Digital Storytelling - First Grade Class Project (Reading)
In order to implement a complete digital storytelling project in a first grade classroom, I feel that students will need 3 weeks (15 days) of reading whole group instruction (30 minutes daily) to complete this project. I would talk with my administrator as well as the media specialist beforehand about allowing my class to have access to the computers in the media center for the last 2 weeks (10 days) of this project. The content for this instructional activity directly relates to the ELA Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for story structure and sequence of events. The students will create a digital storytelling presentation with a partner based on a story from Journey's, which is our current reading curriculum. Students will read the story “The Garden from Frog and Toad Together” and create their project based on this story.
The first week (5 days)
Day 1:
-I will show students a model of digital storytelling and provide a breakdown of the important components. Ex: narration, text, images, titles, retelling order, story elements, etc.
- I will also introduce the story “The Garden from Frog and Toad Together.” Students will make predictions about the story.
Day 2:
- Students will follow along in their student books and listen to a narrated version of the story through thinkcentral.com. - I will ask the students questions that relate to sequence of events and story elements.
Day 3:
- Students and teacher will read aloud the story together. I will pass out this story structure graphic organizer/ foldable. - (Image 2)
- In pairs, students will complete the graphic organizer together drawing pictures and writing words to describe story elements.
Day 4:
- Review story elements from “The Garden from Frog and Toad Together.” Discuss with students the sequence of events. I will model for students that the characters and setting are usually introduced at the beginning of the story. Then the problem is introduced as well as ways that the characters try and fix the problem. Finally, the characters find a solution to the problem at the end of the story.
- Students will complete this sequencing graphic organizer/ foldable. This sequencing graphic organizer elaborates on the story structure map from the previous day. It includes all of the story elements sequenced in the correct order as well as an area to restate the characters and setting in the story. The students will draw pictures on the left and write words on the right to describe the events in the story.
Day 5: Mini-lesson on Prezi.
- I will model for students how to use Prezi. After my lesson, I will ask questions to students about how to navigate through Prezi. Students will demonstrate their understanding on the teacher computer. These questions include:
How do I change/edit my path?
How do I add text?
How do I change the color or size of the text?
How do I rotate text or images?
How do I add an image?
How do I add a fade-in effect?
Students will using a storyboard template similar to the one provided in our course reading. I will edit this template to make it more first grade friendly. For example, I will add the words "Title, First, Next, Then, Last" to the top of each story box. Students will complete this graphic organizer with a buddy.
For my gifted and enrichment students, I will offer the added challenge of creating a digital storyboard concept map on bubble.us.
The second week (5 days) – (In the media center) Students will use their storyboard graphic organizer from the previous day to place content in their digital storytelling presentations.
Day 6:
- With their partners, students will use Prezi to choose their template, edit their path, and create their own title slide.
- I will use this time to help students with technical difficulties.
Day 7:
- Reteach and model approaches to any common difficulties students were facing on the previous day.
- Students will create their "First" content slide. I will remind students that this slide should introduce the main characters and the setting.
- I will use this time to help students with technical difficulties.
Day 8:
- Reteach and model approaches to any common difficulties students may still be facing.
- Students will create their "Next" content slide. I will remind students that this slide should introduce the problem of the story.
- I will help students with technical difficulties.
Day 9:
- Students will create their "Then" content slide. I will remind students that this slide should describe ways that the characters tried to solve the problem.
- I will continue to monitor students and help with technical difficulties.
Day 10:
- Students will create their "Last" content slide. I will remind students that this slide should describe how the characters found a solution or what fixed the problem.
- I will continue to monitor students and help with technical difficulties.
The third week (5 days) – (In the media center) Students will add narration, add images, add effects, and edit for grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Students will share presentations on the last day.
Day 11:
- Students will add effects and images to their digital storytelling presentations.
- I will continue to monitor students and help with technical difficulties.
Days 12 and 13:
- Students will add narration to their Prezis. They will create an audio file for each path step in their Prezi.
- Students will create their narration using the "Sound Recorder" feature in windows. Students will be provided microphones to create their audio files. They will save these files to a USB.
- I will continue to monitor students and help with technical difficulties.
Day 14:
- Students will edit their digital storytelling projects for spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Day 15:
- Students will share their digital storytelling projects with the class.
- I will embed these presentations to our class blog website.
Web Resources and other materials:
- Journey’s curriculum student book 1.5
- access to thinkcentral.com
- student computers
- Prezi
- Microphones for narration
- story structure foldable (Image 2)
- sequence of events graphic organizer
- storyboard template
- concept map for gifted/enrichment students using bubbl.us
- USB to save audio files
The first week (5 days)
Day 1:
-I will show students a model of digital storytelling and provide a breakdown of the important components. Ex: narration, text, images, titles, retelling order, story elements, etc.
- I will also introduce the story “The Garden from Frog and Toad Together.” Students will make predictions about the story.
Day 2:
- Students will follow along in their student books and listen to a narrated version of the story through thinkcentral.com. - I will ask the students questions that relate to sequence of events and story elements.
Day 3:
- Students and teacher will read aloud the story together. I will pass out this story structure graphic organizer/ foldable. - (Image 2)
- In pairs, students will complete the graphic organizer together drawing pictures and writing words to describe story elements.
Day 4:
- Review story elements from “The Garden from Frog and Toad Together.” Discuss with students the sequence of events. I will model for students that the characters and setting are usually introduced at the beginning of the story. Then the problem is introduced as well as ways that the characters try and fix the problem. Finally, the characters find a solution to the problem at the end of the story.
- Students will complete this sequencing graphic organizer/ foldable. This sequencing graphic organizer elaborates on the story structure map from the previous day. It includes all of the story elements sequenced in the correct order as well as an area to restate the characters and setting in the story. The students will draw pictures on the left and write words on the right to describe the events in the story.
Day 5: Mini-lesson on Prezi.
- I will model for students how to use Prezi. After my lesson, I will ask questions to students about how to navigate through Prezi. Students will demonstrate their understanding on the teacher computer. These questions include:
How do I change/edit my path?
How do I add text?
How do I change the color or size of the text?
How do I rotate text or images?
How do I add an image?
How do I add a fade-in effect?
Students will using a storyboard template similar to the one provided in our course reading. I will edit this template to make it more first grade friendly. For example, I will add the words "Title, First, Next, Then, Last" to the top of each story box. Students will complete this graphic organizer with a buddy.
For my gifted and enrichment students, I will offer the added challenge of creating a digital storyboard concept map on bubble.us.
The second week (5 days) – (In the media center) Students will use their storyboard graphic organizer from the previous day to place content in their digital storytelling presentations.
Day 6:
- With their partners, students will use Prezi to choose their template, edit their path, and create their own title slide.
- I will use this time to help students with technical difficulties.
Day 7:
- Reteach and model approaches to any common difficulties students were facing on the previous day.
- Students will create their "First" content slide. I will remind students that this slide should introduce the main characters and the setting.
- I will use this time to help students with technical difficulties.
Day 8:
- Reteach and model approaches to any common difficulties students may still be facing.
- Students will create their "Next" content slide. I will remind students that this slide should introduce the problem of the story.
- I will help students with technical difficulties.
Day 9:
- Students will create their "Then" content slide. I will remind students that this slide should describe ways that the characters tried to solve the problem.
- I will continue to monitor students and help with technical difficulties.
Day 10:
- Students will create their "Last" content slide. I will remind students that this slide should describe how the characters found a solution or what fixed the problem.
- I will continue to monitor students and help with technical difficulties.
The third week (5 days) – (In the media center) Students will add narration, add images, add effects, and edit for grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Students will share presentations on the last day.
Day 11:
- Students will add effects and images to their digital storytelling presentations.
- I will continue to monitor students and help with technical difficulties.
Days 12 and 13:
- Students will add narration to their Prezis. They will create an audio file for each path step in their Prezi.
- Students will create their narration using the "Sound Recorder" feature in windows. Students will be provided microphones to create their audio files. They will save these files to a USB.
- I will continue to monitor students and help with technical difficulties.
Day 14:
- Students will edit their digital storytelling projects for spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Day 15:
- Students will share their digital storytelling projects with the class.
- I will embed these presentations to our class blog website.
Web Resources and other materials:
- Journey’s curriculum student book 1.5
- access to thinkcentral.com
- student computers
- Prezi
- Microphones for narration
- story structure foldable (Image 2)
- sequence of events graphic organizer
- storyboard template
- concept map for gifted/enrichment students using bubbl.us
- USB to save audio files