Narrator: Welcome to Background Brief, a game where you have to determine if any background information is missing. When we tell a story, we need to give all of the background information. If we leave anything out, people could be confused. When we’re talking to others, we need to make sure we tell them Who we are talking about, What happened, Where we went, when it happened.

For each video, we’ll listen to the story being told and decide if any information is missing. Pay attention to how successful the character story is to help you figure out if anything is missing. Let’s get started. 

[ROUND 1 – SCENE 1]

Narrator: Listen to Madison’s story and see if any background information is missing.

Madison: Guess what? Julie and I went to the mall last week and got our ears pierced.

Haley: Oh!

Madison: Julie was so nervous. She thought it was going to hurt.

Haley: Julie. Is she your friend?

Madison: But it didn’t hurt. She was fine.

Narrator: Did Madison tell Haley every piece of background information? Let’s listen again.

Madison: Guess what? Julie and I went to the mall last week and got our ears pierced.

Haley: Oh!

Madison: Julie was so nervous. She thought it was going to hurt.

Haley: Julie. Is she your friend? 

Madison: But it didn’t hurt. She was fine.

Narrator: Did Madison leave any parts out? She left out the Who by not explaining who Julie is. Let’s see how this made Haley feel.

Haley: (internal thought) Who’s Julie? I’m not sure who that is. Madison has never talked about Julie before.

Narrator: Haley felt confused when Madison didn’t tell her who she was talking about. Even though she said Julie’s name, she didn’t explain who she was so Haley didn’t know who she was talking about. Let’s watch Madison tell her all of the background information.

[ROUND 1 – SCENE 2]

Madison: Guess what? My cousin, Julie, and I went to the mall last week and got our ears pierced.

Haley: Oh, awesome! Was it your first time?

Madison: No, I’ve had it done before but Julie never had. She was really nervous.

Haley: People always think it’s going to hurt but it doesn’t.

Narrator: That time, Madison told Haley all of the information. She included the Who, What, Where, and When. Let’s watch one more time and see how Madison gives Haley the background brief.

Madison: Guess what? My cousin, Julie, and I went to the mall last week and got our ears pierced.

Narrator: That time, Madison made sure to tell Haley that Julie was her cousin. Now Haley wasn’t confused. 

[ROUND 2 – SCENE 1]

Narrator: Listen to Rachel’s story and see if any background information is missing.

Zach: I’m going to Arizona to visit my brother for spring vacation.

Rachel: Cool! I was in Canada with my family and we went on a boat ride through Niagara Falls.

Zach: You went or are you going? 

Rachel: Yeah! It’s a cool place.

Narrator: Did Rachel tell Zach every piece of background information?

Zach: I’m going to Arizona to visit my brother for spring vacation.

Rachel: Cool! I was in Canada with my family and we went on a boat ride through Niagara Falls.

Zach: You went or are you going?

Rachel: Yeah. It’s a cool place.

Narrator: Which part did Rachel leave out? She left out the When. Let’s see how this made Zach feel. 

Zach: (internal thought) When did Rachel go to Canada? Was it recent or was it a long time ago?

Narrator: Zach felt confused when Rachel didn’t mention when she went to Canada. Without the When, her comment seemed off topic and didn’t relate to his story about vacation. Let’s watch Rachel tell Zach all of the background information.

[ROUND 2 – SCENE 2]

Zach: I’m going to Arizona to visit my brother for spring vacation.

Rachel: Cool! Last year for spring break, I went to Canada with my family and we went on a boat ride through Niagara Falls.

Zach: Wow! That must have been so cool to see.

Rachel: Yeah. It was a cool vacation.

Zach: I’ve never been to Canada before.

Narrator: That time, Rachel gave all of the information in her story. She included the Who,

What, Where, and When. Let’s watch that one more time and see how Rachel gave Zach the background brief. 

Rachel: Last year for spring break, I went to Canada with my family and we went on a boat ride through Niagara Falls.

Narrator: Now no one was confused. 

[ROUND 3 – SCENE 1]

Narrator: Let’s listen to Justin’s story and see if any background information is missing.

Zach: I really wish we had cheeseburgers for lunch today.

Justin: My brother and I got these giant burgers last weekend. They were so good! They have tons of toppings too.

Zach: Oh, I love burgers!

Justin: You have to go!

Narrator: Did Justin tell Zach every piece of background information? Let’s listen again.

Zach: I really wish we had cheeseburgers for lunch today.

Justin: My brother and I got these giant burgers last weekend. They were so good! They have tons of toppings too.

Zach: Oh, I love burgers!

Justin: You have to go!

Narrator: Which part did Justin leave out? He left out the Where. Let’s see how this made Zach feel. 

Zach: (internal thought) Where did Justin get that burger? He keeps saying they’re so good, but I don’t even know where he went.

Narrator: Zach felt confused when Justin told him about the burgers, but didn’t tell him where they were from. Let’s watch Justin make sure to tell Zach all of the background information.

[ROUND 3 – SCENE 2]

Zach: I really wish we had cheeseburgers for lunch today.

Justin: My brother and I got these giant burgers from Boca Burger last weekend. They were so good! They have tons of toppings too.

Zach: I love burgers!

Justin: You have to go there!

Zach: Yeah. I really need to try them.

Narrator: That time, Justin gave all of the information in his story. He included the Who, What, Where, and When. Let’s listen to Justin’s complete story one more time to hear each part of background information.

Justin: My brother and I got these giant burgers from Boca Burger last weekend.

[OUTRO]

Narrator: This time, Zach wasn’t confused. Remember to include all of the background information anytime you tell someone a story.

We just saw a few examples of successful and not so successful storytelling. When we talk to others, remember the background brief, all of the background information we need to include so we don’t make others feel confused. In order for everyone to understand your story, you should include: Who we are talking about, What happened, Where we went, When it happened. 

If we leave any of these information out, our stories might not make sense. Think about your listener and what they need to understand you. By going through your background brief, you’ll remember to include each part and have successful conversations. 

See you next time!