Digital Storytelling Matrix (Week 12)

Tia Whitehouse
April 2015
Colorado Academic Standards

NETS T

NETS S

Blooms Taxonomy

Students will use digital storytelling in order to

show the probability of an event (like picking a
certain card or cards out of a full deck). This
format will also ensure that students tie their
data into a story, thus helping them make
meaning from their mathematical calculations.
Students will work in small groups, which will
help develop their communication and
collaboration skills (standard 2). Students will
analyze the numbers they have calculated and
they will report their results in a meaningful
manner (standard 3). Students will also think
critically about the probability of an event, and
after they have calculated the probability of one
event, they will predict the probability of
another event (standards 1 and 4). Throughout
this process, students will also demonstrate
their understanding of digital technology as it
relates to digital storytelling (standard 6).

Students will remember what they have learned

in class about probability and they will apply
this knowledge to their own work in calculating
probability. Students will produce a story that
integrates their mathematical calculations will
possible situations and students will organize
their presentation in a logical manner.

Mathematics
1. Number Sense, Properties, and Operations
2. Patterns, Functions, and Algebraic Structures
3. Analysis, Statistics, and Probability

For this project I will make sure that I am up to

date on all of the possible digital tools that I
can incorporate into this lesson (standard 5). I
will also model how to effectively utilize the
tools available to my students and I will remind
them how to safely utilize online resources
(standards 3 and 4). I will also inspire my
students to create unique and realistic stories
that will make the numbers that they calculate
meaningful (standard 1).

4. Shape, Dimension, and Geometric

Relationships
Reading, Writing, and Communicating
1. Oral Expression and Listening
2. Reading for All Purposes
3. Writing and Composition

I will ensure that I create a fun and exciting

topic for my students to write about to ensure
that my students are engaged and are thinking

Students will use an online storyboard creation

tool to create a comic book style fairy tale in
which they demonstrate their understanding of

Students will recall and interpret the common

aspects that they have seen in comic books and
fairy tales. Students will analyze and evaluate

Digital Storytelling Matrix (Week 12)

Whitehouse

creatively (standard 1 and 2). I will model how

to use the online storyboard creation tool and I
will demonstrate how to safely utilize the
internet (standards 3 and 4).

the main parts of a story. This project requires

students to generate their own creative work
that demonstrates their knowledge of the main
elements of a story (standard 1). Students will
bring a multi-cultural awareness to their project
(standard 2c) and they will put their finished
products in their online portfolios (standard 2a).
Students will think critically about the aspects
of a story they are going to include in their
comic book strips (standard 4) and they will
demonstrate their understanding of how to use
the online storyboard creation tool in a safe and
effective manner (standards 5 and 6).

the stories we read in class to determine which

techniques are most effective in storytelling and
this will help them determine what techniques
they are going to use in their own writing.
Then, students will apply their knowledge of
fairy tales by generating their own stories and
or comic book stories.

4. Research and Reasoning

Social Studies
1. History

In this assignment it is important that I remind

my students of how to safely utilize the internet
as a means for finding information on their
person or event (standard 4). I must also model
how to effectively use the digital tools that are
applicable to this project (standard 3). Before
we begin the project, students will express their
preference for which person or event they
would like to research and I will place students
in groups of students who have similar interests
so that each group is excited about their topic
and their learning is customized to their
interests (standard 2). Additionally, I will
promote student reflection on this project after
they have shown their final product to the class
(standard 1).

For this project, students will be broken up into

groups and each group will study a different
historical person/event/group. Each group will
develop a digital story that explains their
historical figure or event and the final products
will be shown to the entire class so that each
student has the opportunity to be both a student
and a teacher in this lesson. Effective
communication and collaboration are both
necessary for this project (standard 2).
Students will also be required to research their
person or event in order to find facts that they
can share with the class (standard 3). Students
will safely utilize online resources to find some
of their information (standard 5) and students
will demonstrate their knowledge of digital
tools (standard 6).

2. Geography
3. Economics
4. Civics
Science

Students will interpret the information they

have found about their person or event and they
will evaluate their sources before they organize
their data. Then, students will generate a high
quality digital story that they will present to the
class to demonstrate what they have learned
while researching their topic.

Digital Storytelling Matrix (Week 12)

Whitehouse

1. Physical Science
2. Life Science

Each student will chose their own animal to

study, thus I am enabling them to personalize
their learning experience (standard 2). I will
model how to safely use the internet as a
research tool and will provide an example of a
finished comic book (standards 3 and 4). At
the end of this project, I will give my students
an opportunity to reflect on the project
(standard 1).

For this assignment, students will create a

comic book (using an online digital format like
storyboardthat.com) in which they explain the
life of an animal of their choice. Students will
also compare and contrast their animal with
other animals in order to show that all animals
have similarities and differences. Students will
research their animal online and in the library
to find information (standard 3). Additionally,
students will evaluate the information that they
have collected before they organize it in a
meaningful way (standard 4).

Students will recall what they have learned in

class about comic books and they will
implement this knowledge into their own
process of researching an animal of their
choice. Throughout the process, students will
critique the credibility of the sources they come
across and they will differentiate the most
important information from the information
that is not necessary to include in their
presentation. Students will organize their data
in a meaningful way and they will design their
own comic book about their animal of choice.

3. Earth Systems Science

Differentiation
Learning Disabilities - EEOs
Gifted/ Talented
Other

Part of my job is making sure that I engage in

professional leadership and growth to ensure
that I am aware of the new tools and ideas
available to me that will help me to be a better
teacher (standard 5). Professional growth
relates to differentiation because I must keep up
with new ideas to help individualize lesson
plans to make sure that every single one of my
students is receiving the support that they need.
I will strive to keep my students excited about
what they are learning and I will encourage
them to think creatively about new solutions
(standard 1). I will give students with varying
abilities slightly different requirements for
different projects to ensure that they are being
adequately challenged, but that they are not
overwhelmed (standard 2).

Students will realize that we all have different

strengths and different areas in which we need
more support. Students will learn to work with
a variety of students with a variety of strengths
to develop their communication and
collaboration skills (standard 2). Students will
express topics or ideas that they are interested
in so that they can personalize their learning
and become lifelong learners (standard 5).
Students will demonstrate their understanding
of the different types of technology that we use
in our classroom (standard 6) and they will be
able to use the internet as a research tool
(standard 3). Each student, no matter their
ability, will strive to do their best.

Students will be able to identify and explain

concepts that we have learned in class.
Students will then use these concepts and they
will analyze trends and critique the meaning of
what they are learning about. Students will
construct meaning from what they have
learned, and they will generate digital stories
and comics to demonstrate what they have
learned.

Reflection: This time around, it was easier to fill out this matrix. Having experience with the format and what was expected to be in the matrix made this one easier than previous matrices. At times, I
was unsure of what types of applications digital storytelling could have in my classroom, but upon further reflection and brainstorming I was able to come up with some ideas. Overall, I think that I am
getting to be more efficient at filling out a matrix because I understand it better and because I can quickly figure out what standards are applicable to each idea.