Book Trailers and Book Talks using PhotoStory 3

CE 5120 – November 4, 2018

Patricia Garrity

I often show my students book trailers at the beginning or end of class to promote new books or

award books such as the Great Stone Face books. Oftentimes, I cannot find a good video to show

the students so I decided to teach 5th graders how to create their own book trailers to promote the

books they love to their classmates. In the past, students have written book reviews but this

format is much more exciting and a great learning opportunity for them.

After viewing many different technology tools for students, I have decided to use

PhotoStory 3. This is already available on student’s chrome books so they do not have to create

an account online. This is important as I am working with elementary students under the age of

13 years old.

Students will choose a book to create the book trailer. They will then put together a plan

of the images and copy that they would like to include in their book trailer. Students must choose

images from the reliable sources (such as creativecommons.org and

https://incompetech.com/music/) that the library has curated on the school website for student

use. They will write the copy to go with each of the images using correct spelling and grammar.

Once students have acquired all of the artifacts and put them in the project folder, they

will begin to import the images and graphics into their PhotoStory 3 book trailer. In addition or

in lieu of copy, I encourage students to record their own audio in the PhotoStory 3 program.

They can also add music if appropriate. Students should produce three versions; improving and

refining the design and audio with each version. I would like students to initially work in pairs or
groups and get feedback from their peers before coming to me. I think this is important as it

allows students to collaborate with their intended audience before finalizing their projects.

Once all projects have been completed and reviewed for appropriate content, grammar

and spelling, students will present them to their classmates. Copies of these books will be

available for immediate checkout. I also plan to upload the videos to the school YouTube

channel. I will then create a QR code, or have the students do so, and attach this QR code to the

book so that students can use the library iPads to watch the videos as they choose books to

checkout and read.

This project was a lot of fun. Here is a link to an example that I created in PhotoStory 3

to promote the book The Hobbit by J.R. Tolkien: https://youtu.be/wdjCFT_rznY.

Standards met by this assignment:

ISTE Standards for Students
1. Empowered Learner – Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing,
achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning
sciences. d. Students understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, demonstrate
the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current technologies and are able to transfer their
knowledge to explore emerging technologies.
2. Digital Citizen – Students recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of living,
learning and working in an interconnected world, and they act and model in ways that are safe,
legal and ethical. c. Students demonstrate an understanding of and respect for the rights and
obligations of using and sharing intellectual property.
3. Knowledge Constructor – Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to
construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for
themselves and others. a. Students plan and employ effective research strategies to locate
information and other resources for their intellectual or creative pursuits. b. Students evaluate the
accuracy, perspective, credibility and relevance of information, media, data or other resources.
c. Students curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools and methods to
create collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections or conclusions.
4. Innovative Designer – Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to
identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions. a. Students know
and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative
artifacts or solving authentic problems. b. Students select and use digital tools to plan and
manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risks. c. Students
develop, test and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process.
6. Creative Communicator – Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for
a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to
their goals. a. Students choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired
objectives of their creation or communication. b. Students create original works or responsibility
repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations. c. Students communicate complex ideas
clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations,
models or simulations. d. Students publish or present content that customizes the message and
medium for their intended audiences.
ISTE Standards Teachers
1. Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity. a
2. Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments. a & c
3. Model digital age work and learning. a, b, c & d
4. Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility. a, b & c
5. Engage in professional growth and leadership. a, b, c & d

Common Core Standards

Reading Standards for Literature K-5:
Key Ideas and Details – 2
Craft and Structure – 5
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas – 7
Reading Standards for Informational Text K-5
Key Ideas and Details – 1, 2 & 3
Writing Standards K-5
Text Types and Purposes – 1.a, 3.a
Production and Distribution of Writing – 6

Speaking and Listening Standards K-5

Comprehension and Collaboration – 2
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas – 4, 5
Language Standards K-5
Conventions of Standard English – 1, 2
Knowledge of Language – 3
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use – 4. c