Title: Creating Storybooks Grade Level/Subject: Third Grade, Language Arts Prerequisite Knowledge: Students should be able to understand

a basic storyline. Students should have basic typing skills and know how to use the mouse and keyboard. Approximate time for entire lesson: Six 35-minute class periods; 1 to review characteristics of a short story and begin writing, 1 to write short story, 1 to learn to use kerproof and begin creating book, 2 to finish book, 1 to present story to class. Student Objectives: Students will write and create a short story to share with their classmates. Students will demonstrate their knowledge of a plot chart, setting, and characters. Students will demonstrate their ability to work with technology, specifically kerproof. Illinois Standards (include technology standards NETS): 2.A.1a Identify the literary elements of theme, setting, plot and character within literary works. 2.B.1a Respond to literary materials by connecting them to their own experience and communicate those responses to others. 2.B.2a Respond to literary material by making inferences, drawing conclusions and comparing it to their own experience, prior knowledge and other texts. 3.A.2 Write paragraphs that include a variety of sentence types; appropriate use of the eight parts of speech; and accurate spelling, capitalization and punctuation. 3.A.1 Construct complete sentences which demonstrate subject/verb agreement; appropriate capitalization and punctuation; correct spelling of appropriate, highfrequency words; and appropriate use of the eight parts of speech. 3.B.1a Use prewriting strategies to generate and organize ideas (e.g., focus on one topic; organize writing to include a beginning, middle and end; use descriptive words when writing about people, places, things, events). 3.B.1b Demonstrate focus, organization, elaboration and integration in written compositions (e.g., short stories, letters, essays, reports). 3.B.2d Edit documents for clarity, subjectivity, pronoun-antecedent agreement, adverb and adjective agreement and verb tense; proofread for spelling, capitalization and punctuation; and ensure that documents are formatted in final form for submission and/or publication. 3.C.2b Produce and format compositions for specified audiences using available technology. 4.A.1a Listen attentively by facing the speaker, making eye contact and paraphrasing what is said. 4.B.1a Present brief oral reports, using language and vocabulary appropriate to the message and audience (e.g., show and tell). 4.B.2b Use speaking skills and procedures to participate in group discussions.

1. Creativity and Innovation: Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. a. Students apply knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression. 2. Communication and Collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. a. Students interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media. b. Students communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats. 6. Technology Operations and Concepts: Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. a. Students understand and use technology systems. b. Students select and use applications effectively and productively. c. Students troubleshoot systems and applications. d. Students transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies. Materials/resources/technology: pens, paper, computer lab (one computer per student), parts of story handout (optional). Implementation/Procedure Day 1 1. Introduce expectations and rules. Students will be using class time to create stories. They should work diligently and quietly to complete the writing portion of the assignment. Computers will be used and children should be reminded to remember the expectations and rules of their schools lesson plan. 2. Introduce topic: Why is writing important? Why is it enjoyable? Teachers should tell the children that writing is important because it helps people share information with each other and provides people with written records of historical and cultural events. Without writing, traditions and oral stories may have been lost over time. Writing is also enjoyable because it allows people to tell others about themselves or other things that are important to them, and it allows us to read stories that interest us. 3. Read a story to the children. This will be used later to identify parts of stories. 4. Introduce the idea of writing and interpreting stories as a large group. Students should already have a general idea of the parts of a story, so teacher should briefly go over the main elements of a story. Teacher can ask students for their definition of the elements of a short story, such as title, character, setting, etc. May give students a printout of the different elements of a short story. Teacher can use http://www.hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/engramja/elements.html as a reference. Discuss the: a. Title: what the story is called, each story has one

b. Characters: Who is in the story c. Setting: time and location, weather conditions, social conditions, mood d. Plot: how the author arranges events to develop a basic idea; plot is the sequence of events in a story or play; The plot is a planned, logical series of events having a: i. beginning ii. middle iii. end e. Problem/Conflict: The opposition of forces which ties one incident to another and makes the plot move; any form of opposition that faces the main character; can be more than one conflict in a short story; essential to plot f. Climax: Highest point of interest; the turning point of the story; leaves reader wondering what will happen next and if the conflict will be resolved g. Conclusion: the answer to the conflict; the resolution of the story 5. Use previously read story to talk about the different elements of the story. Teacher may ask: Which part of the story is the introduction? Who are the characters? What is the setting? What is the conflict? Etc. 6. Explain to the children that thinking of story ideas is often the biggest challenge of writing a story. Give students specific ideas that are compatible with kerproof: a. Aliens invade earth b. Inventors create a wacky new machine that goes wrong c. Fantasy; monsters; fairy tales d. Adventure in the winter e. Rock Party with a celebrity f. Pirates searching for treasure 7. Given enough time on day 1, allow students to begin writing their own short story. If there is not enough time, students will continue to write one day 2. Day 3 1. Explain how to use Kerproof. Based on the Kerproof educator tutorial. Allow students time to explore the software before they begin writing. Around ~10 minutes left in the class period students should begin typing and designing their storybooks. 1.Go to www.kerproof.com/home 2. Click on tell a story. - Box second from the right (yellow) in the middle of the screen. 3. Have students choose a story line from the list. 4. Tell students you type in the area that says type here box.

5. Click on the boy icon at the bottom of the storybook to select what the character is doing. 6. Click on the mountain icon, second from the left to select the setting. 7. Click on the tree icon, third from the left to select different objects you would like to include in your illustrations. 8. Click the t icon, fourth from the left to select thought bubbles for your characters. 9. To draw your own pictures use the pencil icon on the bottom right side of the screen. 9. To save your work, press the save button at the top left of the screen. 10. To return to your storybook, go to the home page and click inventory on the right. Your story will be under the gallery tab. 2. Have students begin to type their stories. Walk around the computer lab to ensure that students are staying on task. 3. At the end of the class period make sure that students saved their stories to work on the next day. Day 4-5 1. Students will continue to use Kerproof to publish their short stories. 2. If students finish early, have them peer edit their storybooks. 3. At the end of day 5, divide students into groups of four for individual presentations. Day 6 1. Prior to the class, divide the classroom into groups of four around individual netbooks (or computers in the lab) for presentations. 2. Have students go to their assigned groups. 3. Teacher will act as a timer. When class is ready, teacher will tell students to begin. 4. Student A will have 5-7 minutes to share their story with their peers. 5. After 5 minutes, teacher will tell the students to stop sharing. When student A is finished presenting their story, their group-mates will have 2-3 minutes to give them feedback. 6. Teacher will start another 5-minute round of sharing. Continue steps 3-6 until all students have shared their stories. 7. When all students have finished sharing their stories, students will return to the classroom for a large group reflection. 8. When gathered in the classroom, students will discuss things that they enjoyed about writing stories and what they found most challenging about writing a story. Student Evaluation: Students will save their stories online and submit them to the teacher. Teacher will review each childs story and evaluate their work based on the quality of their writing and the creativity of their presentation. Participation points will be given for sharing their work enthusiastically with their group members. The rubric below will be used to evaluate students work.

CATEGORY Content

4 All content is in the students' own words and follows plotline.

3 Almost all content is in the students' own words and follows plotline.

Spelling & Grammar

No spelling or grammatical mistakes in story.

No spelling or grammatical mistakes in story, but little text.

2 At least half of the content is in the students' own words and follows plotline. One spelling or grammatical error in the story.

Clarity and Neatness

Story is easy to read and all elements are so clearly written, labeled, or drawn that another student could create the presentation if necessary.

Story is easy to read and most elements are clearly written, labeled, or drawn. Another person might be able to create the presentation after asking one or two questions.

Use of Time

Used time well during each class period (as shown by observation by teacher, and documentation of progress in journal) with no adult reminders.

Used time well during most class periods (as shown by observation by teacher, and documentation of progress in journal) with no adult reminders.

Cooperation

Worked cooperatively with group all the time with no need for adult intervention.

Worked cooperatively with group most of time but had a few problems that the team resolved themselves.

1 Less than half of the content is in the students' own words and/or follows plotline. Several spelling and/or grammatical errors in the story and little text. Story is hard to Story is hard to read with rough read and one drawings and cannot tell what labels. It would be goes where. It hard for another would be person to create this impossible for presentation another person to without asking lots create this of questions. presentation without asking lots of questions. Used time well (as Used time poorly shown by (as shown by observation by observation by teacher and teacher and/or documentation of documentation progress in of progress in journal), but journal) in spite required adult of several adult reminders on one or reminders to do more occasions to so. do so. Worked Worked cooperatively with cooperatively group members with groups most of the time, members some but had one of the time but problem that had several required adult problems that intervention. required adult intervention.