Introduction

Activity
List

Classroom
Materials

Web
Resources

DPS
Standards

 

ILT Project
Site
Tell Me A Digital Story

(Grades 4 - 8)

Tell Me A Digital Story - Activity #1

Intended Learning

Through observation, instruction, and questioning, students will gain an overview of the Tell Me a Digital Story project.

Materials & Resources

  1. Tell Me a Digital Story! introduction PowerPoint
  2. Samples of digital stories (embedded within the PowerPoint)
  3. Teacher computer
  4. LCD projector

Activity Description

  • Tell the students that they are about to embark on a fantasy journey through history (or modern-day, depending on the teacher focus).  Each of them will research a person, place or event from their prior studies, then they will tell that story from the First-Person perspective.
  • Show students the “Tell Me a Digital Story” introduction PowerPoint,  Embedded in this PowerPoint are sample stories as well as guided questions.

Tell Me A Digital Story - Activity #2

Intended Learning

In a group setting, brainstorm topics that students will research for their project. Students will then fill out the Know, Want to Know, Questions (KWQ) worksheet and spend time in pair and share with another student.

Materials & Resources

  1. Inspiration software
  2. Inspiration Software Quick Reference Tip Card
  3. Inspiration brainstorming example
  4. Inspiration brainstorming template
  5. Worksheet Know, Want to Know, Questions

Activity Description

  • Discuss the theme of your unit with the students as a class. Use Inspiration software to brainstorm topics that relate to the theme. These topics will be used by the students for their projects.
  • Have students individually pick a topic from the brainstorming activity and fill in the KWQ worksheet.
  • Students will work in pairs and spend time sharing their information with each other.

Tell Me A Digital Story - Activity #3

Intended Learning

To provide instructions, practice, and support in Internet search techniques and copying graphics from the Internet.

The Internet is usually the first (and sometimes last) stop for students conducting research, but many of them do not know how to search efficiently or effectively. This activity is designed to share how to determine the quality and relevance of Internet sites, how the Internet differs from more traditional sources of information, then view an interactive PowerPoint presentation that covers Internet search strategies, features of several search engines, and citation of Internet sources.

Materials & Resources

  1. Wading Through the Web PowerPoint
  2. Wading Through the Web Student Handout
  3. Internet Citation Organizer
  4. Internet Citation Checklist
  5. Research Notes handout
  6. PDF tutorial on Searching and Saving Internet Graphics
  7. Computers with Internet access
  8. LCD projector (optional)

Activity Description

Session 1: The Nature of Internet Research

  • Conduct a class discussion about research and the Internet. Use the following focus questions:
    • Where do you go to find information for a research report?
    • How does the Internet differ from other sources of information?
    • What is your favorite place to find information and why?
  • Explain to students that for the next few days, they will be learning more effective ways to do research using the Internet
  • Brainstorm with students to generate ideas on similarities and differences between various types of research materials.
  • Explain to students that they will be learning about different types of search engines available on the Internet, and about efficient ways to search for information and narrow down their search.
  • Introduce the terms bibliography and citation. If your students are already familiar with what a bibliography is, you can quickly review it. If not, explain to students that a bibliography is a list of citations that tell where you got your information. It includes all the books, encyclopedias, websites, and so on that you used to write your report. Explain to students that the format for citing a website on the Internet is different from the format for citing a book. Tell them that they will be learning how to cite an Internet resource.

Session 2: Searching the Internet

  • Begin by reviewing with students the ways in which the Internet differs from more traditional information sources.
  • Explain to students that they will be viewing a presentation that will walk them through the process of researching on the Internet, and that this presentation is meant to serve as a jumping off point for their own research on an assigned topic. If you have already assigned a research topic to students, remind them to have their topic in mind as they view the presentation.
  • Pass out copies of the Wading Through the Web Student Handout. Show slides 1–21 and have students complete the associated activities on the handout. These slides introduce different types of search engines and demonstrate how to search “smarter” on the Internet. You can discuss each slide as you go.
  • When students have finished, discuss what they learned during the presentation. You can use the following questions to guide the discussion:

    • Which search engine did you find most helpful and why?

    • What about the other online resources? Which ones do you think you might use in the future?

    • What was the most surprising thing you learned?

    • What was the most helpful thing you learned

Session 3: Citing Sources and Independent Research Time

  • Begin by reviewing what students learned during the previous session. One way to do this might be to use the LCD projector to quickly flip through slides 1–21 of the PowerPoint presentation again and review as you go.
  • Show students the remaining section of the PowerPoint presentation (slides 22–27), which covers citing Internet sources. If you have an adequate number of computers, students can do this independently. However, depending on the needs and abilities of your students, you may want to continue together as a class or have students work with partners. As they go through the presentation, students should complete the Wading Through the Web Student Handout.
  • When students have completed the presentation and handout, tell them to use the remaining time to begin independent research on their assigned topic. Remind them that they will need to record citation information for their bibliographies, and instruct them to use the Internet Citation Organizer for this purpose.
  • After all students in the class have finished with the PowerPoint presentation, quickly share and review what they have learned about effective Internet research.

Tell Me A Digital Story - Activity #4

Intended Learning

From an example, students will gain an understanding of the difference between telling a  story and reporting a news event.  The objective of this activity is to ensure that students are writing in a personal voice as opposed to a documentary-type reporting (both with the factual element included).

Materials & Resources

  1. The Real Story of the Three Little Pigs Book
  2. The Three Little Pigs news story
  3. Venn Diagram (use as handout or to project)
  4. Tell A Tale handout
  5. Teacher computer
  6. LCD projector (optional)

Activity Description

  • Share with students that today we are going to be comparing two different writing styles—a personal story and a news story.  Both types of writing may (or may not) reflect the facts, but they are very different in style.  The Tell Me A Digital Story that the students will be researching, writing and creating will be a FACTUAL story, but it will be done in a first-person reflective style as opposed to a book report or news story style.
  • First, read the newspaper article of “The Thee Little Pigs”.  Then read “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs”.
  • Ask students to identify some significant differences in the two accounts. Perspective creates one’s own “truth”; the Wolf’s story was more personal; the Wolf’s story was more engaging; etc.
  • Provide students with the “Tell a Tale” handout and, working in pairs, have one student then tell the first-person story and the other write a news article.  Then have students exchange and read stories / articles.

Tell Me A Digital Story - Activity #5

Intended Learning

Through discussion and reading, students will gain appreciation and tips for writing a script for their digital story and understand first-person point of view.

Materials & Resources

  1. What is first-person PowerPoint
  2. Script reading handout
  3. Student scripting handout
  4. Example story - Real Story of the Three Little Pigs

Activity Description

  • Tell the students that they are entering the second part of the planning phase - WRITING THE SCRIPT.
  • Remind the students that their Digital Stories will be told in the first-person.  To make sure everyone is clear on the meaning of first-person, share the What is first-person Powerpoint with students and answer any questions they may have.
  • Hand out the Script reading handout and either read it aloud to the class or have students read it silently.
  • Share (aloud) a story, asking the students to answer the questions posed in the reading handout as they reflect on the story you just read.
  • Provide students with time to answer the questions presented and then work on their scripts.  This may take a few days of classtime, and you should be prepared to collect drafts and share comments with the students on their scripts.

Tell Me A Digital Story - Activity #6

Intended Learning

Through direct instruction, modeling, and hands-on application, students will understand the importance, structure and creation of a Storyboard.

Materials & Resources

  1. Student Storyboard template
  2. Storyboard rubric
  3. Post-it notes
  4. Teacher computer
  5. LCD projector

Activity Description

  • Tell the students that they are entering another phase of Digital Storytelling and the most important—PLANNING.
  • Planning a digital story is done the same way the major Hollywood studios plan a movie - make a comprehensive storyboard, then implement the project.
  • Hand out a copy of the finalized storyboard.
  • Tell students that before they can begin work on their “finalized” storyboard, first they are going to put their ideas onto post-it notes (the advantage being the flexibility of moving, deleting, and adding slides before putting the storyboard into a finalized form.
  • Ask the students for ideas on how the storyboard reflected the completed story. Is this what you were expecting? What was different? Why was the storyboard important to do?
  • Provide students time to develop their post-it notes, then transfer their final version onto the “finalized” storyboard template.
  • You can either grade the storyboards using the provided template or have the students exchange finalized storyboards and, using the provided rubric, assess each other's work.
  • For additional practice at storyboarding, consider providing the students with a second copy of the storyboard template and asking them to storyboard a familiar story (either a nursery rhyme or a Tall Tale).

Tell Me A Digital Story - Activity #7

Intended Learning

Using guided questions, students will do a peer review of storyboards, offering a writer’s circle input on strengths and weaknesses of their storyboards, giving students feedback for revision.

Materials & Resources

  1. Storyboard Rubric
  2. Guided questions
  3. Student designed storyboards
  4. Student written scripts

Activity Description

  • Tell the students that they are entering the final stage of planning - peer review and revision of their storyboards and scripts.
  • Ask students to gather in groups of 3-4 with their scripts and storyboards.  Provide each group with a set of guided questions and three (or four) rubrics per student.
  • Have students verbally answer the guided questions, giving feedback to the author.
  • Provide students time to consider and make any changes in their storyboards an/or scripts.

Tell Me A Digital Story - Activity #8

Intended Learning

Using storyboard and script, students enter the production stage by transferring ideas onto multi-media application.

Materials & Resources

  1. Final Project Rubric
  2. Revised student storyboard
  3. Revised student written scripts
  1. Classroom computer and LCD projector or TV
  2. Computer Lab
  3. PowerPoint tutorial -
    (http://www.internet4classrooms.com/on-line_powerpoint.htm#basic)

OR

  1. Classroom computer and LCD projector or TV
  2. Computer Lab
  3. PhotoStory3 tutorial:
    (http://millie.furman.edu/mll/tutorials/photostory3/index.htm)

Activity Description

  • Share with the students that today we are going to review and improve our skills in PowerPoint or PhotoStory 3 and begin producing their Digital Stories.
  • Have the students access the software tutorial or demonstrate the applications yourself, and have the students make a small PowerPoint ensuring that they have mastered the skills.
  • Allow students time to access primary resources, copy graphics, record narration and add music to complete their Digital Stories.

Tell Me A Digital Story - Activity #9

Intended Learning

Students will showcase their projects to a variety of reviewers.

Materials & Resources

  1. Revised student storyboard
  2. Revised student written scripts
  3. Completed Digital Stories
  4. Stack of copied Project Final Rubrics
  5. Classroom computer and LCD projector or TV
  6. Computer Lab

Activity Description

  • With students at their computers, have a variety of invited reviewers move from station to station, allowing students to showcase their story.
  • Reviewers will complete a rubric for each student and ask questions or provide feedback to students on various elements of their story.
  • Consider asking:  principal, staff members, teachers, parents, librarian, folks from Curriculum Department, Department of Technology Services, and community members.