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Pope-Digital Storytelling Group Project

The document describes a group project where students work in teams to create a children's story and rationale that addresses a communication issue. The story is created digitally using online tools and must be at a first or second grade reading level. It provides instructions on story elements, the rationale requirements, and a grading rubric.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
21 views6 pages

Pope-Digital Storytelling Group Project

The document describes a group project where students work in teams to create a children's story and rationale that addresses a communication issue. The story is created digitally using online tools and must be at a first or second grade reading level. It provides instructions on story elements, the rationale requirements, and a grading rubric.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Digital Storytelling Group Project

Public Speaking
Megan Pope: Texas A&M-San Antonio

I. LOC:
LOC #4: Create messages appropriate to the audience, purpose, and context

• Adapt messages to the diverse needs of individuals, groups and contexts


• Present messages in multiple communication modalities and contexts LOC #5:
Critically analyze messages
• Identify meanings embedded in messages
• Engage in active listening

LOC #6: Demonstrate the ability to accomplish communicative goals (self-efficacy)

• Perform verbal and nonverbal communication behaviors that illustrate self-efficacy


• Evaluate personal communication strengths and weaknesses

LOC #9: Influence public discourse

• Identify the challenges facing communities and the role of communication in resolving
those challenges
II. Length of Assignment:
This assignment takes place over 4 weeks of a semester or quarter. In a summer session, it can
be done in 1-2 weeks.

III. Materials Needed: Students need access to the Internet, a computer, a Google Drive
account, and a free account with an account to either https://storybird.com/ or
https://bookcreator.com/.
IV. Rationale: Forbes published an article summarizing a survey, conducted by PayScale, which
looked at how college graduates are doing in the workforce. The results of the survey showed
that managers (who hired new graduates), said that these employees are often missing vital
skills when they graduate from college. Here are some of the results of this study:

…managers said new graduates were most lacking in writing proficiency. In fact, 44% of
managers surveyed said as much…According to PayScale’s survey, 60% of managers
claim the new graduates they see taking jobs within their organizations do not have the
critical thinking and problem solving skills they feel are necessary for the job.
Additionally, 56% of managers said recent graduates do not pay attention to detail and
46% said the young workers would do well to hone their communication skills. Some
44% of managers reported a lack of leadership qualities and 36% reported lower-than-
needed interpersonal and teamwork skills (Strauss, 2016).

The purpose of this assignment is to help you continue to develop many of these skills that may
be missing upon graduation. This assignment will help you to polish and build on your critical
thinking, problem solving, communication, leadership, interpersonal, and teamwork (group)
skills, as well as refine your attention to detail.

V. Instructions: In order to help you build these aforementioned skills, you will be working in
groups, writing a children’s story.
Stories (or narratives) are universal communication tools, and a powerful way to protest, teach,
inform, persuade, explore, and inspire curiosity.
You will be put into groups of 3-4 people. Together, you will work towards creating a short
children’s story, which addresses a communication issue you see occurring in relationships,
communities, schools, or global society.
You and your group will be making a story, directed at children in one of these grades:

• First Grade:
o Click here for info on first grader’s reading level.
• Second Grade
o Click here for info on second grader’s reading level.
Here are some samples books, you may want to look at for inspiration.

• Me I Am by Jack Prelutsky
• Whoever You Are by Mem Fox
• The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
• Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson
• Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh
• Freedom on the Menu by Carole Weatherford
• Feast for Ten by Cathryn Falwell

You will be using the free software, Storybird.com, to write your children’s story. You will be
creating a “Picture Book.” Avoid making a “Poem” or “Longform” book in Storybird.com. Or you
may use BookCreator.com. BookCreator has more freedom in choosing images, but Storybird’s
design is more elegant.
The children’s story needs to be 25 pages of content. No need for in-text citations in the
children’s story. Have a 26th page, as a title page, with everyone’s names on it and the title of
the book.
Each story needs to teach children a lesson associated with the communication problem/issue.

Resources
Here is a summary of the Seven Basic Plots (please feel free to use one of these in your book).
Your story also needs these five elements: characters, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution.
Here is an age appropriate video about the five elements of stories:
http://bit.ly/2hbHqHH
Please proofread the story, and make sure it has flow.
Rationale
Your group will also be writing a rationale. This is a document that provides evidence to the
reader that the communication problem/issue is worthy of teaching children about. Please
write a 1-2 page rationale (12 pt. font Times New Roman double-spaced, 1 inch margins) with a
cover page [which includes all your names, the name of your children’s story, the URL of your
children’s story using https://bitly.com/ URL shortener, & your section number (ex. 001)]. One
per group is fine. Please have the rationale include:

• A description of the communication problem/issue


• Evidence this communication problem/issue occurs (with a source)
• Evidence this problem/issue impacts children (with a source)
• Evidence of the negative effects of the problem/issue on children (with a source)
• An explanation of why this communication problem/issue is important to teach children
about
• A minimum of three sources (include in-text citations & a references page) providing
evidence this problem/ issue exists (APA Format)

Think of the rationale and the story as persuasive in nature. You are communicating the
importance of this communication issue in the rationale, describing the problem, and in the
story, offering a solution/lesson. While the story is written for your target audience, the
rationale is written for an academia audience.

Teamwork
Please refer to your textbook and lectures regarding how to work effectively in groups. Practice
brainstorming, excellent listening and conflict management skills. Avoid group think. As part of
this assignment, your group will need to meet twice (either remotely or face-to-face). An
agenda must be created for each meeting, and turned in along with the weekly progress report
(which the leader must turn in at the end of each week). In your first meeting, elect a leader,
and before the meeting someone needs to write an agenda. Also in the first meeting, pick
duties for everyone & set deadlines. The rationale and digital story are due at the end of week
3. An assessment is due at the end of Week 4. A progress report (with the week’s agenda) is
due from the leader, at the end of Weeks 1 & 2. It is encouraged the group use Google Docs to
collaborate, as well as either Google Hangouts, Facebook groups, texting, Zoom meetings,
Wrike project management software, or any other collaborative/communication software.
Working in groups means you each will need to consider the audience you are communicating
with, and will need to adapt to each other and the different audiences of the rationale and
children’s story.
VI. Rubric or Scoring Guide:

Assignment Due Date Responsible %


Party
Progress Report Includes Agenda Due End of Leader turns in 10%
1 for Week 1 Week 1 one per group
(Process) Meeting, duties (entire group
assigned, any gets same
conflict grade)
resolved,
leader’s name,
stage of group
development
achieved.
Progress Report Includes Agenda Due End of Leader turns in 10%
2 (Process) for Week 1 Week 2 one per group
Meeting, duties (entire group
assigned, any gets same
conflict grade)
resolved, stage
of group
development
achieved.
Rationale 1-2 pages, Due End of Leader turns in 30%
(Product) double spaced, 3 Week 3 one per group
in-text citations, (entire group
3 references on gets same
bibliography grade)
page.

Digital Children’s URL, 25 pages, Due End of Leader turns in 30%


Story (Product) plus title page Week 3 one per group
(26 total), each (entire group
with text & gets same
words. grade)
Story has plot,
resolution,
characters,
conflict, and
setting.

Optional: See rubric at Due End of Optional


Presentation of bottom Week 3
Rationale &
Digital Children’s
Story (Product)
Solo Including Due End of Each group 20%
Assessment: listening and Week 4 members turns
Group, Peer, & responding to in their own
Self (Process) peers’ assessment
messages. individually.

VII. Notes:
The instructor can make this assignment either a presentation, or just have the groups turn in
the rationale and story. If they make it a presentation, please use the rubric below.

Feel free to use or adapt these resources:

• Presentation Rubric
o https://docs.google.com/document/d/17-
EADwAwDGAHPznIu2ZewfB6ZOD8VeYvFO0E5XdinGw/edit?usp=sharing
• Team Progress Report Sample To Adapt:
o http://tll.mit.edu/sites/default/files/guidelines/TLL-Team-Progress-Report.doc
• Group & Self-Assessment Form (Combined):
o http://tll.mit.edu/sites/default/files/guidelines/TLL-Assessing-the-Teamwork-
Experience.doc
• Peer-Assessment Form:
o https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/teach/instructionalstrategies/grou
pprojects/tools/PeerEvaluations/PeerEval-GroupWork-formsample1.docx
o https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/teach/instructionalstrategies/grou
pprojects/tools/PeerEvaluations/PeerEval-GroupWork-formsample2.docx
• Self-Assessment Form:
o https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/teach/instructionalstrategies/grou
pprojects/tools/SelfEvaluations/SelfEval-Form.docx
o https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mrogtrmJh8uBa6e0Z0v8iecAuk5yPkt-
cwn6h5W-E0A/edit?usp=sharing
• Group Process Assessment:
o https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/teach/instructionalstrategies/grou
pprojects/tools/GroupEvaluations/GroupProcess-EvaluationForm.docx
VIII. References:
Strauss, K. (2016, May 17). These are the skills bosses say new colleges grads do not have.

Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/


2016/05/17/these-are-the-skills-bosses-say-new-college-grads-do-not-
have/#760613e4596e

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