Comparing Characters’ Adventures with Story Strips
The teacher reads The Tortoise and the Hare and Little Red Riding Hood aloud to the class, then introduces the activity where students will compare the characters’ experiences using story strips. In small groups, students eagerly work together, drawing scenes from each story on pre-cut strips of paper. One group carefully depicts the Hare resting while the Tortoise moves slowly toward the finish line, while another group illustrates Little Red Riding Hood’s encounter with the wolf.
As they arrange the story strips, students discuss how each character faced challenges and how their adventures differed. They adjust their strips to ensure the sequences match the stories and present their work to the class, explaining the similarities and differences they discovered between the characters.
Objective:
Students will compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters from two different stories using story strips. This hands-on activity will help students analyze the characters' experiences and reflect on how their adventures shape the story.
Materials Needed:
Story strips (pre-cut paper strips)
Markers, crayons, and pencils
Two stories with distinct characters (e.g., The Tortoise and the Hare and Little Red Riding Hood)
Steps:
Introduction:
Read aloud two stories with different characters and adventures, such as The Tortoise and the Hare and Little Red Riding Hood.
Afterward, ask students, "How were the Tortoise's and the Hare's experiences different? What did Little Red Riding Hood face in her adventure?"
Explain that students will work together to use story strips to illustrate and compare these adventures.
Group Activity:
Divide students into small groups and provide each group with two sets of story strips: one for each character’s adventure.
As students draw key events from the stories, they will focus on how the characters’ experiences were different and how their adventures shaped the outcomes of the story.
Encourage collaboration as students share ideas on which events to include and how to organize them.
Building the Diagram:
Students will arrange their story strips side by side, visually comparing the events of each character's adventure.
This process helps students develop and use abstractions, as they simplify complex events into key moments for comparison, decomposing the story into events.
Testing and Refining:
After arranging the story strips, students will review their sequences to check for accuracy and clarity.
They can add details or reorder strips to refine their diagrams before presenting to the class.
Presentation and Discussion:
Each group will present their story strips, explaining how the characters' experiences were similar and different.
Through this discussion, students will communicate about their thinking process and how organizing information visually helped them compare the adventures.
Equity and Access:
Provide pre-drawn story elements for students who may need assistance with drawing. Encourage peer collaboration to foster an inclusive learning environment and ensure that all students can actively participate.
Real World Application:
In real life, comparing and contrasting experiences helps us make decisions and understand different perspectives. Just as students analyze the adventures of story characters, they can apply these skills to real-world scenarios, like comparing two events from their own lives or understanding how two people faced challenges differently. This ability to break down and reflect on experiences is essential when solving everyday problems, working in teams, or understanding historical events, helping students build empathy and critical thinking skills.
CS Practice(s):
Developing and Using Abstractions: Students simplify the stories into key moments and create visual comparisons of the characters' adventures.
Standard(s):
CA CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.9
CA CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.3
CA CS K-2.AP.13
Coding Character Comparisons
After listening to The Tortoise and the Hare and Goldilocks and the Three Bears, students are introduced to ScratchJr for a digital comparison project. In pairs, they use coding blocks to animate scenes that show how the characters’ experiences unfold. One group programs the Tortoise to move slowly across the screen while the Hare runs ahead but stops for a nap. Another group animates Goldilocks trying out the bears' chairs and beds. As students test their animations, they refine the timing and movements, ensuring that the characters' actions are clearly represented.
Each pair presents their digital animations, explaining how they used coding to compare and contrast the different adventures of the characters, discussing both the process and their insights.
Objective:
Students will use ScratchJr to create interactive digital scenes that compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters from two different stories. Through this activity, students will analyze character differences and develop coding skills to illustrate their understanding.
Materials Needed:
Tablets or computers with ScratchJr installed
Two stories with distinct characters and adventures (e.g., The Tortoise and the Hare and Goldilocks and the Three Bears)
Steps:
Introduction:
Read two stories aloud, such as The Tortoise and the Hare and Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Ask students, “How are the characters' experiences different? What challenges did they face?”
Explain that they will create digital scenes in ScratchJr to compare and contrast the adventures of the characters.
Group Activity:
In pairs, students will create two animated scenes in ScratchJr: one representing each character’s experience.
For example, one scene could show the Tortoise moving slowly but steadily, while another shows Goldilocks exploring the bears' house.
As they collaborate, students will share ideas and decide how best to illustrate the characters' actions and decisions.
Creating and Coding:
Guide students in using ScratchJr coding blocks to animate their scenes.
For example, they can program the Hare to run fast and stop to rest, while Goldilocks tries the bears' beds.
By creating computational artifacts, students learn how coding can be used to model different adventures and experiences.
Testing and Refining:
Once the animations are created, students will test their ScratchJr scenes to ensure the characters' actions correctly illustrate the comparisons.
They will refine their projects by adjusting the coding blocks or adding more detail as needed.
Presentation and Discussion:
Each pair will present their animated scenes to the class, explaining how the characters' experiences are similar or different.
Students will communicate about their coding process, sharing how they used ScratchJr to solve the problem of visualizing these comparisons.
Equity and Access:
Provide pre-made ScratchJr templates for students who need extra support, and encourage collaboration by pairing students with varying levels of coding experience to foster an inclusive learning environment.
Real World Application:
Comparing experiences and understanding different perspectives is an essential skill, whether working on a team, solving problems, or understanding various viewpoints in discussions. By using ScratchJr to animate character comparisons, students learn how to visually represent ideas, which is similar to creating digital presentations or designing solutions in many fields like graphic design, advertising, and user experience. Coding teaches them to break down complex ideas into simpler components, a skill that is valuable in planning, organizing projects, or even writing stories. This digital communication mirrors real-world scenarios where visual tools and coding are used to convey information and ideas.
CS Practice(s):
Collaborating Around Computing: Students work in pairs to create animations, sharing ideas and problem-solving together.
Creating Computational Artifacts: Students design and code digital scenes that illustrate character experiences.
Testing and Refining Computational Artifacts: Students test their ScratchJr projects, making improvements based on feedback and observations.
Communicating About Computing: Students present their ScratchJr projects, explaining their coding choices and how they represented character comparisons.
Standard(s):
CA CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.9
CA CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.3
CA CS K-2.AP.12, CA CS K-2.AP.13