1. Podcast for All of the Above by Shelly Pearsall
A group podcast with connections to characters.

2. Synopsis of Book Setting: inner-city Cleveland, middle school setting
Characters: each chapter told from students’, teacher’s and parent’s point of view
Plot: students are challenged by their teacher to break a world record by creating the world’s largest tetrahedron.

3. Student Work
Students connect with the literature by creating a new character in the book and telling their side of the story connecting themselves to the plotline.
Students then create conversations with the characters in the book through journaling in their notebooks.
Upon completion of all the assignments, students complete a self-evaluation before turning in all reflections/journals.

4. The Podcast
Students are directed in an investigation on Audacity to explore the basics of creating a “voice file” to create a podcast.
Allowing them to play for a while helps!

5. The Podcast
Students are then grouped by surveys and written interviews to try-out for a character of a radio interview as a podcast.
Hosts/hostesses are chosen to create questions and conduct interviews for characters from the book.
Students are then chosen to become that character and answer questions from the host/hostess.

6. The Podcast
After rehearsing scripted radio interview, students create podcast using Audacity
Students finalize product by editing any bloopers and possibly modifying voices.
Students save for publication.

7. The Podcast
After the instructor uploads the podcast to a place where the students can listen, students can listen to other groups’ podcasts.
Students then assess other groups podcast as a whole using rubric.

8. CCS 7th Grade ELA Strand Reading: Literature
Topic Key Ideas and Details
3. Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).

9. CCS 7th Grade ELA Strand Reading: Literature Topic Craft and Structure
5. Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning.
6. Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.

10. CCS 7th Grade ELA Strand Speaking and Listening
Topic Comprehension and Collaboration
1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on- one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
c. Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed.