<p>Katie DeMeo (Blanchard) Professors Boots-Ebenfield and Branscomb ENG 833 15 Aug 2010</p><p>Digital Story Lesson Plan Grade 7 English Language Arts</p><p>I. Background: Each year I do a short story unit in my seventh grade English Language Arts class. </p><p>We read several short stories, and focus on analyzing and developing setting, </p><p> character, and plot structure. At the end of the unit, students are asked to write their </p><p> own short stories, equipped with illustrations. Inevitably, the students are eager to </p><p> share their hard work with the rest of the class. While I continue to be impressed with</p><p> their enthusiasm, it becomes tedious and time-consuming to listen to twenty stories </p><p> per class period, especially when some stories are several pages in length. After </p><p> taking ENG833 this summer, I believe I have found a solution to this problem – I will</p><p> have my students create digital stories as a way to present their original written work. </p><p>Students will be extremely enthusiastic to learn and use this new technology as a way </p><p> to present their material. Not only will it prove to be a more concise and efficient </p><p> way to present the material, it will also be more interesting for the audience (the other</p><p> students in the class).</p><p>II. Goals and Objectives:</p><p> Students will retell their stories in another format without losing the integrity of the original work  Students will utilize summarization and paraphrasing skills</p><p> Students will become familiar with more advanced media and technology</p><p> Students will learn a new medium through which to present original work</p><p>III. Steps for Implementation: i. Storytelling – In order to show students the end product I am expecting, I will </p><p> first show them “Helen Keller: From Tribulation to Triumph,” which is the </p><p> digital story I created for ENG833. They will already be quite familiar with </p><p>Helen Keller and her story, as we will have already covered the unit earlier in </p><p> the year. Showing them a digital story with which they are familiar will aid </p><p> them in understanding the concept, as they can focus on the media, </p><p> technology, and language used in the story, rather than trying to follow the </p><p> actual storyline.</p><p> ii. Technology – I will take advantage of using my school’s computer lab, which </p><p> will enable each student to have his/her own computer for the duration of the </p><p> project. All computers are PCs, so I will use Photostory for this project, as it </p><p> is compatible, but also “user-friendly” for the seventh grade age level. I will </p><p> spend at least two class periods reviewing step-by-step how to use Photostory,</p><p> and will have them create a short sample story using the program.</p><p> iii. Media – I will show students how to use both Flickr and Picnik to select/edit </p><p> images. I will also make digital cameras available so that students may </p><p> take/incorporate digital photos of their original artwork used in their written short stories. As for music, students can either use stock songs stored on the </p><p> school PCs or they can bring in a flash drive with stored music of their own </p><p> choosing. If conversion is needed, I will instruct the students on how to use </p><p> the Zamzar conversion tool.</p><p> iv. Assistance – I will model all phases of the project for students, and will also </p><p> provide 3-4 classes of supported work time. I will assist students, and will </p><p> also have 1-2 classroom aides present to help as well. Students may also </p><p> come after school if they require additional assistance or work time.</p><p>IV. Assessment: I will deem the project a success if each student is able to complete the project in its </p><p> entirety, including all aspects included in Photostory. I will informally gauge student </p><p> reactions to the project and the use of this technology during the course of the project,</p><p> and I will assess their reactions more formally once the projects are completed and </p><p> presented, through a written reflection to be completed by each student. </p><p>I will use the following rubric to grade student work:</p><p>Rubric: Grade 7 Digital Short Story Presentation</p><p>Category Possible Points Your Points</p><p>Content/Theme 50 ______</p><p>Project contains sufficient details, clear plot structure, rich setting and character development </p><p>Technology/Media 30 ______</p><p>Evidence of proficient use of different modes of technology and available media </p><p>Creativity/Overall Presentation 20 ______</p><p>Story is presented in a unique way; presentation is polished and smooth; effort is evident</p><p>100 ______</p>