A popular classroom assignment is to have students write a story. Some assignments integrate technology by having students type the story. Others utilize Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs or wikis, which provide an electronic way for students to collaborate in the writing and editing process.
Another way to extend the writing lesson is for students to animate their story. Scratch is a free software program that is easy to install and use. Since it was designed for younger students, and can be successfully used by elementary age children, Scratch can provide a fun way to add illustrations and animations to the story. It also encourages use and development of problem solving skills as children figure out how to get the images to relate to the story.
How to Use Scratch to Create Videos for Stories
The first step is to have students write the story. A storyboard will make it easy for children to turn the story into a series of scenes and can even be used as a pre-writing tool. Once the students have an idea as to what should happen and when they are ready to put it together with Scratch.
There is also the option of writing a story based on what is found in Scratch. Students can be provided storyboards, allowed to explore the sprites, and come up with a story. They can animate their idea and then write a story to go along with it.
Scratch has an easy drag-and-drop style for creating an animated video. For a basic animation students would add images, or Sprites, from the provided files and then use the motion and control categories to tell the Sprites what to do. In order to get the animation to work well, students need to use problem solving skills. From there they can add a background, sound or even costumes to make it a little more advanced.
Writing and Video Assignment Ideas
If using Scratch for a writing assignment, it might be easier to limit students to concepts that can be represented by the already available Sprites. Scratch has a limited number of Sprites available in its basic download. These include transportation, people, some sports, fantasy and some animal images.
If students are already comfortable with drawing their own images or creating images in other software, such as Photoshop or Flash, and importing the files, they could easily branch out into other areas. There are also galleries of Sprites created by other users and made available on the Scratch website.
Some story writing topics that might fit well with the available Sprites include:
- A funny thing happened while walking home
- The dog's (or cat's) fun day
- A swim in the sea
- The wizard's broken wand
Whichever way it is written, story first or animation first, Scratch can add a technology component to a writing assignment. It is an engaging and easy software tool to use and can enhance the story while helping students develop stronger problem solving skills.
To download Scratch or visit the forums for more educational ideas, visit the Scratch website.
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