Resolution is in the
Story
The Story Grammar Marker and
Comic Strip Conversations for
Conflict Resolution and Social
Skills Development
Power Point Presentation by Thea K. Burton, M.A. CCC-Sp, M.Ed
2013
Story Grammar Marker
Developed by Mindwing Concepts, Inc. (Maryellen Rooney Moreau)
• is a tool to help us tell, retell, and write
stories.
• describe the social parameters of
situations.
• identify differing persepctives.
The Story Grammar Marker
(SGM)
Each symbol or icon on SGM represents
an element of a story.
• The Story Grammar Marker
•
•
•
•
•
•
Character
Setting
Kick Off
Feelings
Plan
Actions/Attempts
( the details)
• Consequence
• Resolution
The Character / The Face
• Who is the story
about?
• Think about:
person, animal, or
being
age/gender
physical description
likes and dislikes
personality
The Setting/ The Star
• Where and
When does the
story take place?
• Think about the
“ho-hum” day in
the setting.
Kick-Off / The Shoe
• The Initiating Event:
•
•
•
•
•
What good or bad event happened to the Character to cause him/her to do
something?
Think about a football game and how the kick-off starts the game.
The Kick-Off is the part of the story that changes the typical or “ho-hum”
day.
It’s a “ho-hum” day UNTIL….
The Kick-Off is often something that one does not expect to happen.
Feelings / The Heart
• Internal Response:
• What are the Character’s
feelings about what
happened?
• Emotions, goals,
intentions, or thoughts.
• (happy, sad, mad,
surprised, disgusted,
afraid, embarrassed,
proud, lonely)
The Plan / The Hand
• STOP - THINK
• What does the
Character want to
do?
• Think about the kickoff and the internal
response?
• What does the
Character want to
achieve?
Critical Thinking Triangle
• Initiating Event
• Feeling Words
(happy, sad, angry,
jealous, surprised,
scared)
• Planning Words
(want, decide, plan,
desire, intend, need)
• Thinking verbs (know,
realize, think, understand,
remember, believe)
Attempts or Actions / The Rings
• What action does the
Character take to
achieve the plan?
•
•
•
Attempt 1
Attempt 2
Attempt 3 …..
• May involve multiple
plans, or attempts at the
plan.
• The DETAILS …
(To begin with, First, Then,
Next, Furthermore, Finally)
Direct Consequence / The Bow
• What happened as a
result of the
Character’s plan
and attempts?
• The “tie-up”
• As a result….
Resolution / Hearts and Strings
• How does the
Character feel about
the direct
consequence?
• Think about…
- feelings
- lesson learned
- moral of the story
SGM Review
•
•
•
•
•
•
Face = Character
Star = Setting
Shoe = Kick-Off
Heart = Feelings
Hand = Plan
Rings =
Actions/Attempts
• Bow = Direct
Consequence
• Hearts & Strings =
Resolution
Practice
• You have now learned
the icons that make up
Story Grammar Marker
(SGM).
• Use these icons to:
- help you understand
the elements in a story
- recall information to
retell a story
- create / write your own
story
Perspective shift
• Student A tells the story from
his/her perspective
• Student B tells the story from
his/her perspective
• Together students A & B tell the
story and change it so that the
outcome is a positive one for both.
Comic Strip Conversations
Devised by Carol Gray.
• are conversations between two or more
people shown in simple drawings.
• Incorporate symbols and colour to illustrate
detail, ideas, and abstract concepts.
• systematically identify what people say, do
and think.
Comic Strip Conversations
Devised by Carol Gray.
• represent emotions by using colour
• help student understand where they are
coming from.
• help student understand where others are
coming from.
Draw as you talk
• Use stick figures and symbols.
• Conversation symbols dictionary
Talk
Thought
Example
Questions
Questions that guide a Comic Strip Conversation:
Look familiar?
• Where is the student?
• Who else is there?
• What is the student doing?
• What happened?
• What did the student think?
• What did others do?
• What did others say and think?
Color = Motive
• Use colour to visually define the feelings and intentions of
a speaker.
• Carol Gray (1994) suggested:
Green – good ideas, happy, friendly
Red – bad ideas, teasing, anger
Brown – comfortable, cosy
Purple – proud
Yellow – frightened
Black – facts, things we know
Orange – questions
Combination of colours - confused
Symbols
Symbols
Symbols
Symbols
Practice
Let’s draw the situation we told
a story about.
SGM & CSC Together
• After telling the story using SGM
• Draw the story using CSC
• Create a Social Story that reinforces
the general social/behavioral learning
that has occurred.
Resolution
• When we understand each other, we
are more likely to behave in a way
that resolves conflicts.
• How we tell the story helps improve
understanding and how we interact
with each other.