"Great hands on activities that promote higher-order thinking skills.  Students loved the program and looked forward to it all week. Thank you!!" -3rd grade teacher, Sanchez 

"They loved all of the activities and it was neat to see a culmination of what we've taught in reading throughout the year come out in your lessons. They really enjoyed becoming a character in the story and becoming a part of it. Thank you for all of your hard work and patience!" -3rd grade teacher, Matthews

Journey Into the Story (JITS) is a program for 2nd and 3rd grade classrooms, which uses innovative art, theatre, and project-based curriculum in the classroom to teach literacy.

Journey Into the Story increases students' interest in the texts, enhances reading and retention skills, improves comprehension capabilities, ensures academic success, and makes the experience of reading relevant and FUN!  It also connects to the Reading and Language Arts TEKS. Journey Into the Story's teaching artists bring stories to life by taking the students on a wild ride through their imaginations.

The books currently being offered are The Woman Who Outshone the Sun/La mujer que brillaba aún más que el sol by Alejandro Cruz Martinez , Circle Unbroken by Margot Theis Raven and The Secret Footprints by Julia Alvarez.

Circle Unbroken gets the students wrapped up in a mystery about a girl's heritage. They transform into detectives and must solve clues in the book by acting out the story, sculpting each other like clay, and weaving baskets that untangle the knot of the girls' lost memory.

The Woman Who Outshone the Sun introduces the students to mad scientist trying to solve the problem of global warming, who with their help, can find the solution! The students must save a small Oaxacan village from a magical drought and learn through theatre, writing, and art that by respecting nature we can save the planet!

The Secret Footprints tells the story of ciguapa, legendary creatures of the Dominican Republic. When Guapa, a beautiful young ciguapa, wanders from her home in the ocean to the shores of an enchanting island she comes face to face with humans. After a young boy befriends Guapa the humans and ciguapa learn a powerful lesson about difference and cultural respect.

Objective: To provide second and third graders with opportunities to practice and improve literacy skills through collaborative learning and creative exploration.

Grade: 2nd -3rd

Number of Students: 15 to 25 per performance

Length: 3 one-hour sessions