MINGOVILLESTORYTELLINGENGLISH STORYTELLING FOR KIDS

READ, ILLUSTRATE AND CREATE YOUR OWN MINGOVILLE AUDIO BOOK

Storytelling: read, illustrate and create your own storiesSubject: English, Language Classes, Literature, Arts, Tech-nology

Grade level: Primary/Elementary School, Grades: 1-6

Keywords: Storytelling, Digital Storytelling, Narratives

Standard National Educational Technology Standards (United States): Creativity and Innovation, Communication and Collaboration and Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making

LESSON PLAN

The Mingoville Storytelling App is accompanied by a detailed lesson plan that can be used in the class. The lesson is focused on classi-cal and digital storytelling. The plan offers two levels of difficulty: Level 1 for Lower Primary/Elementary School (age 6 to 8) and Level 2 for Upper Primary/Elementary School (age 9 to 12). The lesson also has two versions: for class with a single (teacher’s) iPad and for multiple iPads. The lesson plan includes: Overview, Objectives, Timeline, Storytelling Homework and Evaluation (Follow up for the next lesson). There are also suggestions for additional activities with storytelling games for the class or even the whole school. The Mingo-ville Storytelling app developer: Savivo supports district competi-tions with free software. For more details please check chapter two: Digital Storytelling Competition.

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INTRODUCTION

OVERVIEWAge group: 6 to 8 years old

Children will learn about storytelling and how to read, illustrate and create their own Mingoville interactive audio book. They explore the concepts of beginning, middle, and ending by reading, creating and listening to stories and using pictures to describe them. As they re-tell the stories, students are encouraged to make use of sequencing words (first, so, then, next, after that, finally).

• To develop reading, listening and writing skills

• To engage children in the art of storytelling

• To develop public speaking skill

• Increase their story-writing terminology by becoming familiar with the following sequence words: first, after that, then, next, and fi-nally

• Apply what they have learned about the structure of fairy tales by using familiar plots, characters, plot devices, and elements from this genre when creating their own stories

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OBJECTIVES

LEVEL 1: LOWER PRIMARY/ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

OVERVIEWAge group: 9 to 12 years old

Students will learn about storytelling, writing techniques and how to create original stories that include text, pictures and audio. They use iPads to bring their stories to life. That will enable them to develop technical skills both in writing narratives and employing digital hard-ware to create multi-media interactive books that they can share with their friends, parents and teachers. A presentation of the Mingoville storytelling book will introduce a discussion of the choices made by an author in constructing a plot. By starting with prewriting questions and a storyboard, students will construct original stories, progress-ing from shared writing to guided writing; independent writing is also encouraged.

• Enhance communication skills through asking questions, express-ing opinions, constructing narratives, and writing for an audience

• Develop and strengthen tablet skills using software that combines text, still images, audio and other media

• Learn about story structure and demonstrate comprehension of it by identifying beginnings, middles, and endings in familiar stories

• Learn how to sequence a story through the use of a storyboard

• Work collaboratively by writing as a class and in small groups

• Practice the writing process by prewriting, drafting, and revising

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OBJECTIVES

LEVEL 2: UPPER PRIMARY/ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MATERIALS

iPad(s)

1)Version 1: One iPad for the teacher

2) Version 2: Multiple iPads for students group work

Mingoville Storytelling App

Projector connected with the iPad

Working from a single iPad would be greatly enhanced by use of an interactive whiteboard

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TIMELINE: 1 HOUR

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TIMELINE: 1 HOUR

Bring the class in the topic by asking questions. Write all of the an-swers on the board.

LEVEL 1:1. Introducing classical storytelling: Ask students what stories they first remember hearing. Sample Questions: What is storytelling? Who was the storyteller? What were their favorite stories? Which did they like telling themselves? Can you name some of the most fa-mous fairytale characters? Can you name a few famous storywrit-ers? How many of their favorite stories have they seen as animated movies?

2. Digital Storytelling: Lead the discussion to digital storytelling. Ex-plain the usage of multimedia tools to describe a story. What kind of technology can you use? (sound, music, pictures, video or iPad, iPhone, camera etc.)

LEVEL 2: 1. Story elements: style, setting and characters. What is the style of the story? (funny, spooky, adventurous, dramatic) What is the set-ting? Who are the main characters: What are they like: funny, seri-ous, happy sad?

2. Story structure: beginning, middle and end. Can you describe the time frame of a story? How does it start? What is the most impor-tant moment? How does it end?

3. Problems and solutions: What is the main problem? Is there a solution?

4. Moral of a story: What is a moral of a story?

1. Open Mingoville Storytelling and introduce the chosen story to the class.

2. Chose a story master: the chosen child will flip the pages of the story on the teachers’ iPad.

3. Ask the students to consider some questions while they listen the story.

What are the main characters’ names? How does the story begin? What is the main problem? What happens?

Is there a solution? What is the peak (climax) of the story? How does it end?

1:15-1:20 (5 MINUTES) DISCUSSIONCLASS DISCUSSION REGARDING THE MAJOR ELEMENTS IN THE STORY.

Now ask the questions and point to different students. Children an-swer voluntarily by raising their hand.

1:20-1:30 (10 MINUTES) GUIDED PRACTICE ILLUSTRATE THE STORY: NOW IT IS TIME TO RE-BUILT THE STORY.

1. Open the “Illustrate the Story” section at your chosen story on the Mingoville app.

2. The children should be able to identify the right picture (out of 4 options) by listening and reading the story again. This is your 8

1:10-1:15 (5 MINUTES) PRESENT INFORMATION: LISTEN A STORY FROM MINGOVILLE STORYTELLING

1:00-1:10 (10 MINUTES) INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL STORYTELLING

chance to involve the more introvert or passive students. The teacher chooses the child who will answer. In this way you will keep the attention of everyone in the class.

1.30-1.55 (25 MINUTES) FREER PRACTICE: CREATING STORIES

Version 1: one iPad for the teacher “Chain Stories Exercise”1. Now it is time for the children to create their own stories.

2. Chose 5 storytellers.

3. Each one of them is allowed to choose one picture, write two sen-tences and record their voice.

4. However the story should make sense, the characters and the story plot should be connected.

5. Help them choose: the main characters, style (funny, scary, dra-matic), main obstacle/problem, offer a solution/end

6. Make them to draw/write their ideas on the board.

7. After that the children should create the story in front of everyone using the teachers’ iPad and Mingoville Storyteling.

Version 2: multiple iPads or “Storytelling Competition”1. Divide the children in groups of three, based on their skills.

2. Every group should make 1 story with 6 pictures.

3. Each child should chose 2 pictures that represents some of the 5 story elements:

Level 1: Once upon a time/First, Then, Next, After that, Finally/They lived happily ever after.

Level 2: beginning, problem, fighting problem, finding solution, end.

4. Then the group has to write and record the text of the story.

For Level 2 only: Everyone should get to read his or her part. Suggest they practice a bit narration before recording. Discuss differences between using emotion and no emotion in your speech, and what effect quick or slow, high or low speech has on the story.

5. In the end they should present the story in front of the class.

6. NB! Make them compete: Some children may take longer the oth-ers. So make the storytelling a competition: only the first 3 groups will be able to show their story. This will additionally motivate the chil-dren.

1:55-2:00 (5 MINUTES): CONCLUSION

Have a final wrap-up with the children with a question and answer time. Ask them what kinds of things they associate with storytelling? This will solidify that they understand the lesson completely.

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HOMEWORKTASK: CREATE A STORY WITH THE MINGOVILLE CHARACTERS

Version 1: If you have only one iPad, you can ask them to draw a storyboard with 5 pictures.

Version 2: If children have their own iPads, they can create their digital Mingoville Storytelling books.

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EVALUATE (FOLLOW UP FOR THE NEXT LESSON)

Write and rewrite: Remind the class that they can change the draft at any point. Even famous writers rewrite their stories many times before they let someone else to read them.

Compare digital and traditional storytelling: Ask the stu-dents what they found to be most interesting about digital sto-rytelling compared to traditional storytelling.

Repeat the basics: For younger students in particular, review basic storytelling concepts, such as that a story has a begin-ning, middle, and end.

Master the story: Remember that the story — not the technol-ogy — should lead this project. Although audio and visual me-dia may enhance certain aspects of a story, students should focus on the quality of the story.

Peer review: Divide the class in groups of two children. Ask students to read the story of their peers and give feedback.

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MENU 1: SELECT STORY MENU 2: SELECT EXERCISE

HOW TO USE THE MINGOVILLE STORYTELLING APP

LET ME TELL YOU A STORY READ AND LISTEN THE STORY

UNI LOGIN SCREEN

ILLUSTRATE THE STORY

SHARE YOUR STORY VIA MAILCREATE A STORY:WRITING RECORD YOUR STORY

DOWNLOAD WITH CODE

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DOWNLOAD STORIES

Read more and download Mingoville Storytelling from the website: http://www.mingoville.com/storytelling

WEBSITE

For the Whole School: The invisible storyteller

A class selects a picture from Mingoville Storytelling. Looking at it for inspiration, the class records the first few sentences of a tale through group discussion and suggestion. The iPad with the book is then sent on to another class, who reads the first paragraph and adds on another one together with a new picture. The process is re-peated including as many classes as possible until the tale seems finished.

This is how one story will be the product of the whole school commu-nity. This is a great case that can help teachers to explain the way traditional fairytales and legends were made in the past. All the classes then gather to hear the result of their group effort read out loud and to see all pictures that inspired the story. This activity can be a great case for a literacy day at the school. You can also invite parents and organize a small performance.

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For the Class: Puzzle Tale: Putting the Pieces Together

Ask the students to retell differ-ent pieces of the same Mingo-ville Storytelling story. Assem-ble the story by having each student retell his or her own part in the plot's sequence. Have students keep the flow going as the story is told, so the performance moves smoothly as though one per-son was telling it. Do a sec-ond round by giving students different sections to retell. No-tice how differently students retell the same sections!

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH DIGITAL STORYTEL-LING COMPETITION

Share the Mingoville Storytel-ling stories with the community. The students can go to the “Share your story” option and then they can send an email with their book’s special down-load code to their friends, classmates, parents or teach-ers. This option can help you create a Digital Storytelling Competition for the whole school or even the whole dis-trict. The Mingoville Storytelling app developer: Savivo sup-ports district competitions with free software. For more details please email support@savivo.com

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Story title: Make me read your book

Characters: List and describe your

characters

Style: Choose your story style

Setting: Where and When?

Problem: What is the main problem for the

characters?

Solution: What is the solution?

What%is%your%story%title?%This%is%the%most%important%line%in%your%story.%It%can%be%one%word%or%a%whole%sentence,%but%the%main%goal%is%to%make%the%readers%want%to%know%more%and%read%the%story.%%

Who%are%they?%(boy,%girl,%animal,%idea,%ghost,%plant,%object)

What%do%they%look%like?%(beautiful,%ugly,%neat,%messy)

What%do%they%sound%like?%(high,%low,%quick,%slow,%old,%young,%with%foreign%accent)

What%sort%of%a%person%are%they?%(smart,%stupid,%funny,%scary)

What%are%they%called?%If%you%want,%you%can%use%descriptive%names.%(Miss%Smarty%or%Mr.%Stinky)

What%is%your%story%like?Scary,%Family,%Pirate,%Love,%Adventure,%Mystery.

Or%suggest%to%your%teacher%another%style%that%you%would%like.

Set%up%your%story%style%by%using%a%lot%of%adjectives%(words%that%describe%nouns)%and%adverbs%(words%that%describe%verbs).%

You%can%also%choose%whether%your%story%will%have%lots%of%characters%with%dialogue%(people%talking)%and%action,%or%long,%slow%descriptive%pieces%–%or%both!

Environment%(Place):%Where%is%the%story%happening?Farm,%village,%city,%mountains,%forest,%lake,%sea,%desert

Time:%When%is%the%story%happening?Past,%Present,%Future

The%character: Saw%or%heard%a%secret

Lost%something

Been%captured

Under%a%spell%or%curse

Goes%to%forbidden%place

Finds%forbidden%object

Has%enemy

Forgets%something

Broke%something

Does%not%like%something

Needs%something

Needs%to%escape%or%hide

Needs%to%rescue%someone%

Needs%to%rescue%something%

The%solution%is:Magical

NonTmagical

Is%rescued

Is%transformed

Discovers%skill

Finds%magic

Helps%self:

Exercises%cleverness%

Uses%inner%traits

Journey%undertaken%to%obtain%solution

STORY ELEMENTS TABLE