Let's Collaborate!

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.4 Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.5 Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.3 Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

Objective: Students will be able to write collaboratively using www.storybird.com, in order to create their own story that includes the required story elements.

Prior to lesson, students will have been introduced to the following story elements: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution. Using Storybird, the teacher will set up classes before teaching the lesson.

Step 1- Review story elements using a blank story map graphic organizer on whiteboard. Students will take turns coming up to the board to identify each element.

Step 2- Teacher will introduce www.storybird.com and will model how to create a story. Prior to the lesson, teacher will have created her own story, in order to use as an example (or you may use one of the examples already available on the website).

Step 3- Teacher will explain that the students will be put into groups of 5. After their groups have been established, the group leader will be responsible for logging into www.storybird.com, click on “Create” to begin a story. After they choose to create their story, they will have the option to invite friends to help write the story. The leader will invite all other group members to join so that they all have access to the story. The group leader won’t go any further than this step (this is something they can do for homework).

Step 4- In the next class, each member of the group will be assigned one of the 5 story elements (or you may choose to allow students to decide who will be responsible for each element). Teacher should make sure to have the computer lab for this portion of the assignment.

Step 5- Students will login to their accounts that the teacher created and begin working on their section of the story. Once all members of the group have completed their portion, the group will combine each element in order to have a complete story.

Step 6- Students will present their story to the class using the whiteboard.