scripts | pedablogical

May 1 to 7 on ReadWriteThink

May 2, 2011 by Traci Gardner

May is Get Caught Reading Month, a nationwide public service campaign launched by the Association of American Publishers to remind people of all ages how much fun it is to read. The celebration is supported by hundreds of celebrities, including LL Cool J, Dylan and Cole Sprouse, and the newest addition, Olivia the Pig.

This week on ReadWriteThink, you can find activities for Get Caught Reading Month and many other events as well as other lesson plans and classroom resources. Have a great week!

New Resources

What’s a TV writer’s day like? Learn how to write a TV script from The Simpsons’™ Michael Price on Wonderopolis.
The NCTE Media Literacy Award is presented to an individual, team, or department that has implemented and refined exemplary media literacy practices in their school environment. Application deadline: June 30.
Celebrate the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavor with some Astronomy Poetry or a Virtual Moon Trip, and look ahead to May 26, the birthday of Sally Ride, first American woman in space.
Listen to A Conversation with Matthew Quick, the latest episode of Text Messages: Recommendations for Adolescent Readers.
Need K–5 book ideas for the summer? The latest episode of Chatting About Books: Recommendations for Young Readers focuses on Summer Series.

From the Calendar

May 1: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is in May! Students consider the portrayal of Asians in popular culture by exploring images from classic and contemporary films and comparing them to historical and cultural reference materials.
(For grades 9–12)
May 1: May is Get Caught Reading Month! Celebrate by doing a reading-related service project such as planning an intergenerational reading day or organizing a book drive. (For grades K–12)
May 2: Teacher Appreciation Week honors our teachers. In celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week, students read a book about a teacher and follow up with an activity related to the book using the Venn Diagram, Letter Generator, Story Map, or Essay Map. (For grades 3–12)
May 2: Celebrate National Children’s Book Week! Children show support for their favorite Children’s Choice Book award finalist by designing a promotional book cover. (For grades K–6)
May 3: National Public Radio began broadcasting in 1971. Students make predictions about the content of some of NPR’s programs, then listen to the programs and report on the contents and discuss with the class. (For grades 7–12)
May 5: It’s Cinco de Mayo. Students research a piece of art, music, dance, literature, or food that suitably represents Mexico and create a presentation for the class. (For grades 7–12)
Look ahead to next week for literacy activities on blues legend Robert Johnson, Newbery Medalist Christopher Paul Curtis, the Puerto Rican Independence movement, and Star Wars creator George Lucas.

Connecting with Other Teachers

What do you do to encourage students to keep reading during the summer? Share some ideas in the Reading & Language Arts group in the Thinkfinity Community.
How do you motivate the unmotivated? Share your ideas in the Thinkfinity Community forums.
Do you learn best through direct instruction? Do you learn new material best through lecture or hands-on activities? Read about a recent study and share your experience.
Keep students at the center of learning by checking out the recorded sessions from the Supporting Students in a Time of Core Standards Virtual Conference Series.

If you have feedback or questions about ReadWriteThink, all you have to do is contact us. Have a great week!

Filed under ReadWriteThink Tagged with Asian-Pacific Islander, Cinco de Mayo, National Children's Book Week, NPR, outer space, reading, scripts, summer reading

Lesson Plans and Resources for Script Frenzy

March 13, 2011 by Traci Gardner

If you are thinking of challenging students to take part in the Young Writers Program (YWP) for Script Frenzy, you’ll want some resources to support the project.

As I explained in more detail yesterday, Script Frenzy is the free event that asks writers to spend April writing a script for a screenplay, stage play, TV show, short film, comic, or graphic novel.

The YWP site has information for teachers that includes lesson plans for all age levels walk students through the basic tasks from setting their goals to building conflict and developing dialogue. You can even apply to borrow computers for classroom use during the month—deadline March 15, so hurry!

Help students find the focus for their scripts by trying one of these ReadWriteThink lessons (plus one from Thinkfinity partner EDSITEment):

Bring a historical character to the present day with History Comes Alive: Using Fluency and Comprehension Using Social Studies (grades 2–5). The lesson focuses on Benjamin Franklin, but you could adapt the idea to any historical figure or period.
Create a fan fiction script after examining an existing television show with Media Literacy: Examining the World of Television Teens (grades 6–8).
Compose a radio script for a recently-read short story or novel with Audio Broadcasts and Podcasts: Oral Storytelling and Dramatization (grades 9–12).
Focus on a voice from the past with Giving Voice to Child Laborers Through Monologues (grades 6–8). The monologue students compose can be broken out and distributed in a longer script, used as of a one-person show, or kept as is to serve as a soliloquy in a longer script. This basic technique could be adapted to any time period and speakers from the past, present, or future.
Ask students to create a script that focuses on sharing an important message with the audience with MyTube: Changing the World With Video Public Service Announcements (grades 9–12). Point families interested in helping with the project to the family resource MyTube: Make a Video Public Service Announcement (grades 7–12).
Focus on inquiry and research by asking students to script a documentary on a famous woman with Scripting the Past: Exploring Women’s History Through Film (grades 9–12).
Share a movie scene with no dialogue and ask students to create a script for that scene with Writing a Movie: Summarizing and Rereading a Film Script (grades 3–5). Students can go on to create a longer script that explores a subplot or scenes that have not been included in the original film.
Have students create an alter ego and compose scripts for that persona’s radio show with Alter Egos and More with Avi’s "Who Was That Masked Man, Anyway?" (3–5).
If students are working on comics or graphic novels, for instance, be sure to try The Comic Book Show and Tell (grades 9–12) lesson to help them sharpen their word choice. Use the Comic Vocabulary Interactive to explore the genre in more detail.

Cross-posted to the Reading and Language Arts Discussion Group in the Thinkfinity Community and to the NCTE Community ReadWriteThink eGroup and Graphic Novels eGroup.

[Photo: Day 30 – Fade In: by Kurt Thomas Hunt, on Flickr]

Filed under ReadWriteThink Tagged with comics, graphic novels, movies, NaNoWriMo, podcasts, Script Frenzy, scripts