Lets Make a Story

Zachary C. King
Kindergarten / Language Arts Activity

Common Core Standards:

1. Read own first and last name. (ORC Resources)
2. Identify and complete rhyming words and patterns. (ORC Resources)
3. Distinguish the number of syllables in words by using rhythmic clapping, snapping or counting. (ORC
Resources)
4. Distinguish and name all upper- and lower-case letters. (ORC Resources)
5. Recognize, say and write the common sounds of letters. (ORC Resources)
6. Distinguish letters from words by recognizing that words are separated by spaces. (ORC Resources)
7. Hear and say the separate phonemes in words, such as identifying the initial consonant sound in a word,
and blend phonemes to say words. (ORC Resources)
8. Read one-syllable and often-heard words by sight. (ORC Resources)
9. Reread stories independently or as a group, modeling patterns of changes in timing, voice and expression.
(ORC Resources)

Lesson Summary:
The activity Lets Make a Story will require each student to use pictures from the web application
Storybird and put together a story of their own based on the pictures. This will require the students to use
their imagination and put together a logical sequence of events based on the pictures.
Estimated Duration:
This lesson will be broken up into two hour-long sessions spanning over two days.
Commentary:
I believe the biggest challenge will be spelling and grammar but this is expected. The idea of being able to
make up their own unique story should keep them excited about the activity.

Instructional Procedures:

Day 1:
The first 20 minutes will consist of showing the students an example story using the same web application.
This will help the students get an idea of just what exactly they will be doing.
The next 40 minutes will be each student individually picking out three pictures from the Storybird
application. These will be the pictures that they use when they begin making their stories on day two.

Day 2:
The first 30 minutes of day two will be the students creating their short stories using the pictures that they
chose. I will be going around helping the children that are struggling. When it comes to spelling I would like
them to simply try their best (spelling errors are expected due to their age).
The Final 30 minutes of the activity will be the children telling their story to the rest of the class. This will
challenge them to read their own work and decide whether or not the story the wrote makes sense to them.

Pre-Assessment:
The pre-assessment I will use is simply have them make up their own short story with no guidelines or
pictures, just simply their imagination. From that, I will be able to gauge their abilities thus far and give them
an appropriate time frame for the activity.
Scoring Guidelines:
Scoring for this assignment will simply be if the story is complete. Also, I would like to see the story be
in logical order, having a beginning and ending.
Post-Assessment:
The post-assessment will be a simple quiz. The quiz will consist of putting sentences in logical order, a
beginning and end.
Scoring Guidelines:
The scoring of the quiz will be whether or not they put the sequence of events in logical order.

Differentiated Instructional Support

Describe how instruction can be differentiated (changed or altered) to meet the needs of gifted or accelerated
students:
The activity can be altered by either adding a picture for more accelerated students and removing a picture
from students who are struggling.
Discuss additional activities you could do to meet the needs of students who might be struggling with the

material:
Activities that could help are reading more short stories so struggling students can see how a story works in a
logical order.

Extension
http://www.ohiorc.org/standards/ohio/item/englishlanguagearts/gli/34.aspx#g1
This link will take students and parents to a site that will show Ohio standards for Kindergarten students.

Homework Options and Home Connections

I would encourage parents to read short stories with their child at home. This can help them with their own
reading skills and the understanding of common sequence of a story.

Interdisciplinary Connections
This activity can also be great for practicing spelling and grammar.

Materials and Resources:

For teachers

Computer, internet, printer, paper

For students

Pencil, IMAGINATION!!!

Key Vocabulary

Additional Notes