Integrating multiple websites into a lesson using the Internet for learning
Book Talks
Digital Storytelling in a Novel Unit
Overview/Annotation:
This lesson is designed to give teachers and students an alternate approach to the traditional book report. "Book Talks" enable students to read a book and create a photostory presentation. Students will narrate example passages from the book and critique the story.
Primary Learning Objective(s):
Students are required to read a novel of their choice. Students will then demonstrate an understanding of that novel by creating a book talk. In the book talk, students will be required to give an overview of the book, read two passages, and give an overall critique of the book. Students will create a Photostory for the presentation.
Additional Learning Objective(s):
Students will demonstrate a deeper level of understanding of technology through creating a Photostory of the book talk.
Approximate Duration of the Lesson:
Greater than 120 Minutes
Materials and Equipment:
1- List of students and chosen authors with book titles
2- Book Talk Project Handout
3- Book Talk Grading Rubric
4- Digital Storytelling Rubric
Technology Resources Needed:
Background/Preparation:
Teacher Preparation: Teacher should become familiar with various popular authors for young adults. Teacher could make recommendations to the students about the appropriate book to choose. The teacher could also prepare a Photostory Book Talk for demonstration
The teacher should also become familiar with the software used to create the Photostory, and some websites that could be useful for student research.
Student Preparation: Students should be familiar with the book they want to use for the book talk. Students should be familiar with Photostory software.
Procedures/Activities:
Day 1 (45 minutes)
Explain to students that they will begin a project that will require them to choose a book to present a book talk about. Go over the book talk project sheet with the students. Have students choose an author and keep a list.
Here's a link to a great site on many Young Adult authors and their books and bios.
Day 2 (45 minutes)
Review with students the overview of the book talk project. Have students brainstorm the following information their chosen books:
1. What is the title of the book?
2. Who is the author? What other books has this author written?
3. What is the general plot of the story (without giving away too much information)
4. Who is the main character of the story? Who is the most interesting character of the story. Explain both.
5. Choose two short passages from the story to read to the class. Why did you choose these passages? What makes them important to the overall story?
6. Would you recommend this book to others? Why or why not?
7. What was your overall impression / critique of the book?
8. What age / gender do you think would be the most interested in this type of story?
9. What lesson can we learn from this story? How can reading this book make us a better person / society?
10. Is there anything else you would like us to know about this author / book?
Assign students to laptops / computers. Have students do a PhotoCube on their book at http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/cube_creator/
Here is an example. http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/cube-30057.html Students will need to print out the .pdf of their StoryCubes and illustrate them, then assemble these to take photos of to use in their PhotoStory. Next, allow students to research websites finding pictures / information to put in the Photostory about their book / author. Flickr is one place to look for free photos to use if you give credit to the owner.
Day 3 (45 minutes)
Students continue working on their Photostory presentations. As students find out information, they should document where information and graphics are found, so that a final screencast can be made of "References" and included in their Digital Story. Here is a link that explains how to do this in PhotoStory3.
Students should begin creating a storyboard and script for their Photostory. First, go to Storyboard Artist - Visit this site to see professional examples of storyboarding and get tips on how to improve your drawings.
Next, go to this site for the University of Houston to read about how to Storyboard.
Here are some links for other types of storyboards templates.
Day 4 (45 minutes)
Students will finalize Photostory scripts. Students will use Internet access to research and save several pictures of the authors to the computers. Students will then use the saved pictures to begin building their Photostory. Students will use the microphones for the computers to record the prepared scripts onto the story. When students are finished, files should be saved onto a removable drive.
Day 5 (45 minutes)
Complete Photostory from previous day and post your video on Mizmo's Digital Storytelling Board on linoit.com.
After you post, you must view five videos your peers have done and post at least five comments, with one offering insight or deeper thinking or that adds quality to the discussion.
Attachments: Both are linked to Google Docs, which may be printed or downloaded
BOOKTALK.docx
booktalkrubric.docx
Digital Storytelling rubric.pdf
Assessment Strategies:
Students will be assessed using the rubrics. Peer evaluation can easily be included.
Extension:
Students who master the objectives can use a work from their chosen author and analyze it for themes, character analysis, symbolism, etc.
Additional Links:
Apple's iMovie and Keynote; Microsoft's Photo Story 3, Movie Maker, and PowerPoint; and Animoto Productions' Animoto, an online, cross-platform tool (also available as an iPhone app) for turning still images into video presentations with audio.
https://sites.google.com/site/digitalstorytellingwiththeipad/apps-for-digital-storytelling Apps for doing your digital storytelling on iPad.
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/ Free download to record and edit your narration or other sounds with Audacity
Digital Storytelling in a Novel Unit
Overview/Annotation:
This lesson is designed to give teachers and students an alternate approach to the traditional book report. "Book Talks" enable students to read a book and create a photostory presentation. Students will narrate example passages from the book and critique the story.
Primary Learning Objective(s):
Students are required to read a novel of their choice. Students will then demonstrate an understanding of that novel by creating a book talk. In the book talk, students will be required to give an overview of the book, read two passages, and give an overall critique of the book. Students will create a Photostory for the presentation.
Additional Learning Objective(s):
Students will demonstrate a deeper level of understanding of technology through creating a Photostory of the book talk.
Approximate Duration of the Lesson:
Greater than 120 Minutes
Materials and Equipment:
1- List of students and chosen authors with book titles
2- Book Talk Project Handout
3- Book Talk Grading Rubric
4- Digital Storytelling Rubric
Technology Resources Needed:
- Computer with projector and speakers for student presentations
- Computer lab for student research
- Internet Access
- Microphones for computers
- PhotoStory software - use this website as a guide for using PhotoStory
- OR Windows Movie Maker, if your computers are running Windows 7
Background/Preparation:
Teacher Preparation: Teacher should become familiar with various popular authors for young adults. Teacher could make recommendations to the students about the appropriate book to choose. The teacher could also prepare a Photostory Book Talk for demonstration
The teacher should also become familiar with the software used to create the Photostory, and some websites that could be useful for student research.
Student Preparation: Students should be familiar with the book they want to use for the book talk. Students should be familiar with Photostory software.
Procedures/Activities:
Day 1 (45 minutes)
Explain to students that they will begin a project that will require them to choose a book to present a book talk about. Go over the book talk project sheet with the students. Have students choose an author and keep a list.
Here's a link to a great site on many Young Adult authors and their books and bios.
Day 2 (45 minutes)
Review with students the overview of the book talk project. Have students brainstorm the following information their chosen books:
1. What is the title of the book?
2. Who is the author? What other books has this author written?
3. What is the general plot of the story (without giving away too much information)
4. Who is the main character of the story? Who is the most interesting character of the story. Explain both.
5. Choose two short passages from the story to read to the class. Why did you choose these passages? What makes them important to the overall story?
6. Would you recommend this book to others? Why or why not?
7. What was your overall impression / critique of the book?
8. What age / gender do you think would be the most interested in this type of story?
9. What lesson can we learn from this story? How can reading this book make us a better person / society?
10. Is there anything else you would like us to know about this author / book?
Assign students to laptops / computers. Have students do a PhotoCube on their book at http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/cube_creator/
Here is an example. http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/cube-30057.html Students will need to print out the .pdf of their StoryCubes and illustrate them, then assemble these to take photos of to use in their PhotoStory. Next, allow students to research websites finding pictures / information to put in the Photostory about their book / author. Flickr is one place to look for free photos to use if you give credit to the owner.
Day 3 (45 minutes)
Students continue working on their Photostory presentations. As students find out information, they should document where information and graphics are found, so that a final screencast can be made of "References" and included in their Digital Story. Here is a link that explains how to do this in PhotoStory3.
Students should begin creating a storyboard and script for their Photostory. First, go to Storyboard Artist - Visit this site to see professional examples of storyboarding and get tips on how to improve your drawings.
Next, go to this site for the University of Houston to read about how to Storyboard.
Here are some links for other types of storyboards templates.
Day 4 (45 minutes)
Students will finalize Photostory scripts. Students will use Internet access to research and save several pictures of the authors to the computers. Students will then use the saved pictures to begin building their Photostory. Students will use the microphones for the computers to record the prepared scripts onto the story. When students are finished, files should be saved onto a removable drive.
Day 5 (45 minutes)
Complete Photostory from previous day and post your video on Mizmo's Digital Storytelling Board on linoit.com.
After you post, you must view five videos your peers have done and post at least five comments, with one offering insight or deeper thinking or that adds quality to the discussion.
Attachments: Both are linked to Google Docs, which may be printed or downloaded
BOOKTALK.docx
booktalkrubric.docx
Digital Storytelling rubric.pdf
Assessment Strategies:
Students will be assessed using the rubrics. Peer evaluation can easily be included.
Extension:
Students who master the objectives can use a work from their chosen author and analyze it for themes, character analysis, symbolism, etc.
Additional Links:
Apple's iMovie and Keynote; Microsoft's Photo Story 3, Movie Maker, and PowerPoint; and Animoto Productions' Animoto, an online, cross-platform tool (also available as an iPhone app) for turning still images into video presentations with audio.
https://sites.google.com/site/digitalstorytellingwiththeipad/apps-for-digital-storytelling Apps for doing your digital storytelling on iPad.
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/ Free download to record and edit your narration or other sounds with Audacity
Standards:
NCTE/IRA NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
1.Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound–letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
2.Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
3.Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
4.Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
5. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
6. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
7. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
8. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
Copyright acknowledgment for this activity is given to the Alabama State Department of Education, adapted from ALEX website at http://alex.state.al.us/lesson_view.php?id=29992
NCTE/IRA NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
1.Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound–letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
2.Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
3.Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
4.Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
5. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
6. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
7. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
8. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
Copyright acknowledgment for this activity is given to the Alabama State Department of Education, adapted from ALEX website at http://alex.state.al.us/lesson_view.php?id=29992