Project-Based LearningJordon Roussos

Project Based Learning

Story Elements ProjectThis project is intended for elementary age students from grades 2-6. The variance in the grades will be accounted for by the depth in which the students cover story elements and the length of their writing.In this project, students will produce their own elements of a story (characters, setting, events/conflict, resolution).At the conclusion of the project students will put together their own story.

Story Elements Projectcont.

Aspects students will first be able to identify:Characters: person (or people) that are in the storySetting: where and when the story is taking placeEvents: what happens throughout the storyConflict: problems that the characters encounterResolution: how the conflict ends

Character DevelopmentUpon being introduced to the concept of story elements, students will be asked to identify these aspects while reading various works.After this skill is grasped, students will begin developing their own characters and create backstories for these characters. Length of the writings will depend on the grade level of the students.

Establishing a SettingOnce Characters have been developed, the students will repeat the same process with the concept of a story’s setting.The students will brainstorm where they would like their story to take place and ,with that, start to develop the events within the story.

The Events/ConflictsThis part of the project will be the most time consumingStudents will essentially be writing the bulk of their story in this sectionDuring this process, have the students be conscious of how their charcaters may be changing due to what is taking placeAlso introduce the main problems in the story

Resolution and EndingIn this section the students will write about how they want the problems to get resolved as well as how they want their story to end.To repeat an earlier point, the depth of the content being discussed will vary depending on the grade level of the participating students.This section would be a good place to introduce such concepts as plot twists and surprise endings.

TransitionsAt this point the story is all but writtenIn order to complete the story, the students must be taught about transitions in order to blend all the pieces together.Also, the teacher may decide to allow their students to simply write a series of small entries instead of a larger book.This could extend the timeline for the entire project and leave room for more development within the students’ writing.This is the step where the stories are organized, proofread, edited, and proofread again for the last time.

Book FairAfter the students books/short stories/portfolios are finished and have a clear system of organization, the students will then write a short biographgy on themselves to include in their work.At the conclusion of this project, the students will have the opportunity to share their work with the rest of the class as well as read their peers’ stories.This step will allow the students to feel a sense of accomplishment and pride in their work.

ReferencesBright Hub Inc. (2011, April 15). Teaching story elements to elementary school children. Retrieved October 14, 2016, from Bright Hub Education, http://www.brighthubeducation.com/teaching-elementary-school/114072-ideas-for-teaching-story-elements-to-young-students/

Buck Institute of Education. (2016). Project based learning. Retrieved October 14, 2016, from http://www.bie.org/about/what_pbl

Lesson plan #1737. Elements of a story. (2015). Retrieved October 14, 2016, from Teachers Net, http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/1737.html