Build a Story Machine

Learning Guide

A simple guide to lead you through the kickoff, the core challenge, and everything in between.

Mai’s Tips

1. Encourage the child to not just write words for elements, but also to draw small pictures. This makes the machine more engaging and accessible for their age group.
2. Emphasize that there's no 'wrong' way to build the machine. The goal is creative exploration and functional design, not perfection.

Prep Before Session 15 min

• Gather materials: cardboard, scissors, markers, paper, pencil, glue or tape.
• Think of 2-3 diverse examples for each story element (character, setting, problem, object) to use as suggestions if needed.

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels

1Introduction 5 min

• Start by engaging your child about their favorite stories. Explain that every great story has important parts called story elements.

  Characters are the people or animals the story is about; you recognize them because they are doing things. For example, a brave knight or a silly cat. The opposite might be a background prop. Characters are important because they drive the action.

  Setting is where and when the story takes place; you recognize it as the backdrop of the action. For example, a spooky forest or a busy city. The opposite would be a character or a problem. Setting is important because it creates atmosphere and influences what can happen.

  Ask: "What makes your favorite stories so special and exciting?"

  Ask: "Who are the people or animals the story is about? What's the place where the story happens?"

  Done: Your child can identify at least two basic story elements like characters or setting.

Know Before You Teach

• Good to know: Stories often follow a structure where characters face a challenge in a specific place and time.
• Even very simple stories like 'The Three Little Pigs' have clear characters (pigs, wolf) and settings (straw house, stick house, brick house).
• If they ask: Can a tree be a character? Yes, if the story is about the tree and it acts like a person, like in 'The Giving Tree'.

• Key words: story elements: The important parts that make up any story, like the people, places, and what happens.
• If they're stuck: Mention a specific character and setting from a very popular story the child knows, like 'Elsa' and 'Arendelle'.
• Easier: Instead of asking 'What makes your favorite stories special?', ask 'Who is your favorite character in that story?' and 'Where does that story happen?'
• Harder: Ask: 'How would the story change if the main character was someone else, or if it happened in a different place?'

Done when: Student identifies at least two basic story elements (e.g., characters, setting).

Photo by Flickr on Pexels

2Explore & Plan 8 min

• Now, brainstorm with your child how they could build a physical machine to help invent new stories. Encourage them to think about different forms for their 'Storytelling Machine', like spinning wheels, flip cards, or dice. Discuss how they would represent each story element (character, setting, problem, object) on the machine. Offer paper and a pencil to sketch their ideas.

  A problem is the challenge or trouble a character faces in a story; you recognize it as something the character needs to fix or overcome. For example, a lost key or a broken toy. The opposite is a solution. A problem makes a story interesting and gives it a purpose.

  An object is a special item in the story; you recognize it as something important that helps or hinders the character. For example, a magic wand or a tiny spaceship. The opposite is an ordinary item. An object can be key to solving the problem.

  Ask: "What kind of machine could we build to give us new story ideas?"

  Ask: "How could we make it pick a character, a setting, a problem, and an object randomly?"

  Ask: "What will your Storytelling Machine look like?"

  Done: Your child has a clear idea, possibly with sketches, of their machine's design and how it will represent the story elements.

Know Before You Teach

• Good to know: A machine doesn't have to be complex or electronic; it just needs a way to randomly select options.
• Common random selection methods for kids include drawing from a hat, spinning a wheel, or flipping cards.

• Sketching helps organize thoughts and visualize how parts will fit together before building.
• If they ask: What kind of machine should I build? You can build anything you can imagine that helps pick things by chance, like a spinner or a set of cards.
• It's working when: Child draws simple shapes or lines representing a spinner, a box, or cards.
• If they're stuck: Show a simple drawing of a spinner divided into sections for different elements, or a few cards labeled for different elements.
• Easier: Suggest specific machine types like 'How about a box where we pull out cards?' or 'What if we make a spinning wheel?'
• Harder: Ask: 'How will your machine make sure we get one character, one setting, one problem, and one object every time?'

Done when: Student has a clear idea of what their story machine will look like and what elements it will feature.

Photo by Kirill Ozerov on Pexels

3Discussion 6 min

• Facilitate a discussion about the specific characters, settings, problems, and objects your child wants to include in their machine. Help them categorize their ideas and encourage a wide variety. Remind them about the definitions of each story element if needed.

  Ask: "What fun characters could you include on your machine?"

  Ask: "What exciting or silly places could be your story's setting?"

  Ask: "What kind of problem will make a story really interesting?"

  Ask: "What special objects would make a story extra exciting?"

  Done: Your child has chosen several distinct ideas for each of the four story element categories (character, setting, problem, object).

Know Before You Teach

• Good to know: Variety in choices makes for more interesting and diverse story combinations.
• Encouraging silly or unexpected ideas can spark creativity and reduce the pressure to be 'right'.
• Categorizing helps organize thoughts and ensures all parts of the machine are covered.
• If they ask: Can I have two characters on one card? For this machine, let's try to keep one idea per card or section so we can mix and match them.

• If they're stuck: Start listing some contrasting examples, like 'a tiny mouse' and 'a giant robot' for characters, or 'a dark cave' and 'a sunny beach' for settings.
• Easier: Provide two options for each category and ask the child to pick one (e.g., 'Do you want a princess or a pirate?').
• Harder: Ask: 'What kind of character would be really bad at solving a problem like 'a dragon stole the cake'?'

Done when: Student has chosen several distinct ideas for each story element category (character, setting, problem, object).

Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels

4Activity 9 min

• Gather your materials: cardboard, scissors, markers, paper, pencil, and glue. Support your child in building their Storytelling Machine. Guide them to draw or write their chosen characters, settings, problems, and objects neatly on separate pieces of paper or cardboard. Offer help with cutting the elements and attaching them to the machine using glue or tape, but let your child direct the overall design and creation. Once the machine is built, have them give it a try.

  Ask: "Are you ready to build your amazing Storytelling Machine?"

  Ask: "What story did your machine tell you first?"

  Done: Your child has completed their Storytelling Machine and used it to generate at least one set of story elements.

Know Before You Teach

• Good to know: Clear labels or drawings make the story elements easy to understand when generated.
• Attaching elements securely (with glue or tape) makes the machine durable for repeated use.
• Testing the machine immediately provides a sense of accomplishment and reinforces the purpose of the activity.
• If they ask: Can I draw instead of write? Yes, drawing pictures is a great way to show your ideas for characters, settings, problems, and objects.

• It's working when: Child is actively cutting, drawing, or gluing their chosen story elements onto their machine.
• If they're stuck: Offer to demonstrate how to cut out one of their drawings or write one word clearly on a card.
• Easier: Pre-cut some paper shapes or cards for them to draw/write on.
• Harder: Encourage them to add a small decorative element or a title to their machine.

Done when: Student has completed their storytelling machine and used it to generate at least one set of story elements.

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels

5Summary 2 min

• Celebrate your child's effort and creativity in building their Storytelling Machine. Reflect together on the process and the new stories they generated. Connect this activity to how real authors and screenwriters brainstorm ideas for their books and movies.

  Ask: "What was your favorite part of building your Storytelling Machine?"

  Ask: "How did it feel when your machine gave you new story ideas?"

  Ask: "What was the most surprising character, setting, problem, or object you thought of?"

  Done: Your child shares one key takeaway about story elements or the building process.

Know Before You Teach

• Good to know: Authors often start by brainstorming key elements before writing a full story.
• Sometimes, unexpected combinations from a story machine can lead to the most creative ideas.
• The process of creating and using the machine is valuable, not just the stories it generates.
• If they ask: Do real authors use machines like this? They don't usually use a physical machine, but they do use similar ways to get new ideas, like writing lists of characters or interesting places.
• It's working when: Child expresses enjoyment or surprise about the stories generated or the building process.

• If they're stuck: Re-read one of the story element combinations their machine generated and ask, 'Which part of this story idea is your favorite?'
• Easier: Simply ask: 'What was the coolest thing your machine came up with?'
• Harder: Ask: 'How do you think an author decides which problem their character will face?'

Done when: Student shares one key takeaway about story elements or the building process.

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