1. Tell us something folksy!
Use the Animoto app to create a “silent movie” using music and images to tell your self-created folktale.
Follow the directions below to complete the activity.
After analyzing the structure of your folktale, “Brer Possum’s Dilemma,” use A Novel Idea app to plan your folktale. Use the Character page for only 2 characters that you create, create 3 scenes in A Novel idea, and name your Folktale on the “Novel” page in the app.
After you complete your Novel Idea planning, raise your hand to have this teacher-checked.
Now, open Safari, search Google images for 3 pictures for both of your characters. You may save these images in Photos (we will delete them after the project).
Open Animoto app. You will create a 6-framed mini folktale using one image per frame and a short bit of dialogue per frame.
Follow the directions which guide you to first choose photos, then style, then music. Be sure to include a bit of text in each of the 6 frames.
It’s important to remember that you are creating a very brief folktale which has 2 characters and a lesson is learned. KEEP IT SIMPLE! AND FUN!
This task uses:
Common Core/NG Standard(s):
RL.8.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of a text.
Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story propels the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating choices made by the director or actors.
TEACHER NOTES:
Teacher’s name/ Mary
School: JI Watson
Grade Level/Subject: 8th grade/ ELA
Task Card Level: 3
Special Directions/Considerations: Students will need to think simply and may be tempted to get very detailed when using A Novel Idea app. Direct them to the basic info for a very short creation of a folktale of their own.
Activity Evaluation: Students will be assessed using a video creation Rubric.
Prerequisites for students: Reading “Brer Possum’s Dilemma,” completion of Task Card 1 and 2. Text being used: Holt Literature text.

2. Rubric for Video Creation
Choice of Scenes
Lists all the most important events that occur in the folktale without extra details outside of plot.
Lists most of the important events in the folktale and only once includes details not essential to plot.
Lists most of the important events in the folktale but still highlights unimportant points.
Lists some important plot events, but information is incomplete or focused on less important points.
Captions
Captions are related to the scenes of the folktale, and the connections are easy to understand.
Captions are related to the scenes of the folktale, and most connections are easy to understand.
Captions are related to the scenes of the folktale, but the connections are less obvious.
Captions do not relate well to the scenes. There seems to be no connection or connections are very general.
Characters
The main characters are clearly identified, and their actions and dialogue are well-matched to their actions and dialogue in the folktale.
The main characters are clearly identified, and their actions and dialogue match actions and dialogue in the folktale.
The main characters are identified, but actions and dialogue are too general to show their relationship to the folktale.
It is hard to tell who the main characters are, or main characters in the comic are not the main characters in the folktale.
Landscape and Props
Landscape and
props are directly related to the theme or purpose of the book and enhance understanding of the scene.
props are directly related to the theme or purpose of the folktale.
Landscape and props are generally related to the theme of the folktale.
Landscape and props seem randomly chosen OR distract the reader.
Spelling,
Punctuation, and Grammar
There are no spelling, punctuation, or grammar errors.
There are 1-3 spelling, punctuation, or grammar errors.
There are 4-5 spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors.
There are more than 5 spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors.