Joyful Journeys

A one-hour story mountain workshop
for KS2 and KS3

Taking Joseph Campbell’s idea of the Hero’s Journey, in this workshop children explore how we experience story mountains as readers, before planning and writing a climactic scene themselves.

A woman with short blonde hair and a black t-shirt stands in front of a group of children and adults in a library or bookstore setting. The background features colorful posters, bookshelves filled with books, and a large sign that reads 'Excelsior Award.' The people are seated and appear to be listening or participating in a discussion or presentation.
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what happens in this workshop?

ice-breaker
I show my story mountain and explain how my characters overcome obstacles I put in their way.

topic
Different kinds of crises and jeopardy we might encounter in fiction and why they’re needed.

activity
Each group is given a ‘StoryBox’ containing clues that enable them to brainstorm and write a climactic scene.

support & feedback
I go round and help each group, then at the end I invite a handful of children read their work aloud and I offer feedback to support what they’ve learned.

resources
Whiteboards, pencil and plain paper work best, thesauruses are also a handy extra sometimes.

success criteria
The adventure of opening the ‘StoryBox’ and exploring how to use the contents to inspire a pivotal story scene stimulates children’s imaginations and produces quick collaborative results.

Book a Joyful Journeys workshop with Sarah for your school
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A graphic illustration of a lightbulb with a gear inside, symbolizing innovative ideas or creative thinking.
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