In this and future newsletters, we'll feature some of the ways teachers and students can use Gemini and the differences between staff and student accounts.
Staff and students can access Gemini from the Granite Bookmarks or go directly to gemini.google.com
Gemini is now a core Google Workspace for Education tool.
The Gemini Storybook Creator Gem allows teachers to quickly generate illustrated, narrated stories tailored to specific educational concepts, vocabulary, or scenarios.
Here are example ideas for using the Storybook Creator in various subjects:
Science Concepts (K-8):
Create a story about "The Water Cycle's Journey," personifying water droplets as they travel through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
Generate a book about "Percy the Pollinator," illustrating the relationship between a bee, a flower, and the importance of biodiversity.
Develop a "Day in the Life of a Mitochondrion" story in a graphic novel style to explain cellular respiration to older students.
Social Studies & History (4-12):
Produce a short, illustrated biography of a historical figure (e.g., Sojourner Truth: The Voice of Freedom) using a watercolor art style to make it visually engaging.
Create a storybook showing four key moments of the Boston Tea Party from the perspective of an everyday citizen to bring the event to life.
Generate a story that explains a complex topic like "The Electoral College" using simple characters (e.g., states as funny characters with different-sized hats).
ELA & Language Arts (K-12):
Design a book to teach a specific vocabulary set (e.g., words related to mood or setting), using each page to illustrate a word's definition and context.
Create a storybook in a target language (e.g., Spanish) using a specific grammar tense or a pre-loaded vocabulary list to provide comprehensible input.
Generate a short story to illustrate a specific literary device (e.g., metaphor or irony) using a comic book style.
Math Concepts (K-5):
Create a simple story about "Fractions in the Bakery," illustrating how a chef divides pies and cakes into halves, thirds, and quarters.
Generate a book about "The Great Measurement Race" where characters use different units (inches, feet, meters) to solve a problem.
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Behavior (K-8):
Create a story about a character named "Fiona the Fox Who Felt Frustrated," illustrating coping strategies for strong emotions.
Generate a social storybook that models the steps for a new school procedure (e.g., "How to Use the School Library") to help reduce anxiety and set expectations.
Go to Gemini in the Granite Bookmarks in Chrome or directly at gemini.google.com Be sure you're logged in with your Granite School District Google account.
Click on the menu in the top left to open it.
Click on Explore Gems
Choose Storybook from the list of Gems. Click on Show More if you don't see it.
You will see some sample prompts to get you thinking about a story you would like Storybook Creator to write or create a story to teach a concept like the examples above.
Write a prompt for your story. It can be simple with just a few details like the examples. Click on the paper airplane icon to have Gemini Storybook Creator begin writing your illustrated story.
7. Click on the dropdown by the Listen button in the top right when you see your storybook.
8. Choose to listen to the storybook in either a high or lower pitched voice. Choose to Listen in full screen. Click the Listen button to have the story read aloud.
9. You can revise the story by typing in additional prompts and it will recreate the story using your new suggestions.
10. You have a print option next to the listen button to print the storybook.
11. Gemini will auto save your storybooks in the left menu and they will also be visible when you are in the Storybook Creator Gem.