Project Overview: “What if…?” story & digital storybook
“What if…?” Story
Due Monday, 16 March
Imagine what life would have been like if you had been born 200 years ago. If the Earth had been ruled by
children. If your family had been royalty. What if? Explore the most intriguing, fascinating “what if” scenario
you can create. This will be a descriptive and/or narrative piece of writing that will showcase your
understanding of le conditionnel passé in conjunction with other tenses. Your story must be a minimum of
250 words (175 for French 3), typed, double-spaced and include a word count. Please use the rubric (available
on the website) to assess your own writing and to make sure you have included all requirements. This cannot
be completed with a partner. Please submit a copy of the rubric with your paper.
Digital Storybook
Due Friday, 3 April (posted to www.voicethread.com)
You will also create a digital storybook. The story will be inspired by your paper but will not be a word-forword reading of it. Instead, you will edit and adapt it into a story that will combine audio recordings (your
voice!) with brief text, pictures, drawings and/or video. You will post your storybook on voicethread.com.
Your storybook must include the following:
 cover page that includes a title, image & author’s name
 3-5 minutes of speaking (rehearsed but not read)
 minimum of 10 images or 1 video that helps the listener understand your story
 If you choose to do a video, the audio must be recorded on voicethread.com. You may record
sound effects on the video, but any audio on the video will not count toward the speaking
requirement.
The storytelling (recorded audio) cannot be read. You may use your storyboard or a note card with bullet
points to remind and guide you.
The digital storybook may be completed with a partner – please double the minimum requirements. If you
work with a partner, the visual components of your storybook will receive the same grade; however, your oral
grades may vary. Speaking parts need to be divided equally.
You should complete the following before working with voicethread.com:
 Fill out storyboard worksheets (including one for cover page) to map out the synchronization of
images/video/text with voice recording. Worksheet templates will be available on the website.
 Create story cover page in Word or PowerPoint or as a PDF (see below for cover page requirements).
 Create video, take pictures, find images online and/or scan drawings .
 VoiceThread supports several file types, including JPG, GIF, Word, PowerPoint, PDF, etc. Please
see www.voicethread.com for additional information.
Interaction
Due Wednesday, 15 April
Friday, 3 April, we will have in-class (digital) story time. This will be an opportunity to read your classmates’
stories and to leave them recorded feedback, messages and questions. All messages must be recorded by
Wednesday, 15 April. Please see the rubric for further grading details. Bring your headphones!
Deadlines
 story (with rubric): Monday, 16 March
 storyboard worksheets: Monday, 23 March
 Digital storybook posted on voicethread.com (with rubric): 3 April
 recorded commentaries on classmates’ work posted on voicethread.com: 15 April
We will have the COW in class on Monday, 23 March and Tuesday, 24 March. If your storyboards are
complete, you may use this class time for tinkering with VoiceThread. It will also be helpful if you have some
images saved and accessible from school at this time so you can practice uploading them to VoiceThread.
Voice recording will be done outside of class for your final draft, but you may practice recording in class.
A note regarding absences & technology problems
Technology often fails – do not wait until the last minute!
Please let me know early if you are having problems or need help using VoiceThread. If you try to post your
storybook at the last minute and run into technology issues, you risk not completing the project by the
deadline.
Regardless of absences, unexpected school cancellations or technology problems, deadlines will remain the
same. If you are absent Friday, 3 April, it is still expected that your storybook will be posted on VoiceThread
by this due date.
lundi
mardi
mercredi
jeudi
vendredi
23 COW en classe
 Storyboards due
 Work with
VoiceThread
 Bring image files
 Bring headphones!
30
24 COW en classe
 Work with
VoiceThread
 Bring image files
 Bring headphones!
25
26
27
31
1 avril
2
6
7
printemps
14
8
9
3 COW en classe
 Digital storybook due
(posted on
voicethread.com)
 Bring rubric
 Bring headphones!
10
15
 Comments posted
to classmates’
stories due
16
17
Les vacances de
13