DIGITAL STORYTELLING PRESENTING PUBLISHING FILM ANIMATION FOUNDATION STAGE

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FOUNDATION STAGE

PRESENTING PUBLISHING FILM ANIMATION

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

CCEA would like to thank Nerve Belfast, Creative Learning Centre for

their sharing of ideas and contribution to the development of this

resource.

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WHAT IS DIGITAL STORYTELLING?

Digital Storytelling describes how we can use digital tools to tell a story or present an idea. These stories can be personal, biographical, fictional or factual about a specific interest or topic.

Digital Storytelling tools give children opportunities to develop their technical skills, as well as other skills such as communication, visual, audio, design, planning and collaboration.

For Using ICT, Digital Storytelling is a useful term that covers three modes that we can use technology for, across the curriculum:

• Presenting;

• Publishing; and

• Film and Animation.

Presenting is any type of activity that involves using a digital tool to help deliver a story or presentation. At the beginning, children enter text and insert images or sounds into Presenting software. They move on to researching and selecting assets from a range of sources to

incorporate into a presentation. Showing an awareness of audience is an important element.

At all levels, children need to present to an appropriate audience. As they become more sophisticated, children need to know how to use the features of their digital tool and consider which tools to use to tell their story to best effect.

For Publishing, children use software to communicate information through traditional printed materials or digital publications such as e-books or websites. At the beginning, children can combine text and images to create a simple poster, invitation or e-book (which can also include sounds). They progress to researching and selecting assets such as text, images and sounds from a range of sources and incorporate these into their own publications such as newspapers, brochures, booklets, e-books, blogs or websites. As the children progress, they will use advanced features such as alignment, justification, columns, text wrapping or website navigation to enhance the publication.

In Film and Animation, children create a moving image story. They plan and create films, using animations or still or moving images. These could be photographs put together to play as a movie; video that the children have taken; stop-motion animation (using objects, figures with moveable joints or clay models) or computer animation (drawing frame by frame into animation software).

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HOW DOES THIS RESOURCE WORK?

This resource enables Foundation Stage teachers to introduce Digital

Storytelling activities into their classroom practice, developing the children’s digital (ICT) skills as well as their digital literacy awareness. It provides ideas to support teaching presenting, publishing, film and animation, but you may find alternatives you prefer to use from your own research.

You do not have to be an ICT specialist to carry out these activities with your class. We have designed this resource to cater for a wide range of learner and teacher ability. You can adapt it to take account of your own context, keeping things simple.

This resource has been divided into two steps:

Step 1

Concepts and Skills

Step 2

Create a Product

Mix of unplugged and plugged activities

Plugged Activities Part 1 Presenting Part 2 Publishing Part 3 Film Part 4 Animation

Each step has activity ideas, suggested learning intentions, Assessment for Learning

opportunities and new vocabulary to introduce to the children. You can use this resource to support or adapt any materials you are already using, depending on the equipment and/or resources available. Choose activities based on the children’s experience, age and ability. Adapt the content to differentiate for the children and suit the context they are working in.

You should cover all or some of the activities in Step 1 before moving on to Step 2 Creating a Product.

Activities in this resource are tagged as or . Plugged activities include using ICT software and/or hardware. Unplugged activities include time spent planning, listening and discussing. These unplugged activities are essential for developing background knowledge, vocabulary and understanding of the digital skills included in Presenting,

Publishing, and Film and Animation.

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At Foundation Stage, the key concepts and ICT skills involved in the three modes of Digital Storytelling are the same. Whether the children create an animation, a film, a presentation or a digital publication, they will need to have an understanding of concepts, including:

• sequencing to tell a story;

• the use of image;

• the use of font or symbols; and

• how to create mood and atmosphere that suits the topic they want to tell their audience about.

These concepts are therefore addressed holistically in this step. You should teach these before the children begin to create a Digital Storytelling product, although you do not have to complete every activity.

The Concepts and Theories covered in this step are:

Activity Concept/Theory

Activity 1 Symbols Scavenger Hunt Symbols have meaning

Activity 2 Colour and Emotion How colour can be used to show emotion Activity 3 Character Illustrations The importance of language and/or illustration

in describing a character Activity 4 Does it Match? Audience and purpose

Making sure everything makes sense and goes together

Activity 5 Photo Treasure Hunt How to take a good photo Activity 6 Sound Sequence Sequencing

Recording sounds Activity 7 Talking Photos Narration

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ACTIVITY 1

SYMBOLS SCAVENGER HUNT

In this activity, children begin to explore the meaning of everyday symbols and go on a scavenger hunt to find symbols in their school.

Suggested Learning Intentions

We are learning to:

• understand that symbols have meanings;

• understand that symbols can represent thoughts and feelings;

• understand that we can communicate with symbols;

• take photographs; and

• work with others and make decisions (TS&PC).

Resources Required

• Resource 1 Symbols presentation

• Digital cameras or tablets with a camera (optional)

• Mobile devices with app such as Pic Collage (optional)

Shared Vocabulary

sign symbol icon emoji photograph focus

EXPLORE

Use Resource 1 Symbols presentation to explore a selection of different symbols with the children. We have provided a range of symbols, but feel free to add your own. The new version of PowerPoint has an icon tool and the Noun Project website is a good resource for copyright- free symbols.

optional

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As you go through the presentation, ask the children:

• Do you recognise the symbol?

• What do you think it might mean?

• Do the symbols make you feel a certain way?

(Optional): Now show the children how to take a photo. Tell them that they need to hold the camera steady and allow it time to focus. Explain that a camera is like an eye. It needs time to focus. To illustrate this, encourage the children to move their heads and blink several times and then look at an object you are holding up. They will find it takes a moment for them to be able to see the object clearly.

DO

Explain to the children that they are going on a hunt to find symbols in the school. Working in pairs or small groups, ask them to either:

̶ record a list of the symbols they find on a small whiteboard or on a tick list; OR

̶ take turns to take photos of symbols they find. Remind them to try to keep the camera steady and take their photos in focus.

TIP: Print out some extra symbols and display them around the school.

Alternatively, this is an opportunity for a home learning activity. Ask parents to allow their child to photograph symbols at home or in the local area using a mobile phone or tablet, if available.

Then, ask them to send them to you digitally by email or other available method.

REVIEW

If possible, give the children an opportunity to talk about the symbols they found, or to show their photos on the whiteboard or projector. Encourage the class to discuss what they think the symbols mean and why they chose them.

Ask the class to evaluate how well they think they took their photos – were they clear and in focus? How could they improve them?

Extension Activity

Encourage the children to use an app such as Pic Collage to choose their best photos and create a photo collage of their symbols. They could also add some text to explain what the symbols are.

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ACTIVITY 2

COLOUR AND EMOTION

In this activity the children learn about how colour can be used to express a mood or emotion.

Use the film Inside Out (or an alternative) to show the children how some colours can be associated with certain feelings.

Suggested Learning Intentions

We are learning to:

• name different colours;

• describe and name different emotions;

and

• understand how an emotion can be connected with colour.

Resources Required

• Inside Out clip: Guessing the Feelings

• Resource 2 Lost Toy presentation

• Optional story books such as Feelings – Inside my Heart and in my Head by Richard Jones and Libby Walden or The Colour Monster by Anna Llenas

Shared Vocabulary

happy joy sad fear scared disgust anger emotion

expression character colour yellow blue green purple red

EXPLORE

Talk to the children about emotions and what they are. Ask the children what emotions they can name.

Ask the children if they have watched the film Inside Out. If a large proportion of the class have seen the film, ask them what they remember about it. Can they name the characters?

Can they remember what colour they were? Do they remember the feelings each character represented? To ensure that the children understand the names that are being used for each emotion, discuss with them what each character’s emotion means and what other words might describe the same emotion. For example:

• joy also means being happy or excited;

• sadness is the same as unhappy or fed up or miserable;

• disgust is the same as sick or revolted;

• fear is the same as being scared or afraid; and

• anger is the same as upset or cross.

Play the Guessing the Feelings clip (or an alternative). Ask the children if they can name the emotions. Encourage the children to talk about what makes them feel certain ways.

DO

Give the children some time to talk about each emotion after each clip. Did they notice what colours they were?

• Joy is yellow;

• Sadness is blue;

• Disgust is green;

• Fear is purple; and

• Anger is red.

Ask the children why they think the creators of the film Inside Out used a specific colour for each emotion character. Give the children time to discuss each colour with a talking partner and ask the class for feedback. Suggestions may include:

• Yellow for Joy because joy means happy. Yellow is the colour of sunshine;

• Green is the colour your face goes if you feel sick;

• Red is the colour you feel when you are angry; and so on.

Ask the children about other colours they might choose if they were drawing a happy picture.

Explain to them that a happy picture could have lots of yellow, but it could also have other happy colours and happy images such as rainbows, flowers, smiling faces and so on. Next ask the children what colours they might use if they were drawing a sad picture. Explain that the picture might have dull colours.

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Show the children slide 1 of Resource 2 Lost Toy (or create your own document). Read out the sentence: The boy lost his favourite toy.

Ask the children what the emotion of that sentence would be. Next, explain that you need to add images that show the emotion of that sentence and then show the children slide 2. Give the children time to discuss with talking partners and then ask them for feedback on which images to keep, which to delete and why.

Now ask the children to suggest what colour the background should be and why. Then change the colour of the background.

REVIEW

Finally, ask the children: If we deleted the sentence and just kept the images and the colour, would the reader know what emotion we were trying to show? Why?

Emphasise that colour and images can play a very big part in showing the emotion of a story.

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ACTIVITY 3

CHARACTER ILLUSTRATIONS

In this activity, the children will explore character, using software or an app such as

Doodlecast, Draw and Tell, MyStory or Book Creator, to record a description of a character from a story and a digital drawing.

Suggested Learning Intentions

We are learning to:

• begin to use descriptive words;

• record our voice;

• draw digitally; and

• make decisions and be creative (TS&PC).

Resources Required

• Storybook (that has good character descriptions)

• App or software that allows children to draw and record their voice, for example Doodlecast, MyStory, Book Creator or Draw and Tell

Shared Vocabulary

character describe author illustrator illustration record

EXPLORE and PLAN

Recap with the children what an author and an illustrator are. Ask them for their suggestions about what each of these people do.

Ask the children whether they think it is important that the author and the illustrator work well together and share their ideas. Lead the discussion so that the children realise that it is important for the readers of a story that the words and the pictures match.

Explain to the children that:

• you are going to read a short description of a character (from a suitable story that is unknown to the children, if possible), but you are not going to show them any of the illustrations;

• they will need to listen carefully for any describing words that give ideas about what the character might look like; and

• when they have listened well, they are going to be the illustrator and create an illustration (or drawing) of the character.

Recap or introduce, in simple terms, what a describing word is.

Read your chosen description and encourage the children to discuss with a talking partner any describing words they heard. If appropriate, ask the children to work with a partner to record their ideas on a small whiteboard. Read the description again to give the children another chance to listen.

Ask:

• What words or information did you hear that described the character?

• What type of character do you think the character is? Why?

• How do you imagine the character might look?

Make a list of suggestions.

Depending on the children’s age and ability, you could provide a template for them to write a short sentence describing the character. They could also create a practice drawing before they create their digital image.

DO

Ask the children to create their digital illustration and then record their voiceover in the chosen software. In some apps, such as Doodlecast, the children will be able to draw and record their voice simultaneously.

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REVIEW

Display a few of the children’s illustrations on the whiteboard or as print outs. Encourage the children to listen to their recordings and talk about how well they think they recorded their voiceover:

• Did you describe your character well?

• What do you like about your illustration?

Once the children have had a chance to view some of the illustrations, ask them to think about what the illustrations have in common. For example, are they all big, tall, scary, fat or red?

Do the characters look friendly in the illustrations? Are they smiling?

Lead the children to see that the language and the describing words used in the story help us to imagine how the characters look. Explain that this is important when you are an author or an illustrator.

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ACTIVITY 4

DOES IT MATCH?

This activity aims to introduce the concept of audience, purpose and appropriate content to the children.

Suggested Learning Intentions

We are learning to:

• talk about what makes a good presentation;

• identify anything that doesn’t make sense in our content; and

• think about the audience.

Resources Required

• Resource 3 Pets Presentation

Shared Vocabulary

slide

presentation audience purpose reorder title resize text image

EXPLORE

Open Resource 3 Pets presentation from the folder of digital resources, which is a

presentation about pets. Read the title to the children and ask whether they think that the image on the first slide is a good image to use and why. Go through the presentation, slide by slide, and discuss whether the children think each image, sound or text is appropriate. This will begin to introduce the concept of audience and purpose.

On slide 4, there is an image of a banana with text: Bananas are yellow. Stop at this slide and ask the children for their thoughts about the slide. Ask them, for example:

• Does the text (or writing) match the image or picture?

• Does the text and image on the slide match the rest of the presentation? Why? Why not?

• Do you think it would be confusing for someone to see a banana image in a pets presentation? Why?

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Remove the slide from the presentation and confirm to the children that the presentation is now about pets and is no longer confusing for the audience.

On slide 6, there is a very small image of a pet. Stop at this slide and ask the children what they think of it. They will probably quickly tell you that the image is too small, and prompt them further to think about the audience, that the presentation would not be as useful if the audience couldn’t see the information. Resize the image so that the children are satisfied that it is correct and clear, and save.

The last slide in the presentation has this text: Today I am going to tell you about pets. Ask the children what they think about this slide and prompt them to realise that this slide introduces the topic of the presentation to the audience. Ask the children to suggest where in the presentation you should move the slide.

REVIEW

Recap with the children what they have learned about making a good presentation:

• a good, clear title;

• the contents in the presentation all match the topic of the presentation;

• the words, pictures and/or sounds of each slide match each other;

• the words and pictures can be seen clearly; and

• the slides are in the right order.

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ACTIVITY 5

PHOTO TREASURE HUNT

In this activity, the children take photographs of objects. They learn how to take close-up shots and to keep their camera steady and in focus.

Suggested Learning Intentions

We are learning to:

• take photos of given objects, using some control;

• understand what a close-up is and when to use it;

• understand what a list is and how to use it;

• match words to pictures; and

• make decisions and work with others (TS&PC).

Resources Required

• Digital cameras or mobile devices

• A selection of small classroom objects (one per child)

• Objects to take photos of around the school, in the classroom or outside

• Pencils and checklists of objects in the school

Shared Vocabulary

camera photograph shot

close-up focus macro list

EXPLORE

Explain to the children that they will be using a list to help them to take photographs of objects. Spend time discussing what a list is and when we might use one. Suggestions might include:

• a shopping list;

• a list of children in the class;

• a list of signs of Autumn on an Autumn walk;

• a list of children that are going to the canteen for dinner; or

• a list of library books.

Show the children some example lists. Draw their attention to how a list is (usually) written vertically.

Next, show the children how to take a photograph.

Explain that they need to hold the camera steady and allow the camera to focus. Explain that a camera is like an eye and needs time to do this. Ask the children to move their heads and blink several times and then look at an object that you are holding up – they will find it takes a moment for them to be able to see the object clearly.

Ask the children what we would be able to see in a photograph, if we put the camera really close to the object. Give each child a small object and ask them to experiment by holding it at arm’s length and looking at it, then moving it a bit closer to their eye, then closer

again and finally extremely close. Ask the children to feedback what they found from their experiment. They will probably comment that they could see the details of the object better as it got closer to their eyes, but when it was too close, they couldn’t focus on it. Explain that this is the same with a camera.

Search online for macro flower images. Show the children how you can use a camera to take pictures that show lots of detail in an object. This type of close-up is called a macro shot.

Explain to the children that very close-up (macro) shots are good for showing detail. However, we don’t always need so much detail. It is important to be close enough to the object you are photographing so that viewers know what the subject of the photo is.

Demonstrate this by telling the children that you want to take a photograph of one of them.

Choose a child and ask them to stand up. Then, move as far away from them as you can in the room and take a picture, with the child to the left or the right of the frame. Show the children the photograph on a large screen and ask them if they think it is a good photo of the child in question.

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Lead the discussion so that the children realise it is important to have the object or person as the main item in the photo.

DO

Create lists of five (or whatever number you feel is appropriate) objects around the classroom or school that you want the children to photograph.

Explain to the children that they are going on a treasure hunt to find and photograph some objects. Divide the class into small groups and give each group a slightly different list of items to find. Each group will need a camera (of any type) to use.

Remind the children that when they find and photograph each object, the picture should clearly show what it is. Remind them to keep the camera steady and give it time to focus.

Encourage them to review and retake their photos, if necessary.

Ask the children to take turns taking photos, reading the list and ticking off the objects they find and photograph. Encourage them to work as a team to help each other to read the words on the list and tick off the objects as they photograph them.

REVIEW

If appropriate, ask the children to work in their groups to choose their best photos and delete any that they don’t need or that are unclear. Remind them to look at their list and check they have one photo of each object.

Encourage them to think about how well they think they carried out the task. Was it easy to work in their group? Did everyone take turns and work together? Would they do anything differently next time?

Optional Extension Activity (for older Foundation Stage children)

Ask the children to import their photos into software or an app (such as Pic Collage, My Story, 2Publish or MS Word (children may need teacher support with this)) that allows you to add images and text. Encourage them to type the object names to match the pictures. Remind them to use their list again to check they have added all the objects.

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ACTIVITY 6

SOUND SEQUENCE

This teacher-led activity, introduces the children to sound recording. They work as a class to record sound effects to match a series of images. This activity could link to a World Around Us topic (such as morning routine) or a story the children are reading in class.

Suggested Learning Intentions

We are learning to:

• sequence a series of images;

• understand how simple film editing on a timeline works;

• match sounds to pictures;

• use voice, body or objects to create sound effects;

• record sound effects; and

Resources Required

• Sequences of pictures relating to a topic or book of your choice

• Percussion instruments (optional)

• Editing app or software such Moviemaker or iMovie that allows pictures to be sequenced and sounds to be recorded using a timeline (NB: You will be using this software to demonstrate for the children: the children will not be using any software)

Shared Vocabulary

picture match sequence order edit record microphone listen

sound effect

playhead (optional)

EXPLORE and PLAN

Give the children printed copies of the image sequence, out of order. Ask them to work individually or in small groups to put their images into sequence and stick them onto paper or into a workbook.

(Teacher Only)

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If possible, use a whiteboard or projector to display the out of order sequence of images (on the timeline of your chosen app) for the whole class to see. Discuss what they think the right order is. Show the children how you can rearrange (edit) the order of the pictures on the timeline. Explain that they are going to plan and record sound effects to match the pictures.

Go through each picture and discuss the type of sound effect that might match the picture.

Ask the children to work in small groups to try creating the noise for each picture using their voice, body, objects or percussion instruments. Make suggestions to help with this. Encourage the class to decide on the best sound effect for each picture and try performing them

together.

DO

Once the children have rehearsed their sound effects, demonstrate how to record them.

If you are using a mobile device to record the sound effects, explain:

• where the microphone is and that it is important not to cover it with your hands;

• that if you are too far away or too quiet, a microphone will not pick up the sound; and

• that if you are too loud or too close to the microphone, the sound will be unclear.

If your chosen software or app allows, turn on recording mode and show the children how the sound levels go up and down, depending how quiet or loud the sounds are. Ask different children to try whispering and shouting into the microphone to see what happens.

Now try recording the first sound with the children. Ask them to move closer to the recording device, especially if the sound effect isn’t very loud.

Show the children that you need to move the playhead (the vertical line showing the current position on the track) to the beginning of the picture you want to record the sound for. Then use the microphone to record. Some software may have a countdown, so practice waiting for the countdown to end before starting. Record the first sound, rewind and replay it to the class. Ask the children to decide if they are happy with the recording. Re-record, if necessary.

Repeat this until you have recordings for each image.

TIP: depending on the length of the recording, you might need to shorten or lengthen the image clip on the timeline to fit as you go.

REVIEW

Play the sequence back to the class with the recorded sound effects. Encourage the children to discuss whether they feel the sounds match the images and the sequence (related to your topic) is correct.

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ACTIVITY 7

TALKING PHOTOS

You can link this activity to a topic or story of your choice from your planned class work.

In this activity the children take close-up photos of a character, animal or person and plan a short narration, using an app such as ChatterPix (or ChatterPix Kids, which is very basic and easy for young children to use) to record this and make the picture speak.

Suggested Learning Intentions

We are learning to:

• take close-up photos with purpose;

• match words to pictures;

• understand what a narration is;

• plan and record a narration; and

Resources Required

• Digital cameras or mobile devices and an app or software such as ChatterPix

• Characters, toys, pictures or drawings of people or animals (read activity for context)

Shared Vocabulary

camera photograph close-up long shot focus record microphone listen narration

script (optional)

EXPLORE

Explore the topic and/or read the story the activity is based on. Then, explain that the children are going to create a talking picture to tell others what they have learned.

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Show the children a long shot picture of a character or person (taken with the camera far away from them) and a close-up picture with only the head and shoulders visible. Ask them which they think would be better to use to show someone talking. Encourage them to talk about being able to see the facial features and the mouth moving in the close-up. Encourage them to think about how you can tell more about the character’s feelings – happy or sad, smiling or frowning – when you can see their face clearly.

Next, model using the camera to take a close-up of a face (from either a printed photo, children’s artwork or a toy or book illustration, depending on the chosen topic). Show how to keep the camera steady and allow time for it to focus.

Explain to the children that you are going to record their voice for their photo to make it speak. Ask them to think about what they might say for the example photo. They should also think about how they need to speak – clearly and loudly. Show them where the microphone is on the device they are using.

Remind the children to hold it close to their mouth as they speak and not cover it with their hands. Explain that a lot of noise in the background can make it difficult to hear the recording.

Then, model how to use the app or software. You could record yourself making some mistakes and ask the children to listen and tell you what you did wrong.

DO

TIP: As sound recording can be challenging in a noisy classroom, ask the children to take turns doing their recordings while the rest of the class work on a quieter activity.

Give the children a face to photograph or ask them to look at different sources and choose a face they would like to photograph. The faces could be linked to your topic or theme. Provide a folder of images to browse or encourage the children to use books. Alternatively, they could draw or paint a face.

Give the children time to plan what they would like their character to say. Depending on their level or ability, ask them to write a short sentence to use as a script for their recording.

Encourage each child to take a close-up photo of their given or chosen face and review it to make sure they are happy it is clear. They could work in small groups to give each other feedback on whether the photos they each have taken are clear, in focus and close-up. Ask them to try again, if their photo is not good enough.

Once they are happy with their photos, ask them to import these into the app or software such as ChatterPix. This app (or similar) will add an animated mouth to the character, making it look as though it is speaking. Encourage them to create the mouth shape of their character, record their voice and export the video. Ask them to review their work and make sure they are happy

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Drama Extension Ideas: Show the class a series of close-up pictures of people

expressing different emotions. Encourage the children to copy the expressions and talk about how they might feel. How might they talk? Encourage the children to take photos of each other with different expressions and record themselves talking about how they are feeling.

REVIEW

If possible, display the children’s completed recordings using a projector or whiteboard. Ask the children to think about what they have learned during the activity. Is there anything they would do differently? What did they enjoy?

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PART 1 DIGITAL PRESENTING

Presentation does not mean simply using a presentation tool. It is about the children creating a product that will act as a visual stimulus as they present to an audience. The product requires the presenter to explain further.

Presenting at Foundation Stage

Digital Storytelling provides scope for developing children’s language and literacy and communication skills. An introduction to presenting can give children the opportunity to express themselves creatively and to communicate confidently.

This section promotes:

• looking at and listening to a range of presentations;

• talking about pictures, stories and poems;

• reading with some independence;

• reading a range of texts, including digital texts and texts the children have written;

• sequencing stories and texts in reasonable detail using appropriate language;

• talking about the ideas represented in drawings;

• sharing writing with others; and

• using ICT to present and communicate ideas.

Links with Literacy

Digital Storytelling and Presenting activities can promote many aspects of the Northern Ireland Curriculum for Language and Literacy at Foundation Stage.

Oral language development is central to a child’s development. It involves more than increasing vocabulary. Oral language is used to communicate, to share and express feelings, to give and obtain information and to understand and develop thoughts.

Children should have opportunities, arising from classroom and other first-hand experiences, to develop their talking and listening in a range of contexts and for a variety of purposes. They should have opportunities to ask and answer questions, to talk about stories and to explain.

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Statutory requirements for Language and Literacy at Foundation Stage that may be developed by taking part in Presenting (Digital Storytelling) activities include:

Talking and Listening

• Attention and Listening Skills – following instructions; and – recalling sequence and detail.

• Language and Thinking

– talking about experiences, pictures and stories;

– recalling;

– sequencing;

– asking and answering questions;

– describing;

– explaining; and

– sharing their thoughts, feelings and ideas with different audiences.

Writing

Through modelled, shared and guided writing sessions, children should be enabled to:

• understand that writing is a means of communication and can be used for different purposes; and

• use ICT to present and communicate their ideas.

Please note: Activities from the Concepts and Theories step in this book are particularly relevant to complete during the Presenting section, if you have not already completed them. In particular, Activity 4 Does it Match? also looks at presentation.

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ACTIVITY 1

LOOKING AT PRESENTATIONS

Suggested Learning Intentions

We are learning to:

• tell a story using text and images to help us;

• understand what a presentation is; and

• categorise information.

Resources Required

• Resource 4 Toys presentation

Shared Vocabulary

slide

text (or words) images (or pictures) sounds

EXPLORE

If possible, gather the children round an interactive whiteboard and ask them if anybody knows what a presentation is. Explain that a presentation is a way to show others information about something, using a computer or tablet.

Use the Toys presentation (Resource 4). You can use the pre-made presentation in this resource (which has been made with PowerPoint) or choose your own software and just use the images available in Resource 4.

Show the children the Toys presentation. Explain that a presentation is made up of pages called slides. Tell the children that the slides can contain images, text and/or sounds.

Introduce terminology such as text or images. You may feel it is more appropriate to refer to these as words and pictures, depending on the age and ability of the children.

DO

Show the presentation again. Talk to the children about the images, sounds and text used in the presentation.

Encourage the children to look at the images used in the presentation. These are all images of toys. Show them a picture of something that is not a toy. Encourage conversation about whether it would be appropriate to use it in the toys presentation.

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Ask the children to suggest other images or slides they could include. For example, they could include pictures of toys sorted into groups such as:

̶ big and small toys;

̶ indoor and outdoor toys; or

̶ push and pull toys.

REVIEW

Ask the children to use catalogues to cut and stick pictures of toys for each of these

categories. Photograph their collections and add them to a slide in the presentation. This will help children to see how they can show their information digitally.

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ACTIVITY 2

SEQUENCING AND EDITING

In this activity, the children will think about the importance of sequencing, and being able to edit to make improvements.

Suggested Learning Intentions

We are learning to:

• identify when a story has to be told in a specific order;

• sequence images in chronological order;

and

• understand what a storyboard is.

Resources Required

• Resource 5 Top Hat Buns presentation

• Resource 6 Top Hat Buns images (printed images for each child, pair or small group)

Shared Vocabulary

presentation slides

text image sequence edit

right order storyboard

EXPLORE

Talk to the children about how some stories need to be told in the right order or they won’t make sense. Some stories can be told in any order and it won’t matter. Give the children a few examples and ask them to tell you whether the story needs to be in the correct order. For example:

• the story of Goldilocks and the three bears – needs to have a beginning, a middle and an end or it wouldn’t make sense; and

• a story about our favourite things – can be in any order.

NOTE: For this activity, you can use Resource 6, which is a sequence of photos to show how to make top hat buns. Depending on the children’s age and ability, use some or all of the slides in Resource 6. If necessary, you can simplify the stages by deleting some of the slides before you start or make your own slides to suit your own activity.

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Show the children a photograph of a top hat bun. Ask the children if they have ever made top hat buns.

Show the children Resource 5 Top Hat Buns presentation.

Spend some time introducing or recapping new words related to the presentation, such as:

• presentation

• slides

• order

• text

• image

The slides in the presentation are in the wrong order, but do not point this out to the children immediately.

After going through the presentation, ask the children if the presentation makes sense and if not, why?

Encourage the children to explain why the presentation does not make sense. Prompt language (as appropriate) such as:

• sequence or in order – do the slides tell the story in the way we need to?

• audience – are the words and pictures right for the people who will be looking at this?

• purpose – do the words and pictures give us the right information?

DO

Ask the children to discuss with a friend the sequential steps needed to make a top hat bun.

Encourage discussion and feedback.

The children may suggest the following steps:

• Put your ingredients on a plate.

• Break the chocolate into a bowl.

• Put the bowl of chocolate pieces over a saucepan of warm water to melt the chocolate.

• Set out some bun cases.

• Pour a spoonful of chocolate into each bun case.

• While the chocolate is still warm, press a marshmallow onto the chocolate in each bun case.

• Put a dot of chocolate on the top of each marshmallow and stick a sweet on top.

• Let the chocolate cool.

• Eat!

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Ask the children to work in pairs. Give each pair a copy of Resource 6 Top Hat Buns images.

There are seven images, but you may want to limit the number you give to the children, depending on their age and ability.

Ask the children to cut out the images and to stick them to a long strip of paper in the correct sequence. Introduce the term storyboard and explain that this is a plan of the slides in a presentation.

REVIEW

Ask the children to help you to put the slides in the right order on the presentation. As you do so, reinforce the term edit. Explain to the children that editing means you are making improvements.

Recap why it is important to have the sequence in the right order for some stories.

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ACTIVITY 3

MY SCHOOL – PLAN AND RESEARCH

For this task you will need to have digital cameras for the children to use (or use the camera on an iPad or tablet).

Suggested Learning Intentions

We are learning to:

• make a plan;

• work together in a group;

• think about the audience; and

• take good photographs.

Resources Required

• Digital camera or camera on a tablet

• Resource 7 Photo Planner

Shared Vocabulary

plan

storyboard audience

EXPLORE and PLAN

Tell the children that you are all going to work together to make a class presentation about the school (or alternative topic) to present to their grandparents. Recap the vocabulary the children may have learned so far such as slide, contents, images (or photos), captions and title.

Ask them to think of an interesting title.

Once they have thought of a title, explain that each slide in the presentation will show a different part of the school or the school day and what they do at that time. Ask them to discuss with a talking partner the contents of the slides in the presentation and what aspects of the school would be interesting to tell their grandparents about.

Give them time to discuss their presentation. Decide what areas to cover in the class presentation based on the children’s suggestions.

Create a list of contents for the slides, for example:

• Our classroom

• The playground

• Favourite activities

• Lunchtime

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Divide the class into small groups and allocate each group an area from the contents list.

Tell the children they are going to go for a walk and will take photographs that will showcase the area of the school that they have been given.

Before they go to take their photographs, give each group a planning page (Resource 7). Ask each group to discuss the photographs they will take for their slide and record their decisions on their planning page, using words or pictures. This will further introduce the concept of planning and storyboarding to the children.

DO

Talk to the children about how to take a good photograph.

Activity 5 Photo Treasure Hunt from the Concepts and Theories section of this book is particularly useful.

Accompany the children as they walk around the school grounds to find the area that they want to show in the presentation. Help them to take the photographs that showcase the features of the area. Put the photographs in a folder on the school network to use later.

As an extension, encourage the children to record sounds from the different areas of the school. Save these in a folder on the school network to use later.

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ACTIVITY 4

MY SCHOOL – CREATE AND EVALUATE

Before starting this activity, gather all of the photographs the children have taken for their presentation and import these into suitable presentation software. PowerPoint is fine for this activity, as you (the teacher) will do all of the creating.

Arrange the children into the groups they worked in to take the photos, such as:

• the Our Classroom team;

• the Our Playground group;

• the People who Help us group; or

• the Favourite Activities group.

EXPLORE

Show the children the presentation as it is so far.

Give each group a printout of their slide or slides. Encourage the groups to discuss whether they are happy with how their slide looks. Ask them to consider the following questions, taking feedback each time:

• Do the photographs match what the presentation is about?

• Are the photographs good quality?

• Do your photographs clearly show what you wanted them to?

• Do we need to zoom in on any part of the photo to show something important?

(Introduce the terms zoom and crop, if appropriate.)

• What would be a suitable caption or title for each slide?

DO

Make any changes to the slides, based on the children’s feedback and emphasise the language (for example, crop, zoom, title) as you do so. Save and print the slides again for the children.

Still in their groups, explain to the children that they will each need to stand up and talk about their photographs when they are delivering their presentation to their grandparents. The information they give about their photograph should tell their grandparents all about the school. Depending on the number of children in the class, you could allocate one photo to each child.

When the children have had time to plan and write what they will say about their photograph, give them time to practice and rehearse.

If you are able, invite the children’s grandparents in to the school and ask the children to deliver their presentation to them. Alternatively, record the children’s presentation and share with grandparents digitally.

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REVIEWING THE LEARNING

Foundation Stage – Exploring Digital Storytelling: Presenting

Consider the following questions or points when you evaluate the activities in this section.

Name of child or group: Date:

Can the children: Notes

• talk about their work and use vocabulary related to presenting or Digital

Storytelling?

• look at the photographs taken and choose the best photographs to use in their presentation?

• talk about why they have made their choice and check that they have covered all of the areas that they want to include?

• talk about how the finished presentation looks and whether they need to make any changes to improve it?

• understand the importance of having the slides in the correct order?

• talk clearly about the topic, using their slide to give extra information, such as a photograph?

You should also consider:

How have children worked when in pairs or groups?

What processes did they go through?

What support did they require (for

example, teacher and classroom assistant involvement)?

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PART 2 DIGITAL PUBLISHING

Publishing is about creating a product that is navigated by a user. It may or may not include multimedia or interactive content. Publishing covers anything from a simple poster or an invitation to an interactive book or web page that includes video, audio or links.

Publishing at Foundation Stage

There is scope for developing children’s language and literacy, and communication skills through Digital Storytelling. An introduction to publishing can also give children the

opportunity to begin to explore audio-visual communication, photography and the elements of design using text, images and also typeface, colour and space.

This section promotes:

• viewing and engaging with a range of printed and interactive publications;

• talking about pictures, stories and poems;

• reading with some independence;

• reading a range of texts, including digital texts and text the children have written;

• sequencing stories and texts in reasonable detail using appropriate language;

• talking about the ideas represented in illustrations;

• sharing writing with others; and

• using ICT to present and communicate ideas.

Links with Literacy

Digital Storytelling and Publishing activities can be used to promote many aspects of the Northern Ireland Curriculum for Language and Literacy at Foundation Stage.

Publishing gives children opportunities to consider the audience and purpose, as a digital publishing product is something that must be clear and self-explanatory to the reader or viewer.

Publishing gives children a chance to really consider the audience and purpose, as a digital publishing product must be clear and self-explanatory to the reader or viewer.

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ACTIVITY 1

NON-FICTION BOOK

In this activity, the children will become familiar with the features and layout of a non-fiction book. This activity will be more appropriate as part of a broader study or introduction to non-fiction texts (at a level appropriate to Foundation Stage – maybe Year 2), and also at the end of a topic in another part of the curriculum.

This activity may take more than one session to complete.

Suggested Learning Intentions

We are learning to:

• recognise and name the features of a non-fiction book;

• place text and images together in a way that makes sense; and

• consider audience and purpose and the information that we need to give.

Resources Required

• A selection of non-fiction books

• Several sheets of A4 paper (of any colour) per child, stapled to make a book

• Printed images (small) related to a topic for children to stick into their book or catalogues or magazines to cut images from

• Scissors, glue and pencils

Shared Vocabulary

front cover title

author

contents page page numbers section titles

images and captions information

back cover blurb

EXPLORE and PLAN

Using a selection of non-fiction books of your choice, talk through the features of the layout with the children, including:

• front cover

• title

• author

• contents page and so on…

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Ask why they think each feature is important.

As they are looking at the books, draw the children’s attention to how clear the text is on the page. Point out that you can see the title clearly and how the images chosen make it clear what the book is about. This use of text and images together on the page is the main learning point for Publishing.

Explain that the children are going to make their own non-fiction book. Focusing on a chosen topic, for example Toys, discuss how the layout of their book should look and where special text such as titles, captions or page numbers are usually placed on the page. Plan this together by modelling it for the children on a whiteboard or A3 pages.

For example (this is only a suggestion and should be adapted depending on the age and ability of the children):

Page number Title Contents

Front cover Toys • title (Toys, or whatever your topic is);

• author’s name (the child’s name); and

• image of toys.

Page 1 (back of

front cover) Usually left blank

Page 2 Contents page This should have a list of the different sections in the book along with the page number.

Page 3 Section 1

My Favourite Toys Image or images

Information: a word or sentence

(if appropriate to the age and ability of the pupil) page number

Page 4 Section 2

Toys from the past Image or images

Information: a word or sentence

(if appropriate to the age and ability of the pupil) page number

Page 5 Section 3

Push and Pull Toys Image or images

Information: a word or sentence (if appropriate to the age and ability of the pupil)

page number Page 6 Usually left blank (optional)

Back cover Simple blurb about the book

Image

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DO

Once you have planned the book layout with the children, give each child two sheets of A4 paper or sugar paper, stapled together to make an A5 book.

Ask the children to add their content, using images (that you have provided) and related topic words to create their non-fiction book based on the plan you have created together.

If it is more appropriate, children can create their book as a group/in pairs, with each child responsible for one section or page.

REVIEW

Allow the children some time to share their non-fiction books with each other, or with children from an older year group. Allow them time to talk through the features of their non-fiction book, enabling them to consolidate what they have learned.

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ACTIVITY 2

DRAWING STORIES

In this activity children will use their imagination to create an illustration (either drawn, painted or digital) for part of a story they have read in class. They will then type a short sentence to accompany their illustration to retell that part of the story. You could also use this activity to support a World Around Us topic.

Suggested Learning Intentions

Select the learning intentions from the list below that are suited to your class.

We are learning to:

• recall part of a story;

• understand a story has a beginning, middle and end;

• understand what an illustrator does;

• use our imagination to create an illustration;

• draw digitally (optional);

• plan and type a short sentence;

• format text;

• combine text and images;

• begin to spell words and use grammar correctly; and

Resources Required

• Short storybook (with illustrations)

• App or software such as Word, Pages, MyStory, Book Creator, Pic Collage or 2Publish

Shared Vocabulary

story retell draw picture illustration illustrator type text format resize

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EXPLORE and PLAN

Talk to the children about what an illustrator is. Show some examples of work from well-known illustrators such as Axel Scheffler, Oliver Jeffers or Eric Carle.

Explain to the children that they are going to listen to a story. As they are listening, ask them to think about what the images for the story might look like.

Encourage the children to imagine:

• Where is the story set?

• Is the scene indoors or outdoors?

• What season is it?

• Who are the characters?

• What do the characters look like?

• What objects are in the story?

When they have finished listening to the story, ask the children to take on the job of the illustrator and create their own illustrations.

Encourage the children to think about their favourite part of the story and what that

illustration might look like. Alternatively, divide the story into beginning, middle and end, then ask the children to discuss what happened in each part. Give them time to choose the part they will illustrate.

Depending on the children’s ability, provide a topic word wall with some key vocabulary for them to write a short sentence describing that part of the story. This might include where and when that part of the story is set (for example what season), who is in it and what they look like.

DO

When they have listened to the story, ask the children to discuss with a talking partner which part of the story they would like to illustrate (or discuss what the beginning, middle and end of the story were, and ask them to decide which they would like to illustrate). Ask them to discuss their idea for their illustration with their partner. Will it be a picture of the setting, the character, an object or all of these things?

Encourage the children to begin by creating their illustration – this can either be created traditionally (drawn or painted) or digitally using software or an app. If the illustration has been painted or drawn, take a photo of it and import this into the app or software.

Ask the children to type their words or sentence (with support, if needed), format the text (colour and typeface), move and resize it as desired and applicable to their age and ability.

Remind them to save their work.

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REVIEW

Give the children time to look at each other’s work. Encourage them to talk about what they like about each other’s illustrations and how they are similar and different. What is happening in the picture? What have they drawn to show the part of the story they have chosen?

If appropriate, ask them to think about where they have placed their text and the formatting they have applied to it:

• Is the text easy to read?

• Is it too big or small?

• Do they think the colour they have chosen works well? (Point out that if they have placed text over their image and it is a similar colour it might be quite hard to read).

If the children have not seen the actual illustrations from the story, show them now and encourage them to compare these to their own. You could use these prompt questions:

• Are the pictures how you imagined the characters and settings?

• What do you like about the book’s illustrations?

• What colours has the illustrator used? Are these colours similar to yours?

• Is there anything else you notice about the illustrations?

• What style are the illustrations (for example cartoon, realistic or collage)?

• How does the text go with the pictures? Is it on its own page or are there lots of images in with the text? What colour is it? Is it easy to read?

Extension Activity

Ask the children to draw the beginning, middle and end of the story and type a short sentence for each part.

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ACTIVITY 3

ME, MYSELF AND I

In this activity, children will create a short digital document or book about themselves with words and pictures. They will learn to take photographs of themselves and/or objects and choose pictures to illustrate their words and sentences, combining them in software or an app such as Word, Pages, My Story, Book Creator or 2Simple (2Publish).

You could adapt this activity for another topic.

Suggested Learning Intentions

We are learning to:

• plan and type short sentences about ourselves;

• begin to spell words and use grammar correctly;

• take photos;

• format text;

• choose pictures to illustrate words;

• draw digitally (optional);

• combine text and images; and

Resources Required

• Digital camera or mobile device

• Objects children bring from home or picture bank

• App or software such as My Story, Book Creator or 2Simple (2Publish), Word (may need teacher support), Pages (may need teacher support)

Shared Vocabulary

photo camera picture illustrate illustration write type text format

EXPLORE and PLAN

Explain that the children are going to create a document to tell other people about

themselves. As a class, discuss what types of information they might need, for example what they look like, what foods they like, their favourite toys, activities or animal.

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Explain that as well as writing about themselves, they will also take photos and/or choose pictures to illustrate their words. Show some good examples of words matching a picture such as the word apple with a picture of an apple. Then, show some bad examples, for example the word apple with a picture of an orange. Ask them to try to sound out or read the words and then discuss whether the picture is a good match.

Encourage the children to plan what they would like to tell other people about themselves.

Provide a template with two or three ideas to help them with this. Once they have completed their plan, ask them to think about what they could use to illustrate their ideas. A photo of themselves, an object or an animal?

DO

Ask the children to take photos of themselves and/or any objects they want to use for their document. Encourage them to think about how close they want the camera to be. Remind them to hold the camera steady and keep it in focus. If they are choosing pictures from a library, an app or software, give them time to search for and decide what they will use.

Then ask the children to create their digital document or book and type their text in.

Depending on the app or software you may want to suggest a new page for each topic, word or sentence. Encourage the children to experiment with using different formatting and typefaces. Remind them to check their spelling and grammar as they go.

They should then add their photos or images. Encourage them to move, reformat and resize*

their text, so that it goes well with their picture. Once they are happy with their work, remind them to save or export it.

*TIP: In some software you may need to show the children how to resize proportionally, so that the images don’t distort. For example, drag the corner, not the side, of the image to resize it proportionally.

REVIEW

Encourage the children discuss what they like about their work. Prompt them to think about whether the photos or pictures they have chosen illustrate their words well. Are they clear, in focus and easy to see?

They should also think about the formatting they have chosen for their text and where they have placed it:

• Is the text easy to read?

• Is it too big or small?

• Does the colour they have chosen work well? (Point out that if they have placed text over their image and it is a similar colour it might be quite hard to read).

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ACTIVITY 4

TALKING PICTURE BOOK

In this activity, the children will create a short e-book with pictures and audio. You can use this activity to support any area of the curriculum, for example encourage the children to explain a topic, create a series of instructions or retell a story using sound effects. They can do this activity individually or in small groups.

Suggested Learning Intentions

We are learning to:

• take photos and choose pictures;

• sequence images;

• record audio;

• create an e-book; and

• make decisions, work with others (optional) and be creative (TS&PC).

Resources Required

• Bank of photos or pictures appropriate to the topic

• App or software such as My Story or Book Creator for creating e-books

Shared Vocabulary

photo picture illustrate illustration record audio

sound effect narration e-book

EXPLORE

Explain that the children are going to create an e-book.

Ask them if they know what an e-book is. What makes it different from a normal book? If appropriate, show an example of an e-book with multimedia content and compare it to a printed book to illustrate the differences.

Explain to the children they will be creating an e-book that has pictures and accompanying audio recordings (short narrations and/or sound effects).

An e-book is a digital book that can be read on a computer or mobile device.

It can have multimedia content such as audio and video and links to pages in the book or external websites (hyperlinks).

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If the activity is based on a story being read in class, read it to the children again. Ask them to think about sound effects that could accompany different parts of the story.

If the activity is based on a series of instructions, for example a simple recipe or getting dressed for winter, give the children an out of order series of photos of the instructions.

Encourage them to talk about what is happening in each picture. Ask them to place the pictures in the correct sequence.

If the activity is based on explaining a topic, for example People Who Help Us, give the children pictures to choose from and talk about.

Demonstrate how to use the app or software to add pictures and record audio. Remind the children where the microphone is (if using a mobile device). Tell them not to cover it with their hands. Record your own voice or some of the children’s voices to demonstrate, explaining they need to be near the microphone and speak clearly and loudly – but not too loud!

(See the What is a Microphone? activity in the Foundation Stage Digital Audio resource.)

DO

Ask the children to open the app or software and add their pictures and photos, rearranging them in sequence, if necessary.

Then encourage them to add an audio recording to go with each picture. Ask them to play the recordings back and re-record them if they are not happy. Once they have finished, remind them to save or export their work as an e-book file.

REVIEW

If possible, as a class, look at all the e-books the children have made. Discuss the activity:

• Was there anything they found difficult?

• What did they enjoy?

• Could they improve anything?

DIGITAL STORYTELLING PRESENTING PUBLISHING FILM ANIMATION FOUNDATION STAGE

FOUNDATION STAGE

PRESENTING PUBLISHING FILM ANIMATION

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

CCEA would like to thank Nerve Belfast, Creative Learning Centre for

their sharing of ideas and contribution to the development of this

resource.

WHAT IS DIGITAL STORYTELLING?

Digital Storytelling describes how we can use digital tools to tell a story or present an idea. These stories can be personal, biographical, fictional or factual about a specific interest or topic.

HOW DOES THIS RESOURCE WORK?

This resource enables Foundation Stage teachers to introduce Digital

ACTIVITY 1

SYMBOLS SCAVENGER HUNT

Suggested Learning Intentions

Resources Required

Shared Vocabulary

Suggested Curricular Links

EXPLORE

DO

REVIEW

Extension Activity

ACTIVITY 2

COLOUR AND EMOTION

Suggested Learning Intentions

Resources Required

Shared Vocabulary

Suggested Curricular Links

EXPLORE

DO

REVIEW

ACTIVITY 3

CHARACTER ILLUSTRATIONS

Suggested Learning Intentions

Resources Required

Shared Vocabulary

Suggested Curricular Links

EXPLORE and PLAN

DO

REVIEW

ACTIVITY 4

DOES IT MATCH?

Suggested Learning Intentions

Resources Required

Shared Vocabulary

Suggested Curricular Links

EXPLORE

REVIEW

ACTIVITY 5

PHOTO TREASURE HUNT

Suggested Learning Intentions

Resources Required

Shared Vocabulary

Suggested Curricular Links

EXPLORE

DO

REVIEW

Optional Extension Activity (for older Foundation Stage children)

ACTIVITY 6

SOUND SEQUENCE

Suggested Learning Intentions

Resources Required

Shared Vocabulary

Suggested Curricular Links

EXPLORE and PLAN

DO

REVIEW

ACTIVITY 7

TALKING PHOTOS

Suggested Learning Intentions

Resources Required

Shared Vocabulary

Suggested Curricular Links

EXPLORE

DO

REVIEW

PART 1

DIGITAL PRESENTING

Presenting at Foundation Stage

Links with Literacy