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Gr7 Technology Unit 1-Digital Storytelling

Page history last edited by Frank Curkovic 11 years, 3 months ago

 

 

 

 

 

Knowledge

By the end of this unit, students will understand:

  • Story structure
  • How the use of consistent themes create a design aesthetic and flow
  • Different platforms for storytelling
  • How to communicate their ideas to a global audience 

Skills

By the end of this unit, students will be able to: 

  • Plan a media product
  • Select suitable tools for a media project
  • Edit media
  • Create media
  • Design media
  • Apply aesthetics
  • Justify choices
  • Evaluate a final product
  • Document their learning process and outcomes 

 

Unit cover sheet available here.

  

TASK OUTLINE:

You are an author and story creator! You have been asked to participate in an international exchange where students are asked to create a digital story to entertain, to educate or to convey ideas. Almost any topic is possible! You are simply asked to follow correct story structure. However, this could include a documentary or film format. You must select a target audience. Will your story be for young children, Middle School students or adults? This will influence how your story is told and how it is presented. Your story must be in a digital format so it can uploaded to the web and shared within different sections of the school and communities. However, you may include analogue elements in your story. You may select the digital tool to tell your story in. It should be aesthetically pleasing and have good volume. You may include music and images gathered from the web if you wish, but this must follow correct Creative Commons protocols and be correctly referenced. You are not permitted to use copyright images and music. Your story should be between 3-6 minutes and correctly follow and document the MYP Design Cycle. Good luck!

 

Task specific clarification here.

 

Week 1: Investigate 1 (Aug 27-31)

Students read cover sheet here

*Students should create a Tech folder within Google Docs - Create a folder labelled "Gr7 Tech 2012."

You may save the cover sheet in the folder if you wish. 

 

Task 1 (5 mins): In groups, discuss the unit question: "How can we use media to communicate our stories?"

Document your answers on this document. You will need to log in to your school Gmail account to save the document.

 

What is a digital story?

After students share answers, watch the video below:

 

Task 2 (10-15 mins): In groups, discuss and document what you think are key features to story-telling (brainstorm).

What do students think make a great story?

Watch the following video.

What makes a great story? For legendary filmmaker Ken Burns, the answer is both complicated and personal. In this short documentary about the craft of storytelling, he explains his lifelong mission to wake the dead. (video)

Ken Burns: On Story from Redglass Pictures on Vimeo.


 

Task 3 (45mins): Watch at least 3 of the following videos below. In your notes, examine and analyse the videos to identify key features or story structures that you could use to apply to your own creation.

Prompts:

What's the main purpose here?

What are the parts and their purpose?

Which is especially smart or creative? - star them!

Who is the audience for this?

 

A Brief History of John Balderassi

 

Shaun Tan “The Arrival” 

The Best Artist Ever

Ashley's Digital Story

Digital Storytelling from Rich M on Vimeo.

Mr. C's Teaching Philosophy

Mary's 3rd Grade Adventure

Digital Storytelling from Dart Program on Vimeo.

 

Were there any patterns between the stories?

 

Homework: complete your notes if you haven't done so.

 

 

Week 2: Investigate 2 (Sept. 3-7)

What are elements of a good story? Watch this clip and this pitch clip here (Seinfeld).


Watch what Stan Lee talks about as The Elements of a Page Turner

 

Task 1 (10-15 mins): Go to your notes under week 2. You will see 7 Elements of Digital Storytelling. Match the terms to the definition by copying and pasting them into the correct boxes.

 

Watch the 7 Elements of Digital Storytelling in 4 Minutes video to see if you were correct. Make any required corrections.


 

Task 2 (10 mins): What are some possible digital story topics? Brainstorm them in your notes. If you prefer to do this on pen and paper, that is OK. You should however photograph it and insert it into your notes. Share with the class.

View Ideas for digital storytelling across the curriculum if further ideas are needed.

 

Task 3: What tools can we use to present our digital stories? List.

Since most of use have used iMovie, you will be assigned a tool to investigate and present to the class.

You should briefly outline the tools limitations/capabilities, ease of use, features etc. (Also consider how it can be shared online)

Tools: GarageBand (podcast), Prezi, Wikis (PB Works, Wikispaces), Voicethread, Keynote, PowerPoint, Google Presentations, FotoBabble, PhotoPeach, Google SketchUp

Record your findings in your notes.

Depending on time, you may present this next class. 

 

 

Week 3: Investigate 3 (Sept. 10-14)

Present tool investigation?

Mini reflection: Outline your overall investigation process and include details and specifics relating to the task. Do you know the elements of a story? What did you discover regarding tools to use? How have you been working in class and how has your attitude been? This can be done on your notes or on your blog, or both!

 

 

 Week 4-5: Design (Sept. 17-21) (Sept. 24-28)

Review TSC: Design

 

Task 1 (30 mins): What were some possible story topics?

List your 3 favourite topics and brainstorm them. What's the story you wish to tell?

How would you present the story? (documentary, picture book, drawn pictures, act out etc.)

Also consider the possible tools. Would the story be difficult to tell/complete depending on the tool?

Who would be your target audience?

Share them with your peers.

Compare and contrast them. Choose one story. Which do you think would be best? Why?

Document your answers in your notes.

 

Task 2 (30 mins): Compare/contrast at least 3 tools to use. Try them out. Document some findings.

Do these tools meet the requirements of the task? Choose 1 and justify your choice in your notes.

 

 

Week 6 & 7: Plan (Oct. 1-5) (Oct. 8-12)

  • Review TSC: Plan
  • Look at the following storyboard. Can you figure out what the story is about and/or what type of genre it is?

 

resource

 

  • What do you need to complete the task? What are the task requirements and your requirements? You will document this.

Begin creating your official outline or script/storyboard. Each "scene" should be a square on your storyboard. A successful storyboard will include graphics and notes and should be coherent. If done by hand, your graphics should illustrate your layout or camera work also. As you storyboard, begin creating a list of images needed and create a timeline of due dates. This may be done with pen and paper, but should then be photographed and inserted into your notes template.

Also create a timeline of listed due dates, resources required and list things you need to accomplish. The template is included in your notes bundle.

 

 

Here are some storyboard examples:

The above storyboard is drawn in detail. With our constraints, you will not have time to do this.

 

 

Note how the storyboard above shows the development of the scene. You WILL need to do this.

 

The storyboard above would be acceptable for our purposes. Note how we get a sense of where the camera or point of view is? Notes are written below that could include script and/or directions.

 

Below is an example of a storyboard Mr. C made for a documentary. The video is all voice over, so the script was included. 

  

 

 

Drawing simple cross hairs on a head is an easy way to illustrate your ideas and angles for your character.

 

Below are some detailed work if you find it useful.

 

 

NOTE: if you need music for your "film" try out this site (dig.ccmixter.org). The Free Music Archive allows you to search by genre (scroll down the page to find it).

When searching for sounds on some search sites, untick the box "for commercial purposes" as we will not be selling or making money from our project.

 

Field Studies (Oct 15-19) - no class

October Break (Oct 22-Oct 26) - no class

 

Week 8: Create 1 (Oct. 29-Nov. 2)

Review TSC: Create

 

 

Week 9 & 10: Create 2-3 (Nov. 5-9) (Nov. 12-16)

Students continue creating their digital story 

Week 10: Mini-Reflection: How are you progressing? Note changes made to your plan and explain your reasoning/analyses in an excellent and detailed way.

 

 

Week 11 Present (Nov. 19-23)

 

Week 12: Evaluate (Nov. 26-30)

Review TSC: Evaluate 

  • On your blog, write a reflection stating areas for improvement in each area of the design cycle with detail and supporting examples. Include the reflection URL in your notes. 

 

  

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