Building Stories: Connecting Literacy and Making

Many of our students have been busy bringing stories to life through making and building! Students in Grades 2 and 2/3 chose a book to read and then selected a scene, a setting or characters to make. Our goal was to tell the story or show a part of the story through making.

Students were encouraged to document their planning and thinking process, not just their final products. Many students used photos, videos and time-lapse sequences to show their creative process. Students used a variety of materials at home including Lego, cardboard, recycled materials and repurposed toys to bring their stories to life.

Over several days, students planned, built and went through a feedback cycle. We celebrated our learning in SeeSaw posts and through live showcases on Zoom.

Pictured below are some examples of Primary and Grade 1 students' storyboarding planning. The students thought through the beginning, middle and end of their stories before deciding which part/s of the story to make or build.

Students then planned their design and materials using a maker planning organiser. Each step of the process was documented along the way.

By making stories, students discovered that there are many ways to tell a story. Writing is not the only way we can be storytellers! As learners, we were able to identify parts of the story and literary elements such as setting, problem and characters. Grade 2 students also applied their writing unit to the maker project. The students each wrote a piece about why they decided to build the particular aspect of story and gave evidence to support their idea.

Students were also able to engage in the feedback process, asking parents or classmates for input into their building. A simple process such as "Two Stars and a Wish" or "I notice, I wonder, Have you thought about" can allow students to push their thinking and develop an understanding that feedback can make our work better.

Home learning can provide us the opportunity to enjoy time and space to be creative and dive deep into projects such as building a story. We can appreciate how a maker experience allows students to make connections through true transdisciplinary learning. We are all story tellers - we are all story makers.