Ready-to-use classroom activity
Students create narratives incorporating multimedia elements to explain concepts, processes, or historical events.
Grade range
Works across
Activity style
Classroom walkthrough
One concrete example you can borrow, adapt, or teach as written.
Example lesson context
Gather these before class.
What to have ready before students begin.
Set up student accounts on chosen digital platform. Create a sample digital story following the same assignment to show as an example. Prepare a collection of approved images or sites for students to find water cycle visuals. Develop a clear rubric with content and technical criteria.
A classroom-ready sequence from launch to follow-up.
Begin by showing a sample digital story about a scientific concept, discussing how it combines narrative and factual elements.
Introduce the assignment: Create a digital story following a water droplet's journey through the water cycle.
Brainstorming session (10 minutes):
Students name the different forms water takes and stages it passes through
Map possible pathways through the water cycle on the board
Discuss how to personify a water droplet as a character
Planning phase (15-20 minutes):
Students complete a storyboard template outlining 6-8 'scenes' in their water droplet's journey
Each scene should include: setting, what happens to the water droplet, scientific term for that process
Teacher checks storyboards for scientific accuracy before digital creation begins
Digital creation (2-3 class periods):
Students use chosen digital platform to create their stories
Each 'page' or slide should include: text of the story, relevant images, proper vocabulary
Optional: Add sound effects, music, or narration
Ensure scientific accuracy while encouraging creative narrative
Peer feedback session: Students share drafts with partners using 'two stars and a wish' protocol.
Finalize and share: Students complete final edits and prepare to share with class.
Presentation options: Digital gallery walk, formal presentations, or sharing with younger students.
Adjust the activity without losing its core purpose.
For students with limited writing skills, provide sentence frames or allow voice recording instead of writing. For advanced students, add more complex pathways (like groundwater contamination or ocean currents) or multiple character perspectives. For English learners, allow bilingual storytelling.
Use these signals to assess understanding.
Use rubric addressing both scientific accuracy (correct sequence of water cycle processes, proper terminology) and storytelling elements (narrative flow, character development, creative presentation). Check for misconceptions about water cycle processes.