Jennifer+Farhat's+Storyjumper+page

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Cool Tools for Schools [|Story Jumper] Storyjumper is a really fun and easy website that allows students to create, publish, and share picture books and other fun literary works online. The tool is very simple to use and, with only very little instruction, I believe my students will be able to produce some fun and interesting creations. Using the tools, students can make very visual stories by choosing from a range of scenes, props and characters. A fun option allows you to upload snapshots of your students’ faces. The students can then use these snapshots to make characters in their stories. After students have completed their graphics, they can add text to their pages. Finally, the teacher puts the pages together where it can be printed as a book, posted online or even ordered as a hardback book! This is similar to using StoryPublishing but it does appear to be geared to lower age levels. It is simple to use and most students of lower ages should be able to use it once they are taught how to. Students can create short 16 page books using the props, and scenes that are provided with the tool. Adding their own snapshots can really add to and personalize their stories. Class: Kindergarten Social Studies Unit: Community Helpers (This lesson is part of a larger unit on Community) Teacher: Jennifer Farhat Objectives The students will be able to name the various jobs of people in our community. The students will be able to discuss the significance of these jobs. The students will be able to work with a partner to create two pages for our online Community Helper Book created on Storyjumper that will show their understanding of the importance of community helpers.
 * Link:**
 * Description:**
 * Lesson plan:**

Standards Social Studies 1.7.1. Match simple descriptions of work that people do with the names of those jobs

Language Arts LA 0.1.5 Vocabulary: Students will build literary, general academic and content specific grade-level vocabulary. LA 0.2.1.b Apply prewriting activities to generate ideas (e.g., brainstorming, discussions, drawing, literature, personal/classroom experiences) LA 0.2.2.a Write for a specific purpose (e.g., lists, alphabet book, story with picture, label objects in classroom)

Part 1 Anticipatory Set Teacher will display pictures of different community helpers and the tools on the interactive whiteboard. Student will be asked to sort the pictures into groups and explain what the pictures are and why they belong in the various groupings. Is there a specific way to display the pictures and tools if you do not have an interactive whiteboard? (Most students are second language. This activity builds interest, sets common vocabulary, and facilitates higher level thinking skills.) Teaching: Input Teacher reads the book Community Helpers from A to Z. Students respond to the text by making text-to-self connections. Using the chart paper titled “Community Helpers and what they do”, the teacher will model adding community helpers and short job descriptions to a list. I love a list! Would a list of tools the community helper uses be included in the descriptions of what the helpers do as well? I also like to add drawings or pictures to a list, so the students with lower reading skills can refer back later.LS. Students will help add additional community helpers and their job descriptions to the list. Teacher will check for understanding and review when necessary. Teacher will ask students why these jobs are important to the community. What would happen to a community if it didn’t have police officers or fire fighters? Great way to check for understanding, encourages those important critical/higher thinking skills. LS
 * Teaching: Modeling**
 * Teaching: Checking for Understanding** and **Guided Practice**

Students will draw illustrations of the community helpers they think is the most valuable. The picture should demonstrate each child's level of comprehension. Advanced students will label their pictures or write a related sentence. Students can refer back to "Community Helpers" chart to label their illustrations. LS Several students will be selected randomly (popsicle sticks) to show their pictures and why they think it is the most important community helper. Other students will respond. All students will be given two minutes to share their pictures and thoughts with a neighbor. 60 minutes
 * Independent Practice**
 * Closure**
 * Duration**


 * Part 2**

The teacher will use the interactive whiteboard to show students the sample pages the teacher has created. [|Community Helper Book] Teaching: Input Teacher will explain how to make a page for the students. Teaching: Modeling Modeling is always important especially at the Kindergarten level. It helps them learn and see what they will be doing. Teacher will model making one page for the children. Teacher will make a list of things that they must have on their pages. Will this list be printed out and posted somwhere so students can refer to it to make sure they have all the things they need on their pages? May have to use a picture list to help this age level with reading the list.
 * Anticipatory Set **
 * 1) A character (themselves as a fire fighter, police person etc.)
 * 2) A tool they use (Can also be a car, ship, plane etc.)
 * 3) Background
 * 4) One sentence that tells about their character and the job he/she performs.

Teaching: Checking for Understanding Teacher will ask student volunteers to come and perform various tasks inside the program. Guided Practice The class will go to the computer lab. They will be put in random pairs and asked to experiment with the program with their partner. Teachers (one lead teacher, one assistant, and one computer teacher) will circulate to assist and determine students who need remediation. I like the idea of putting the students in pairs, it gives them a chance to talk to one another about the program, and community helpers. On the flip side, it could make things difficult. I find Kindergarteners often have issues with sharing! ;) LS

Independent Practice Students will complete their pages with limited assistance. Are the students working on their pages in pairs or on their own? Presumably everyone would do their own page or every pair would produce 2 pages? LS Closure Children will come forward to read their pages of the completed book to the other students. I am not sure how they will share their pages- will they use a hardback copy when it is published or are they using the interactive whiteboard? Teacher will ask for volunteers to tell about their pages. "Why did you choose your character? What interesting thing did you learn about your community helper?" The teacher will post the book on her blog. For homework student will read the book with their parents. How will students do this if their parents do not have internet access to see the blog? Duration 20 minutes of Language Arts time and two 40 minute computer periods

Interactive whiteboard Community Helper clipart from Carson Dellosa Clipart/Community Helpers [] Book: //**Community Helpers from A to Z**// storyjumper class account chart paper and markers One computer for each pair of students
 * Materials**

Comments by Angela Dickey I see this as being a great tool for lower age levels. The lesson is a good one to do with this tool. The students will learn more about community helpers and will have a fun time creating a page for their classbook about Community helpers. Not all schools have interactive whiteboards so they would have to adjust some of the planning to work in their classroom. I really liked that you added your photo into the story. Students always get excited when they see themselves in stories. Makes it more fun for them. It also gets them more excited about writing the story. I do feel the cost is a little high if you want to order a book.

Comments by Allyson Jesus I think you have a really good lesson plan going for your students. I love the story jumper and think I might try it in my classroom. I liked how incorporated different subjects into the lesson plan. I think you could also take the project a step further, and have some of your high students or create their own book when they had free time or you could have the students create their own book as part of a center in your language arts groups. I think the students are going to love this lesson and will be wanting to do it some more!

Comments by Jennifer Pequegnat As a First grade teacher I love how the storyboard looks like an actual book. I like how you were able to incorporate personal pictures into the book. __Be careful when uploading student pictures into this kind of program. If it can be viewed by anyone you will need parent permission before publishing__. I can see this being a program I would use in the classroom. After the unit introduction and shared components I would have the students create a paper pencil book with 3 community helpers. Then each student could choose their best one. I like the way you incorporated technology and having students go to the computer lab to create their pages. We did a similar project having students write diary entries pretending they were pilgrims coming over on the Mayflower. Depending on the level of your students you will need to do a lot of modeling. Looking at the lesson I did not see an assessment component? Is this part of a bigger unit? Will each student have an “artifact” at the end of the lesson? Maybe you could print out each student’s individual page at the end of the lesson. Parents would love to see what their child has accomplished, and may not be able to afford the printed version.

Comments by Laura Snyder After playing around with this tool, it seems like a pretty simple process and something that could be used by young learners. I work in alot of schools that don't have Smart Boards in their classrooms, but usually have them in the library or computer lab, so I think adjustments could be made and this program still could be used. It's pretty fun to be able to use your own picture or your student's pictures in the book (with permission of course) and I think the students would really get a kick out of seeing themselves in a book! It would also be a great thing to have set up on a computer during open house or parent teacher conferences so parents could see what their students have been doing, if they're not able to view it at home or order a printed version.

Comments by Cassandra Romero Great lesson and tool. I played around for awhile, and could certainly see my students having a great time with this tool. I absolutely love that these books can be printed. I could definitely see myself using this tool in the classroom. I think it could also be great to use for students to summarize the year, almost like creating a mini-class yearbook. You could give parents the option to buy it, or parents could always view it online. Is it possible to download copies of the books or pages? If you did that you may be able to upload them onto shutterfly to have more affordable books.