Digidemic: Digital Academic Assignments for the Web 2.0 Classroom
Title of Strategy/Assignment:
Create a Facebook page for a character in a novel or short story.
Category:
Social Networking
Accessibility:
Template
Tools Needed:
Computer- Printer-Color Printer – Interactive Whiteboard - Publisher 2007 (or other editing program)
Description or Steps:
Students can create a Facebook page for a character in a novel or short story. Students canl use a downloadable template that can be edited in Microsoft Publisher, or another processing program if you so choose. Students can show how much they know about a character by filling out all sections of the Facebook page. Students are usually already familiar with Facebook since they use it on a daily basis, so most students take this activity and run with it! It is a great way to connect their world to the classroom!
Example:See attached.
Extension:
For Social Studies/History:Students can create a Facebook page for an important person in history.For Science:Students can create a Facebook page for a famous scientist.For Math:Students can create a Facebook page for a famous mathematician.For Art: Students can create a Facebook page for a famous artist.
Resources:
The web is filled with many sites about how Facebook and other social networking sites can enhance learning in your classroom.
How to create your own Facebook template:
More about Facebook in the classroom:
This website contains information about actually using Facebook in your classroom:
Digidemic: Digital Academic Assignments for the Web 2.0 Classroom
Title of Strategy/Assignment:
Toondoo – See how creative your students can be with this online comic strip/graphic novel creator!
Category:
Online Template
Accessibility:
Website – Template - Free
Tools Needed:
Computer – Printer - Color Printer - Pen/Paper
Description or Steps:
- Click the Tools tab; double click on ToonDoo Maker. Select a layout for your comic strip. There is a toolbar at the bottom of the creator page. If you can’t see it, click F11 before dragging anything onto your comic strip.
- Browse the tabs at the top of your work area. There is one for characters, backgrounds, props, texts, brushmen, special, and clipart. Each tab has many choices within it. To select an object (background, character, etc.) just drag and drop.
- The toolbar at the bottom has icons to shrink or enlarge an object, clone it (this only works in the panel you are working in), flip, rotate, and layer to front or back. There is also an icon to delete the selected object.
- There are also tools that become active to change a character’s expression, posture, and/or color to the right of the toolbar. Select a character to activate them.
- To the right of the tool bar is an icon for DoodlR, which lets you download an image from the Internet or upload from your computer.
- To save, click on the ToonDoo Start Here icon, then Save As. Name your cartoon and select whether you want to share it or keep it private. Once you click Publish you will get an option to print the cartoon.
- To create a graphic novel, go back to the ToonDoo homepage. Select Tools and then Book Maker. Your saved comic(s) will be at the bottom of the page, just drag the first one onto the book. To add a second one, drag over the top of the first on and you will get an option to add before or after this page. Continue until graphic novel is complete; publish. It does not appear that you can print the book, but since you can print the comic strips as they’ve created, this shouldn’t be a problem.
Example:
Processing...
Thanks for cheering this one up! Time to feel good!
we have added this ToonDoo to your favourites!
Thanks! The editors at ToonDoo have been alerted about this!
Extension:
- This could be another alternative to a formal assessment for a short story/novel. Students could use this to create a summary of the story/novel.
- In Science classes, TooDoo could be used to help students illustrate the steps of the scientific method
- Social Studies students could create comics for a particular time period, or even create their own political cartoons.
Resources:
Upload photos from flash drives or server if you would like to use them in the comic or book.
* Be sure to spend time on the website to be familiar with the functions on toondoo.com