School Application
To bring your school, organization or family to the Cracker Storytelling Festival, please fill out the following form and send it to Polk County Parks and Rec.
Click to download the 2024 Registration Form
Study Guide -
Preparing Students Before the Trip
Before you come:
Teachers, please read this to your students.
At the Festival today, we’re going to participate in storytelling performance by many different types of storytellers. “Participate” means that you’ll be part of the program—as good listeners, using your imagination to “see” the characters, setting, and action. Sometimes, you may be invited to use your brains, voice, and hands to help bring a story to life. Storytelling is the most fun when the storyteller and the listeners work together to create the story—so let’s make this a fun experience for everyone!
Ask students to listen carefully to the story so that afterwards they can answer simple, factual, non-subjective questions such as who, what, where, or when.
What are the parts of a story? (characters, setting, problem solution, beginning, middle, end)
What do you use when you listen to a story? (ears, eyes, brain, imagination)
As you listen, use your imagination to make a “movie” of the story in your mind. Will all of you have the same movie? Why or why not?
As you listen to the stories today, listen and watch to see if you can find patterns in the words or the actions. Why are patterns important in the stories?
Try to predict what’s going to happen next in the stories, but don’t yell it out! Just listen and think and see if you’re right!
Discuss the purpose of the field trip and tell your students that they will be learning about the history of their county in the 1800’s through some of the stories they will hear. Talk about the cattle industry in Polk County and explain what the term “Cracker” means. Ask the students if they see cows anywhere near their homes and if they know how important the use of the horse was in the early history of Polk County.
Click to download the Study Guide
FAQ
Entrance to the Park
Only one person in your group needs to come to the Admission table by the Entry Gate to let us know your group has arrived. You may return any extra wristbands or pick up more if needed. If you have not already paid, you may do so then.
Groups
Plan to divide your classes into smaller groups with a chaperone for each. Most of the venues are small and more easily manageable with smaller groups.
What should I tell my students about “storytelling etiquette?”
Please remember that storytelling is an art form and the tellers are “artists.” Please instruct your students and chaperones to remain seated through the duration of a story. When the story is over or the teller has completed his/her session, then the students may get up and move to another venue or explore the park, get food, etc. Please remind all attending to either turn their cell phones off or to set them to “vibrate “only.
Student conduct while at Homeland Heritage Park
Students need to be advised that they are on a school field trip and to use their school conduct guidelines. There should be no running into the parking areas, or leaving the main park area. If you wish to return to the buses for lunches etc. students must be with a chaperone. Any students found out of the main parking area will be asked to wait at the Admission area and will not be allowed to leave until their teacher has come to get them. These guidelines are to insure the safety of all those attending the event. The First Aid station will be set up at the Admission area.
Should the students bring lunches?
The students may bring picnic lunches, but there will also be food for sale. Vendors will sell hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, pizza, boiled peanuts, chips, cookies, fruit, shaved ice, cotton candy, ice cream, slushes, popcorn, ice tea, sodas and water at reasonable prices. Food prices range from $.50- $7.00 on the average. Vendors do set their own prices but they are very reasonable.
How much money should the students bring?
Besides money for food, we also have craft vendors selling items such as seasonal items, children’s jewelry, and leather crafts for all ages. Prices for all of these will range from $1.00 and up, with most of them being in the lower range. Face painting and sand art may also be available.
What else will the children be able to do besides listen to the storytelling?
Some of the historic buildings in the park will be open. Just be sure to keep a chaperone with each group of students wherever they go in the park so everyone will be safe and stay out of trouble.
Youthful Tellers 2024
Youthful Tellers Storytelling at Cracker Storytelling Festival
Welcome Youthful Tellers! We are so glad you are here. Since the beginning of time the art of storytelling has been celebrated and handed down from generation to generation, and you are the future of that tradition!
The Youthful Teller Program always has been an important part of the Cracker Storytelling Festival, but as the festival has grown, the program has changed. We can no longer accommodate every child who wants to tell a story. Instead schools are encouraged to send their 5 best Youthful Tellers in grades K – 12 to represent them at the festival. Each Youthful Teller will be assigned a slot with a professional storyteller and will have an opportunity to take the stage for the last 5 minutes of that slot. In exchange for performing, each Youthful Teller will receive a certificate of participation, a ribbon and free admission to the festival.
Please Note: This is strictly a forum for oral storytelling. It is not a forum for creative dramatics or readings, improvisation or open mike. Youthful tellers should have prior training in the art of storytelling and public performance. Polk County teachers looking for resources on teaching storytelling may consult the Tampa-Hillsborough County Storytelling Festival Online Coaching Manual for tips and a suggested curriculum. The manual can be downloaded from their website at tampastory.org. Many professional storytellers are willing to visit schools and work with students during or after school hours. Contact tampastory.org or your public library’s Youth Services librarian for teller suggestions.
In order to participate, Youthful Tellers must meet the following 3 criteria:
1. Names must be submitted by a teacher or home schooling parent.
2. Stories must be rehearsed and performed a minimum of 3 times before a group before performing at our festival. No extemporaneous storytelling.
3. Stories should be between 3 and 5 minutes in length.
The following entry form for each participating Youthful Tellers must be completed and received by October 28, 2024. Once they are received, we will schedule your students and inform you where and when they will be performing on the day of your visit.
Youthful Tellers Committee/Cracker Storytelling Festival