (Why didn’t you… Didn’t you think to…).

Stage 3 10 minutes Storyteller Detective(s) Listen Write down responses to detectives’ report Don’t be defensive, the point is to reach greater understanding of yourself, not prove yourself right. Report assumptions that the storyteller held in the story. Avoid judgment. State only one assumption at a time. Do not give advice. Umpire(s) Stops detective when they are being judgmental. Stops Storyteller if they try to speak.

Stage 4 10 minutes Storyteller Detective(s) Storyteller should not interrupt as detective retells the story. When the detective is done retelling, the storyteller may add information which is pertinent to detective’s lens Give an alternative version of the story through a different plausible lens. Point out where power or hegemony is at play. These should be descriptive not judgmental. No advice. Umpire(s) Stops detective when they are being judgmental. Stops storyteller if they are being defensive

Stage 5 10 minutes Storyteller Detective(s) Storytellers explains what they have learned Now the detective may give advice. Umpire(s) Umpire gives a summary of the storyteller’s ability to be a respectful listener and talker. Umpire gives a summary of detective’s ability to be a listener and talker. Umpire gives his/her perspective on the story and the alternate story.