Upper School students in Mr. Leath's Intro. to Computer Science class are creating an interactive book for Pre-Kindergartners, and Upper Schoolers Ms. Heath's English class are going to write it. The first step in this collaborative process was a visit to the Makerspace to deconstruct musical cards and books to explore the wires and circuits within.
Upper School English students in Ms. Heath's class practiced storytelling storyboarding as part of the interdisciplinary Interactive Book Project, where they will be the authors of a children's book that Computer Science students Mr. Leath's class are bringing to life in the Makerspace using light and sound effects. The project will culminate with a special reading for Pre-K students—the perfect book critics. First, the English students learned about the basics of storytelling by reading short stories and analyzing children's literature.They covered narrative elements including setting, character development, plot structure, tension, climax, and resolution or denouement. They also discussed themes and the need for deeper meaning—a lesson, moral, or important truth—that will leave an imprint on the reader. With their story drafts in hand, the next step was for the students to examine the role that illustration, color, text, and layout play in sparking the imagination of young readers.