Story Elements and Themes
Book Trailers: Digital Storytelling Project
Overview
In this extended digital storytelling project, students will create a book trailer video for a favourite book. This can be used with grades 4 through 9 and may be spread out over 8 to 16 class sessions.
This project leverages students’ familiarity with movie trailers and motivation for videos to encompass multiple curricular goals. The emphasis is on an iterative and extended process to create an authentic, public product students can be proud of.
This instructional plan is intended for use with Chromebooks and Google Classroom, but could be easily adapted for use with any number of other video creation or digital storytelling tools.
Overview
This project is designed to be integrated into English Language Arts units encompassing several weeks. Each step in the project may take one or several class sessions, depending on students’ familiarity with the technology and the level of individual support necessary.
Image credit: "Movie Theater" by roeyahram is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Step 1: Know What You Want
This step will introduce the book trailer project by scaffolding on students’ familiarity with movie trailers, providing some examples of what their finished products should look like, and co-creating an evaluation checklist or rubric.
This lesson may be completed in one or a few class sessions (optional activities provided).
Preparation and follow up (for teachers):
- Optional: Read “How to create the perfect trailer: 10 pro tips” by Creative Bloq
- Search for trailers to show in class
- Review existing evaluation rubrics/checklists and decide which criteria you will require on the rubric/checklist your class will develop together (i.e., what will you introduce if students don’t suggest it on their own). For example:
- http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson-docs/30914TrailerChecklist.pdf (intended as a peer review activity)
- http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson-docs/30914Rubric.pdf (intended as summative assessment)
Part A: Discuss movie trailers
- Show a movie teaser/trailer (or a few) of your choice or solicited from students.
- Lead a discussion to analyze this trailer and develop ideas about movie trailers in general--move from questions about what students liked/didn’t to questions about what purpose trailers serve and what elements they should include.
- Keep/display notes on this discussion to return to when developing the rubric.
Part B: Introduce book trailers
- Connect movie trailers to book trailers. Show a few book trailers from major publishers (ideally tailored to students’ interests) and lead a discussion analyzing them. This could also be done in small groups. For example:
- It’s a Book by Lane Smith: https://youtu.be/x4BK_2VULCU
- Wishes and Wellingtons by Julie Berry: https://youtu.be/MZRb8WZP0lU
- Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate: https://youtu.be/23bB4QtK68Q
- The Youngest Marcher by Cynthia Livinson; https://youtu.be/abNjmOAcAew
- Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai: https://youtu.be/X9A6ZrKYPvk
- Front Desk by Kelly Yang: https://youtu.be/--sDoefzSrY
- Tell students they will be creating their own book trailers. Show a few book trailers created by students. For example:
- Rules by Cynthia Lord: https://www.teachertube.com/videos/121334
- How to Survive Middle School by Donna Gephart: https://www.schooltube.com/media/t/1_m5llraq0
- Hatchet by Gary Paulsen https://youtu.be/DGFhKttEixI
Part C: Develop rubric
- Return to the notes from the discussion/analysis of movie trailers. Use this discussion to collaboratively develop a checklist or rubric for evaluating students’ own book trailers. For example, trailers should:
- tell a story primarily with dialogue/narrative and visuals (often with the familiar three-act structure)
- target a specific audience
- introduce main character(s)
- use music to set the tone
- give just enough details to generate interest
- Remember that while the goal is to encourage students to take ownership over their learning, you should have input for the rubric as well. You may want to incorporate considerations such as in-class time on task into students’ final project grade.
- Provide students with an approximate timeline for the project and let them know about any arrangements for sharing/presenting their trailers within the classroom or with the broader school/community (e.g., posted on a school website).
Follow-up:
- Edit/format the rubric/checklist, then post it on the class site. You may want to compare the co-created rubric with an existing one (for example, ) and adapt/tweak as necessary
- Optional: Record yourself (either video or audio) summarizing the rubric/checklist and how the class developed it. This could be used to update parents and/or to include/update absent students. You may also wish to include links to the movie/book trailers discussed in class.
Optional Extension Activities: Apply the rubric
- These activities are intended to generate more familiarity with and ownership over the collaboratively developed rubric. They could be completed as homework, in class, or as part of a blended/online strategy.
- Assign one of the options below and have students evaluate it using the checklist/rubric, then make a presentation to the class about it. This could be for either:
- a trailer from a favourite movie
or
- a favourite student-created book trailer from Bethel Park School District’s Library Commons.
- Students could also hold a debate or a vote (e.g., using Google Forms) to determine a class favourite.
Online and Blended options:
- This introductory lesson could be adapted for online or blended delivery. One way to do so is with a form/quiz that walks through the introduction (with links or embedded videos) and has students write (or record audio) responses to prompts. A blended approach could have students watch example trailers and work through a slide- or video-based presentation introducing the online/on their own, then develop the rubric/checklist in class.
Step 2: Read with Purpose
This step will help students select a book for their trailer and begin to think about their book trailer project in a low-stakes context. The deliverable for this lesson is a checklist for students to complete prior to the next step of the project.
Students will need to be really familiar with their book in order to be able to focus on the most interesting/dramatic elements for their trailers. The purpose of this part of the lesson is to generate interest in and ownership over the preparation process.
Options are provided for whether students are to select a favourite book or if they are to read a new book for this project.
Preparation:
- This project assumes that students will select works of fiction, but it can be adapted to non-fiction books if these are more aligned with students’ interests. In this case, you may wish to have them consider the elements of documentary film trailers and ways to generate interest from audiences not already familiar with the topic.
- Determine whether to allow either a favourite book they’ve already read or a book they have yet to read.
- Plan which resource to use for modelling the elements of a story
- Ensure all students have selected a book for their project.
Part A: Select a Book
- Students will select a book to make their book trailers on. You may wish to allow either a favourite book they’ve already read or a book they have yet to read. Encourage a broad range of possible books, including comic, non-fiction, or picture books. Students should have access to the books they select throughout the time they will be working on their trailers.
- To help students select a favourite book, you could have students write a list of three to five books they have read (e.g., most recent, top favourites, etc.), then cross out some based on interest, access, etc.
- For new books, you may wish to have students bring books from home or visit the school library.
- Pair students up as they select their books and have them interview each other about their selections. (Ideally this activity will serve as motivation for indecisive or unenthusiastic students, who may miss this if they take too long.) You may wish to provide worksheets or online forms with appropriate interview questions. Some prompts you may wish to use include:
- What is the book’s title?
- Who wrote the book?
- Why did you choose this book?
- (For favourite books) What was your favourite thing about this book?
- (For new books) What do you think this book will be about?
- Do you think I would like this book too?
- You may wish to have one or a few students talk about their book to the rest of the class and answer questions from other students.
Part B: Story Elements
- Lead a brainstorm on story elements by asking “When we are telling others about movies we’ve seen or books we’ve read, what kinds of details do we usually include?” (Alternatively, ask a talkative student to start talking about a favourite movie/book and identify these elements as they talk.)
- Teach a mini lesson on the elements of a story. You may have other resources, but here are a few ideas:
- Story Elements Song, Swick’s Classroom, https://youtu.be/m3WHmmYTHeE (This is aimed at younger learners, but is a catchy way to start the lesson!)
- The elements of a story, Khan Academy, https://youtu.be/Zr1xLtSMMLo
- Model working through the elements of a short story, book, or movie the class is already familiar with. Use the Story Elements and Themes worksheet as a template, stopping at theme.
- When you’ve answered “how does the story end,” stop to lead a discussion about the story’s theme. For example, you could ask, “Ok, we know the who, where, when, and what happened, but what is the story really about? What can we learn from it? What is the author trying to tell us with this story?”
- Teach a mini lesson on story themes.You may have other resources, but this video is aligned with the worksheet:
- Understanding theme, Khan Academy https://youtu.be/MAu3e5GZo4k
- For more on theme (optional):
- The HIDDEN message in Wall-E - Video Essay, Bryan Seeker, https://youtu.be/Jo5FKCQXDW0
- Developing theme, Khan Academy, https://youtu.be/D2FFijvA00I
- Return to the worksheet to discuss the questions related to the theme of your model story.
Homework: Read with Purpose
- Assign the Story Elements and Themes worksheet and explain that students are expected to use this to help focus their reading/reviewing.
- You may want to provide further context for students on why this is an important step. While they won’t reveal all these details in their book trailers, completing this worksheet will help them prepare for their book trailer project in a few ways: by aiding their understanding of the book as a whole, and by noting key details to use later (without having to constantly flip around in the book). In short, it will make their job of putting together the trailer much easier.
- For new books, set a deadline for students to finish reading and establish a plan for keeping students accountable. How long depends on how this project fits in the school year--this could be homework over a holiday break or integrated into other reading goals.
Step 3: Start with an Outline
In this step, students will start drafting their book trailers.
Students should complete their Story Elements and Themes worksheets prior to this lesson. You may wish to delay this lesson until all students have completed this worksheet.
Preparation:
- Integrate this step with instruction on the writing process, with an emphasis on preparation/planning and drafting.
Part A: Review the Story Elements and Themes worksheet
- Lead a discussion about the worksheet. Did students find it challenging to pinpoint the climax of the story? Did thinking about themes reveal anything new about the story or what the author was trying to say?
- Invite one or a few students to share their reflections on the themes of their books.
- Explain that the elements and themes of their stories will be the kinds of things they will want to highlight in their trailers.
Part B: Planning
- Review the collaboratively developed book trailer rubric/checklist to remind students of what they should be aiming for with their projects.
- Discuss the importance of planning (or prewriting) in the writing process. Highlight the difficulty of producing anything you can be proud of without preparation.
- Provide the Book Trailer Outline and discuss each element.
- Model working through the outline with a short story, book, or movie the class is already familiar with (e.g., the one used to model the Story Elements and Themes worksheet).
- While the focus is on writing at this stage, encourage students to also think about the kinds of visual and audio elements they might want to use (e.g., with doodles or notes about music/sound).
- Have students work through the Book Trailer Outline on their own.
- As students complete their outlines, pair them up to present their outlines to a partner. Encourage them to ask each other questions to clarify elements of their outlines. You may also wish to have one or a few students share their plans with the class so you can model constructive feedback.
Homework:
- Ensure all students complete the Book Trailer Outline worksheet and are prepared to move onto the next step of the project.
Step 4: Draft and Storyboard
Students will start working in Google Slides to turn their outline into a draft script and storyboard, jotting down general ideas for visual elements on the slides and developing their scripts in the speaker notes.
Ideally, students will submit their Book Trailer Outline worksheets prior to this lesson. You may wish to delay this lesson until all students have completed this worksheet.
Preparation:
- Get familiar with Google Slides to help students troubleshoot. Shorter videos intended for students are offered within the lesson, but here is a longer one to help prepare in advance:
- Complete Beginner’s Guide to Google Slides [2020]: https://youtu.be/OhshNXJtpkE
Part A: Introduction to Storyboards
- Lead a brief discussion about scripts and storyboards as essential components of visual storytelling (including movies, movie trailers, book trailers, and all kinds of videos). Emphasize the iterative process: good videos aren’t magic, they’re a result of hard work, especially planning, revising, and tweaking.
- Introduce a simplified version of storyboarding, which for the purposes of this lesson is jotting down in a very simplified way ideas for how the visual elements will unfold. The following video could be used to help introduce this concept:
- Storyboard Short Film, Joel Mayers: https://youtu.be/yRIUvSwtbDI
- Explain that students will also be developing their scripts at the same time as the storyboard--they’ll need to think about how the narration and images will work together.
Part B: Orientation to Google Slides
- What level of instruction is required will depend on how familiar students are with Google tools in general and Slides in particular. This step assumes students are somewhat familiar with working in Google tools but haven’t worked much in Google Slides.
- Provide some general orientation to the main features of Google Slides. The following videos may be useful:
- Google Slides Tips for Kids by Kids https://youtu.be/C6Z5E980l30
- Intro to Google Slides for Kids: https://youtu.be/Ioog1IyDuRE
- Google Slides for Kids: https://youtu.be/lfpneIqnXTE
- If students aren’t already familiar with Google tools, there are additional videos from this channel for some more basic skills in this playlist (includes some general online skills/rules for kids): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGSmqAFzqiEkbWdHMRf7uMbKCjfW9kHc9
- Walk students through the following steps:
- Create a new project, give it a name, and start adding slides.
- Demonstrate techniques for adding some very rough ideas for visuals
- Write notes in a textbox
- Use the scribble drawing tool to sketch ideas (from toolbar or Insert > Line > Scribble)
or
- Open speaker notes to draft a script for narration (View > Show speaker notes)
Part C: Work and Share
- Have students work on their storyboards and scripts. This may take more than one class session or be partially assigned as homework.
- Keep the following in mind as students work:
- The emphasis should be more on the script than the visuals at this point. Reassure students that they’ll have a chance to make it look great once they have a solid script.
- Encourage students to practice reading their scripts out loud and to continue revising until they are happy with how it sounds.
- This project assumes students will record narration, but this isn’t strictly necessary. Students may opt for using text only--in this case they should pay extra attention to correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation, as well as appropriate pacing.
- Keep the following in mind as students work:
- As students complete their scripts and storyboards, pair them up to present their work to a partner. Encourage them to ask each other questions to clarify elements of their scripts. You may also wish to have one or a few students share their work with the class so you can model constructive feedback.
Step 5: Add Images
Students will look for or create images to develop the visual elements of their book trailers.
This step assumes students’ final book trailers will be posted online, which means extra care should be taken to ensure they are not infringing copyright. It may not be necessary to go into such detail about copyright and Creative Commons if the students’ work won’t be shared publicly. Nonetheless, this step of the project provides an opportunity to develop increasingly essential skills for navigating intellectual property online.
Preparation:
- If you’re not already familiar with copyright and Creative Commons, read the following:
- The Ultimate Guide to Copyright, Fair Use, and Creative Commons for Educators, by Kathleen Morris, Sue Waters, and Ronnie Burt: https://www.theedublogger.com/copyright-fair-use-and-creative-commons/
- The most relevant portion for this step of the project is Finding Creative Commons Images: https://www.theedublogger.com/copyright-fair-use-and-creative-commons/#Finding-Creative-Commons-Images
- The Ultimate Guide to Copyright, Fair Use, and Creative Commons for Educators, by Kathleen Morris, Sue Waters, and Ronnie Burt: https://www.theedublogger.com/copyright-fair-use-and-creative-commons/
Part A: Creating Your Own Images
- Some students may be motivated to create their own drawings, animations, or designs for their trailers. You may wish to demonstrate a few of the following techniques:
- Freehand using Scribble tool (with more precision than the initial sketches).
- How to add freehand drawings to Google Slides: https://youtu.be/E4R3kPpTgys
- Freehand using Scribble tool (with more precision than the initial sketches).
- Create a Google Drawing then insert this into a slide:
- How to insert a Google Drawing into Google Slides: https://youtu.be/HbsvFyzj6cs
- For students who like the idea of drawing but aren’t great artists, AutoDraw is a neat tool that uses AI to offer relevant drawings based on a rough sketch. Images developed in AutoDraw are downloaded as a .png file, which can then be inserted into a slide (Insert > Image > Upload from computer).
- AutoDraw: https://www.autodraw.com/ (no sign-in required)
- Many elements (e.g., textbox, drawing, shape, etc.) can be animated (e.g., fade in/out, spin. etc.). Right click on the element, then select Animate.
- Google Slides: Adding Animation: https://youtu.be/H2zAx21LxOY
- It is possible to create flip book style animations using Google Slides. This requires patient work but some students may find it motivating. The following videos may be useful if you wish to introduce this as an option:
- For a glimpse of what is possible at the upper end of animation with Slides, see Google Demo Slam: Epic Docs Animation: https://youtu.be/bt9F7tKcZcU
- For a look at a much more achievable project might look like, see Simple snowman animation example: https://youtu.be/p4VyhyCHIAQ
- For step by step instructions, see Get Animating!! FUN With Google Slides: https://youtu.be/zlLl5QXzNvg
Part B: Finding Images
- Teach a short lesson on copyright and Creative Commons, emphasizing the need to check whether an image can be used and the importance of giving credit. The following videos may be helpful:
- Creative Commons for Kids: https://youtu.be/GHmQ8euNwv8
- Copyright & Creativity has several videos available for different grade levels: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMObn372kN0Z3ANk9A7CtuQ
- Have students add a credits slide to the end of their project. As they search for images, they should be adding notes about and links to the images they use.
- Although there is a simple way to add images directly into a slide (Insert > Image > Search the web), discourage using this as it is difficult to track down image sources to ensure they are licensed appropriately. Instead, demonstrate searching for images that are either in the public domain or with a Creative Commons license using one or more of the following sites (or similar, as appropriate):
- Google image search using Creative Commons license filter
- Creative Commons
- Wikimedia Commons
- Pics4Learning
Part C: Work and Share
- Have students work on either creating or finding images (or both). This will likely take more than one class session or be partially assigned as homework.
- Keep the following in mind as students work:
- Establish clear guidelines for searching for images to ensure students stay on task.
- Students who love to draw on paper could take pictures of their work or have them scanned.
- You may wish to review students’ work before moving onto the next step of the project to ensure images are appropriate and properly credited.
- Keep the following in mind as students work:
- As students make progress with their visuals, pair them up to present their work to a partner. Encourage them to ask each other questions and provide constructive feedback.
Step 6: Add Music
Students will find appropriate music and add it to their projects.
Preparation:
- Students should have headphones for this part of the project.
- Familiarize yourself with both searching for appropriate music/sound effects and adding audio to Google Slides.
- Tricia Goss, How to Add Music to Google Slides: https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-add-music-to-google-slides-4584603
Part A: Find Audio
- Lead a brief discussion about the role of music and sound effects in creating the mood for their trailers. You may wish to watch a movie trailer with no sound to consider the impact the music has on the viewer.
- Have students review the notes about mood they made on the Book Trailer Outline, consider whether their plans have changed, and refine their plan for what kind of music (and potentially sound effects) they will be looking for.
- Revisit the copyright and Creative Commons content from the previous step, as a refresher and a reminder that they must only use music that allows for use without permission.
- Demonstrate searching for music or sound effects that are either in the public domain or with a Creative Commons (or similar) license using one or more of the following sites (or similar, as appropriate):
- Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/search Most songs are licensed with Creative Commons (the license for specific tracks will appear when the track is downloaded).
- SoundBible.com: http://soundbible.com/ This is a great source of sound effects, all either in the public domain or licensed as CC-BY.
- Bensound: https://www.bensound.com/ While some songs are only for purchase, the free downloads are available for use with attribution (similar to CC-BY but restricted to video projects).
- Demonstrate how to add attribution information to the credits slide at the end of their presentation.
Part B: Add Music to Presentation
- Demonstrate how to add audio files to Google Slides. These steps assume they will be using one music track for the full video but can be adapted for adding sound effects or additional tracks.
- Upload the file (preferably .mp3) to their Google Drive.
- In Google Slides, on the first slide of the presentation, go to Insert> Add Audio, then select the file.
- Right click on the audio icon, then select Format options.
- Under Audio playback, adjust the settings. To have background music for the full video: select Start playing > Automatically, lower the volume to about half, select Hide icon while presenting, and deselect Stop on slide change
Step 7: Finishing Touches
Students will finalize their presentation and record it as a video.
Preparation:
- Determine which screen recording program to use and familiarize yourself with it.
- Assuming students are working on Chromebooks, the following Chrome extensions are an option:
- Screencastify - Screen Video Recorder: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/screencastify-screen-vide/mmeijimgabbpbgpdklnllpncmdofkcpn?hl=en
- Recommended, as the free version includes some editing tools and can export to Google Drive or as an mp4. Downside is it requires signing in with Google account.
- Help and resources: https://learn.screencastify.com/hc/en-us/categories/360003891314-Record
- Nimbus Screenshot & Screen Video Recorder: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/nimbus-screenshot-screen/bpconcjcammlapcogcnnelfmaeghhagj/related?hl=en
- Doesn’t require sign in but no editing available with free version. The file that is downloaded will need to be converted to mp4--this can be done using a free online video converter (e.g., https://convert-video-online.com/)
- Screencastify - Screen Video Recorder: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/screencastify-screen-vide/mmeijimgabbpbgpdklnllpncmdofkcpn?hl=en
- Windows and Macs have built-in screen recorders.
- Assuming students are working on Chromebooks, the following Chrome extensions are an option:
Part A: Finalize Script and Practice
- Have students practice their narration while presenting their project. Speakers notes are available when in Presenter mode, but you may wish to have them write out or print their script in hardcopy.
- Provide time to complete any remaining tweaks to their presentations (e.g., timing, images, animations, etc.).
Part B: Record Video
- Walk students through how to add the
- Demonstrate how to use the screen recorder to record their presentations as videos.
- Record from the browser tab while presenting the slide (or from the published link); make sure it is set to record the tab audio.
- Have students submit their final work.
Less-Great Option: Add Narration to Slides
- If it isn’t possible to have students download Chrome extensions, it is possible to record the narration separately and add it in the same way the music is added. The end product isn’t quite a video, but it’s close.
- Use a free online voice recorder to record the narration (e.g., https://online-voice-recorder.com/).
- Upload the file to Google Drive.
- In Google Slides, Insert > Audio, and set to play automatically.
- Test the presentation to determine the best possible timing for slides (it needs to be uniform).
- File > Publish to the web -- set the timing for the slides.
- Use the link to preview and share. Refresh the link to view any changes made after publishing.
Step 8: Show Off and Reflect
Students will share their book trailers with the class and, potentially, prepare to share them more broadly.
If you have made any arrangements to share students’ work outside of class (e.g., on a school website, in a school-wide presentation, etc.), adapt this step to incorporate these plans.
Screening Party
- Celebrate students’ achievements with a screening party in class. Encourage students to cheer/clap for each video. You may wish to have students present their work and answer questions from others (like a filmmakers’ Q&A).
- After screening all student projects, have students self-evaluate their own projects with the collaboratively developed rubric/checklist from Step 1. You may wish to include some additional questions about their favourite/least favourite part of the project, which of their classmates’ trailers was their favourites/made them want to read the book, and what kinds of books they plan to read next.