Objective:
Students will write and create a story as a slide show movie (to be
published) by using the writing process to produce best possible sample.
Introduction:
This project was created to not only provide students with some foundation
of computer skills, but also to provide motivation for writing a piece
of literature
to their highest potential. The basic premise of this project is to
create a story on the software Kid Pix based from a story that was created
in the class
writer's workshop. The story created on the software will be made into
a slide show movie, saved as a quicktime movie and then downloaded onto
our class' website.
Procedure:
Prerequisite skills include the process involved in the in-class creative
writer's workshop (prewriting, writing, sharing, editing, conferencing,
editing,
publishing). The latter practice is performed throughout the
year as part of writing literacy instruction. Skills observed to be weak
(as they relate to six traits) from my students conferences in the writer's
workshop will be reviewed and taught in mini-lessons every Tuesday and
Thursday. Monday, Wednesday and Friday are reserved for the creative writing
process. As the students are working on stories in class, they become familiar
with the computer software Kid Pix in the lab.
Management:
The class will go to the library lab for 40 minutes week and each student
will have their own computer. Students must work on the same computer
each time, as their work will be saved. It's necessary for each student
to have sufficient computer time. I have alotted for each student
to have 40 minutes a week in class (their documents may be moved for them
to the classroom computer via school server). Project will be broken down
into two parts (four weeks for each part).
Part one will consists of becoming familiarized with the program and
creating a mach slide show presentation. Part two will be much less structured
and the students will be given flexibility to create the pages of
their story as time permits.
Time-line:
*eight weeks (one time a week, 40-60 minutes each week)
*in-class demonstrations are suggested (if computer/TV modulator are
available)
week 1: During the first week students will learn basics such as: logging on, highlighting text, using tools (uh-oh guy, pencils, brush, erasure, text-box, blender, buckets, stamps, stickers, animated stickers, and music).
week 2-5:
Students will create a variety of slides (as directed by me) getting
them further acquainted with the program. Slides will include: intro page,
house,
submarine, pizza with text, US flag, background of sea/b-ball, and
a fish. Students will use the createdslides to create a slide show movie.
*see slide show for examples
week 6-8:
Students will now create a new slide show from their selected story
created in writer's workshop. The slideshow will be saved as a quicktime
movie. Those movies will be added to the website by me as they are completed.