Tool Box

PLANNING AND DESIGNING COURSES

This is an ongoing work in progress in collaboration with fellow teachers, educators and PBS station program and education managers. We recommend you join our SRL Community Commons to ask questions, share additional resources, thoughts and feedback. Got an idea of what else should be included here? e-mail: admin@story-maker.org

GETTING STARTED

1. Intro to StoryMaker Video (3:09 minutes)
2. StoryMaker 101
3. Our Top Lessons For Getting Started: What is Newsworthy, What Makes a Good Video Story, Broadcast News , Journalism Ethics, the Art of the Interview Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

ROADMAPS: CURRICULUM SEQUENCES

Planning for your whole school year or semester? Start here.

1. For: Teaching A Broadcast Curriculum - designed to sequence StoryMaker lessons and resources sequentially to teach beginning broadcast students how to produce their first video news packages according to the framework provided in the SRL Storytelling Roadmap.
2. For: ELA - Media Literacy - designed to sequence StoryMakerlessons and resources sequentially to engage high school students in discussions about how broadcast news and media literacy affects their lives. At the end of the unit, students will produce a video or audio diary to synthesize their learning and explain their personal relationship to news media and misinformation.
3. For: ELA - Producing Explainer Videos - designed to sequence StoryMaker lessons and resources sequentially to teach high school English students how to produce an Explainer video to target persuasion and expository writing standards

GUIDED TRACKS

1. Teaching Media Literacy Skills: Help students learn how to access, analyze, evaluate, create and act using all forms of communication. From fact-checking to journalism standards to combating misinformation, empower your students to become savvy media experts.
2. Increasing Civic Engagement: Create paths for students to interact within their community, learn how important decisions are made and understand the role of journalism in a democracy.
3. Build STEM and Science Journalism Skills: build critical thinking, problem solving and science communication skills through inquiry-based learning and media making, including data analysis and evaluating evidence.
4. Experiment with Storytelling Formats: From quick content creation challenges, to video diaries, to podcasting and creating video news stories or mini-docs; your students can experiment with different types of storytelling.
5. Activate and Amplify Student Voices: Inspire students with meaningful media-making challenges around topics they are passionate about. Students will be heard and contribute to the national conversation.
6. Motivate with Culturally Responsive Projects: Engage students in projects designed to meet them where they are. Explore topics front of mind for Gen Z, including social justice, race, equity, climate change, mental health, fairness and opportunity, and more

From SRL Educators to You:

• Program Flyers
• Game changing tools, tips, and programs