Interactive Books with VoiceThread

Writing Common Core Standards
•Text Types and Purposes: Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.
•Production and Distribution of Writing: With guidance and support from adults, explore a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

Speaking & Listening Common Core Standards
•Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas: Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.
•Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas: Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.

Objective: Students will draw and write about a shared experience (e.g. trip, class performance); students will audio record their writing on VoiceThread.

Planning Notes:
•You will need to set-up a VoiceThread account before this lesson.
•It may take longer than one class session to record each student’s writing. Make time to allow each student to record their piece before sharing the VoiceThread book.
•You will need to photograph each students' writing and upload it to the site to accompany their audio recording.

Connection:
•Yesterday we [went to the Farm and learned so much about what the farmers need to do to grow crops]. Today we are going to create a story together all about our trip to the farm!

Teach:
•The class will have a shared storytelling experience which the teacher will audio record for students to reference if they need assistance generating a writing idea.
•The teacher models the first few parts of the story. [Yesterday we took a yellow school bus to the farm. The bus ride was so long. When we finally arrived at the farm, we walked off the bus and met Farmer Nancy].

Try:
•Students will have 30 seconds of “think time” and then begin passing the ball to tell one part of what happened at the farm.
•The teacher will redirect students to keep the story in sequential order.

Independent Practice:
•Students will choose which part of the trip they want to illustrate and write about. As students finish writing, invite them to record their writing piece on VoiceThread.

Share:
•Have a 2-3 students share their illustrations and writing to the class while recording them on VoiceThread.