Students will be working in assigned groups of 4 or 5 to create a circle story. This is a story that ends in the same place it began. Students will be using digital cameras to set up photographs to illustrate their story!

Most stories will be between 12-15 pages long, including the cover and "About the Author" page. After writing the story, students will complete "story boards" to help them plan what words will be on each page and what photograph will be used to illustrate the words. Students will also decide what costumes, props and scenery will be used for every photograph and exactly how each photograph will be "staged" as well as which student is responsible for each prop, costume, etc.

When the story and story boards are complete, students will begin taking pictures. The entire project should be completed AT SCHOOL. Students may set up time before and after school to work if necessary.

After taking the pictures with digital cameras, photographs will be downloaded and the book will be produced using Microsoft PowerPoint. Organization, neatness, creativity, sentence structure, spelling, punctuation and grammar are all important elements of this project.

Finally, students will animate and record their stories. When finished we will burn them to DVD's to be viewed by younger students and family!

Students will earn a language arts grade for this project using the following rubric:

 

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Circle Plot Organization	The story is very well organized. One idea or scene follows another in a logical sequence with clear transitions, returning to the beginning point.	The story tells a circular story. One idesa or scene may seem out of place, but the story does return to the beginning point. Clear transitions are used.	The story is a little hard to follow. The transitions are sometimes not clear; however, the story does begin and end in the same place.	Ideas and scenes seem to be randomly arranged. The story is not a circular story. It does not return to its beginning point.
Creativity	The story's plot focuses on a creative series of events that contribute to the reader's enjoyment. The authors have really used their imaginations.	The story's plot contains a few creative events that contribute to the reader's enjoyment. The authors have used their imaginations.	The story's plot contains a few creative events, but they distract from the story. The authors have tried to use their imaginations.	There is little evidence of creativity in the story. The authors do not seem to have used much imagination.
Sentence Structure	The sentence structure uses matching or similar words that establish a clear, consistent pattern that is maintained throughout the entire story.	The sentence structure uses matching or similar words that establish a clear pattern. That pattern is maintained through most of the story.	Some sentences use matching or similar words, but the pattern is not mainitained throughout the entire story.	Sentences do not use matching or similar words. The sentence structure distracts from the story's circular plot.
Spelling, Punctuation, Grammar	There are no spelling, punctuation or grammar errors in the final draft. Character and place names that the authors invented are spelled consistently throughout.	There are 1-2 spelling, punctuation or grammar errors in the final draft.	There are 3-5 spelling, punctuation or grammar errors in the final draft.	The final draft has more than 5 spelling, punctuation or grammar errors.
Voice Recording	The voice is clear, easy to understand and consistent in speed throughout the entire story.  The voice coordinates with the pictures and words on the page.	The voice is clear, easy to under-stand and fairly consistent in speed throughout the entire story.  The voice pretty much coordinates with the pictures and words.	The voice is not always clear, speeds up and down, and is sometimes difficult to under-stand.  The voice does not always coordinate with the pictures and words on the page.	The voice is not clear and is difficult to understand.  The voice is too slow or too fast and does not coordinate with the pictures and words on the page.

 Work hard...be creative...HAVE   FUN!