CreateYourOwnAdventure

Objectives: To develop the use of storyboarding to create a student version of “Create Your Own Adventure”. To promote collaborative decisions between students planning the various story paths and options. To explore the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Position Systems (GPS)and latitude and longitude skills, to place geocaches with the next story choices as the swag or treasure. To develop cooperative efforts between book buddies as one group develops a story and the other group of students read, discusses, and follows the story lines literally and physically. To support the district-mandated Heartwood Character Education curriculum as part of the story lines developed in the “Create Your Own Adventure” storyline. Students will see examples of the role of the traits in the success of individuals and groups throughout the story.

As the activating activity, a pre-made “Create Your Own Adventure” will be developed for the 6th grade class by the ITS and guidance staff, illustrating the use of the GPS units, literary elements and character education. As the students read and choose a literary pathway in the adventure story, they would go to the coordinates listed in the story for the next story segment that would be hidden at the site. After the students have experienced and discussed the activity first hand by visiting various geographic coordinates for the next chapter of the story, students will embark on storyboarding an interactive activity for 3rd grade students, highlighting choices and plots that relate to the Heartwood Character education and the use of geographic coordinates on the school grounds.

The materials needed include: GPS units, storyboarding templates, writing materials and Heartwood Character Education materials.

The strategies used with the students would include collaboration with the literacy coaches and classroom teachers to ensure quality control through the development of writing skills, proper use of literary devices and elements, and meaningful transitions. The timeline would involve a fall-time activating activity for the 6th grade class, winter time development of the storylines, and a springtime implementation of the book-buddy “Create Your Own Adventure” with the 3rd participating and the 6th grade students hosting and organizing the culminating or closing event.

Assessments include the finished “Create Your Own Adventure” with appropriate storyline, writing, plot and elements and the actual use of the GPS units to furnish the necessary geographic coordinates for the activity. As the 3rd grade students read and choose a literary pathway in the adventure story created by the 6th graders, they would go to the coordinates listed in the story for the next story segment that would be hidden at the site.

PA Standards: 1.3.5.B & C. Include literary elements and devices 1.4.5.A Types of Writing - Write poems, plays and multi-paragraph stories. Include detailed descriptions of people, places and things. Apply literary conflict 1.5.5.C Quality of Writing - Write with controlled and/or subtle organization. Sustain a logical order within sentences and between paragraphs using meaningful transitions. Include an identifiable introduction, body and conclusion. 7.1.6.B Basic Geographic - Describe and locate places and regions. Coordinate systems (e.g., latitude and longitude, time zones) 7.1.6.A. Describe geographic tools and their uses. Geographic representations to display spatial information 3.7.4.D. Technological Devices- Apply specific instructional software.