1. Let the iPad Tell a Science (Digital) Story
Roger Pence, Benicia Unified School District
Touro University California Graduate School of Education
NSTA Area Conference 2013, Portland, OR
Resources and Presentation materials:

2. Some things we’ll cover
Digital Storytelling in Science?!
What makes this a learning (as opposed to playing) activity?
Where’s the rigor?!
How are students engaged and motivated?
What Common Core and NGSS standards does DS meet?
What ISTE NETS-S are covered in DS?
What is a common classroom workflow/timeframe?
What are alternative apps to iMovie?
Let’s see some student samples and a sample creation “live” DS right before our eyes!!

3. What’s so special about DS on an iPad?!
Simple , touch interface
Like using a giant iPhone
All components of DS are self-contained
Device is very portable (helps immensely when recording a script)
It may well be they way people collaborate in the future

4. What makes this a learning (as opposed to playing) activity?
Content research can be as challenging as the instructor wants to make it.
Requires concise writing and revision to work as a script
Many different skills can be practiced and woven together to make a whole
Authentic collaboration to achieve a goal.
Learn/demonstrate visual literacy
Learn to speak in a presentation voice
Provides an opportunity for peer review and critique
Digital Storytelling Across the Curriculum – Bernajean Porter

5. Where’s the rigor?! Research prompts can define content requirements
Students can be challenged to push further than classroom content
Setting a “visual literacy bar” can be worth its weight in gold
Grammar, clarity, and spoken word skills can be required and assessed.

6. How are students engaged and motivated?
Construct their own understanding of the content
Ownership of final product
Know they’ll share it
Allows social time
Get to pick how they portray the required content

7. What Common Core standards does DS meet?
Common Core State Standards at a glance

8. What ISTE NETS-S are covered in DS?
Creativity and Innovation
Communication and Collaboration
Research and Information Fluency
Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making
Digital Citizenship
Technology Operations and Concepts

9. Why in Science?!
Science is visual, is itself a story, and has many stories of people involved in thinking.
cross-curricular connections and meaningful context
Pictures can convey abstract meaning that words alone may miss
Gives kids an engaging, challenging and fun way to learn science and do research.
Cultivates visual literacy (what makes a particular picture especially effective at telling the story?)

10. Next Generation Science Standards Connections
Cross-curricular connections between science, math, history, art, language arts
Authentic pathway to STEAM (where A is for Arts)
Allows for students to create visual and auditory explanations of science principles
Cultivates respect for the practices of scientists as discoverers and seekers of the truth
They can practice science communication

11. Science Story Ideas Newton’s Laws of Motion and me
Solids, Liquids and Gases in my life
The science behind technology
Predator/prey relationships from their point of view
Survival in a biome
A scientist I know
Women in science
African-Americans, Asians, and Latinos in science
Envision a future space mission
Research past space missions

12. More Science Ideas… Ocean exploration Ocean fisheries preservation
Opinion pieces about environmental issues:
damming a river
building a new shopping center that disrupts habitat
increasing production at an agricultural site
widening a major road
selling animal parts like seahorses
Science principles at work in your house, kitchen or yard
Science-related legislation
Biome studies
Stories about geologic processes
Stories about water, water resources, water wars in the west, etc.
Exploration of new lands
What happens to all our old tech stuff? (recycling, hazards, etc.)

13. Resources and Sample Ideas for Stories
Session Handouts and Tutorials for using Photostory 3, Windows Movie Maker, iMovie, and iMovie on iPad on

14. Copyright Concerns
Students need to be aware that they may be using copyrighted material.
Fair Use in Education
Portions of (often 10% of length) of songs
Portions of movie clips
Usually 5 or less images from one artist/photographer
Cyberbee:
Students can learn to respect others’ original work!

15. What is a common classroom workflow/timeframe?
DAY ONE: Assign topic, do basic research notes, fact synthesis
DAY TWO: Write, revise, proofread script, start storyboard
DAY THREE: Finish storyboard, begin compiling images on Camera Roll, practice voice narration
DAY FOUR: Add images sufficient for length of voiceover, record voiceover, adjust images to fit voiceover
DAY FIVE: Final polishing, adjust sound, add background music/sounds, add titles and transitions
DAY SIX: Share and critique

16. Digital Story Processes

17. Student Samples Student Samples on Vimeo Minerals in Solar Panels
Cell Phone Minerals
Mystery Scientist
Computer Minerals (pitfalls of audio)
Surfing and Newton’s Laws
Minimata Bay Disaster

18. Classroom Handouts and Worksheets
Digital Storytelling Checklist
Sample Storyboard
Adopt-River DS research prompt
The History of Mars Exploration
Mineral to Market Note Page
Scoring Rubric

19. Let’s explore the iMovie workspace and make a quick sample
Gather some images and save to Camera Roll
Write Script (time for later), storyboard Open iMovie on iPad
Choose New Project
Import images into iMovie (adjust length for script)
Record script
Add effects and background sound
Export to Camera Roll for sharing

20. Resources iPad iMovie Tutorial (Youtube)

21. Thanks for your time and attention.