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Water Cycle Voice Thread


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Keywords: Reader's Theater, VoiceThread, Recording
Subject(s): Technology, Geography, Life Science, Reading, Earth Science, Social Studies, English/Language Arts, Science, Civics, History
Grades 1 through 6
School: Sterling Grade School, Sterling, KS
Planned By: Mary Nielsen
Original Author: Becca Jones, Bonner Sprngs
Day 1:
Objective: To introduce the project to the students, and assign each student a specific part.
Students are given a reader's theater script that matches a specific topic of study (such as the Water Cycle). Students and teacher read the script together and review the ideas presented in the script. Teacher and students work together to assign specific parts to each student. Each student will need their own part.


Days 2-4:
Objective: Students become fluent at reading their parts aloud.
Students spend time practicing their parts from the reader's theater script. Students should be working on reading fluently.
During this time, make sure you are registered with VoiceThread, have an external microphone for your computer, and understand how to use VoiceThread.

Day 5:
Objective: Students draw a picture of their specific part.
Students need to illustrate their specific part from the reader's theater script. For example, if students are reading something about the water cycle, and evaporation, have them draw a picture that explains evaporation. This needs to be the students best work as it will be "published." As students finish, take a digital photo of each piece of artwork. The photos do not need to be taken in the order they will be used in the script.

Day 6:
Objective: Students practice one last time and perfect their parts.
Students spend one last day reviewing and perfecting their parts in the script as their final performance will be on day 7. While students are practicing, you could be uploading the final pictures in the correct order onto the VoiceThread website.

Day 7:
Objective: Students record their voices using the external microphone and the VoiceThread website. To have the specific parts in the right places, have students "leave a comment" on the voicethread website. This is a whole class activity, and the class can vote on having students re-do their comments.

Day 8:
Objective: Share our VoiceThread with other people
Using the link from the VoiceThread website, you can share your Reader's Theater with many other people.
Comments
You can purchase an account to VoiceThread, but you don't have to. As long as your building has a teacher computer, projector, screen, and a microphone (good quality available at Target for $15) you can complete this activity.
Cross-Curriculum Ideas
Since this is done with a Reader's Theater script, many different topics and subjects can be taught or reviewed
Follow-Up
Have students write a "press release" to inlcude in an email to family and friends of participants.
Links: Link to VoiceThread
Link to Example
Materials: Projectors, Projector Screens, Microphones, Hard Drives, Power, Keyboards, Large Pro Monitors, Mice
Other Items: 1 External Microphone (Target has them!), $15 each, total of $15.00