creativiteach

I love the stream of imagination that comes out of Google. Recently I came across yet another great classroom resource: Google Story Builder.

The original Google Story Builder allowed users to create a story as a series of Google searches. This version allows us to create a video conversation among characters as if they were collaborating on a Google Docs document. Take a look.

It really is quick and easy. I tried creating a dialog between two of our cats. First your create character names, then decide what the first character would say. You add each new line by editing the previous comment. Once the dialog is created, you can preview the video, then click to add music. Here’s what I created in about three minutes.

http://goo.gl/tD4Ey6

Google Story Builder can be a resource for any student old enough to keyboard. Think about how you could use it.

Create original dialog to present the points of view of characters in a story.

Create dialog between historical figures.

Create a math problem to present a particular skill.

Create a math story to explain a graph, chart, or equation.

Create dialog to illustrate scientific principles. Imagine 3^rd graders describing the water cycle from the perspective of a droplet, or high school students writing about chemical bonding from the inside.

Create a debate between representatives of varying schools of thought: artists, psychologists, architects, you name it.

Story Builder can be used to engage students in writing activities. It’s also a fine tool for teachers to create warm-ups or lesson summaries. I’d love to hear other ways you use Google Story Builder. I know we’ve just begun!