Alphabet Soup Units, part 2: Storytime (PBL + TPRS + IPA)

Storytime is the second step in my Alphabet Soup unit model, which combines Project-Based Learning (PBL), Target Language instruction (TL), Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS), Integrated Performance Asessments (IPA), ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL), and Teaching Like a Pirate (TLAP).

This process gives my units a clearer vision of where we’re headed as well as solid ways to support progress in BOTH students’ proficiency AND authentic projects. I will be breaking down each step in the process on my Alphabet Soup page.

Stories are for spoon feeding. Get the kiddos the essential nutrients (i.e. vocabulary, structures) they need to grow strong and healthy for research, discussion, and genuine engagement, using a funny twist to make it stick.

In Keys to Assessing Language Performance, Paul Sandrock breaks vocabulary down into active, essential-to-learn vocabulary and the vocabulary that is important for passive recognition (3). For PBL, the active vocabulary has got to be what students use to communicate A) with their partners and B) with their audience at the end.

Me, I’m working on building both into topical TPRS stories for each PBL unit that I work on.

I work the active vocabulary into a select few repeated TPRS structures and try to weasel in some more of the common passive stuff where I can, though they can also pick up a lot of passive vocabulary from context and visual cues in the authentic texts during their in-depth inquiry–not to mention their own discussions.

So here’s my process for coming up with the story.

1. Pick the vocabulary
I pick THREE key structures, usually essential verbs that will help with project planning and presenting, and then brainstorm the vocabulary they’re going to need and come up with a theme to tie it all together, like a kid who hates reading or a reality TV talent show. In the future I want to be more intentional about picking my authentic texts that will come up in the IPAs and build some of the words and phrases that would make good active vocabulary from there, too.

2. Make it weird
Once I have a unit theme, I think of ways to tie it together and make it really weird. Martina Bex has been my guru on the TPRS front, and she allows students a lot of input in how weird to make the story. Martina lets her students pick the endings, but I find I can make it weirder if I make it up (eating cookbooks, dude’s crush falling in love with his robot). Also, my young ones are self-conscious teenagers, and a bit contrarian, so they have a hard time 1) coming up with a funny ending and 2) agreeing on one.

3. Squeeze in some choice
I do leave blanks for students to pick things like character names: this year we’ve had classmates’ names, country singers’ names, Bon Qui Qui, Bob Marley, and Chupacabra–these kids were this way when I found them, I promise. I also pick out other things they can have input in, like instruments they play, dances they do, chores a robot does for you, and books desperate parents read. It was kind of useful. One way I’ve found to scaffold the choices so I can offer possible names, dances, chores, etc. is to create a Google Form of the story for students to preview. My kiddos tend to struggle with listening, so this helps them feel more at ease with familiar words they’ve seen written before/recently.

4. Write the story
I usually write the whole story out before I dissect it into questions and fill-in-the-blanks.

5. Set up the materials
I then break the story down into questions so I can ask the story instead of telling it all. This helps ensure that students are getting as much comprehensible input as possible AND engaging with the language actively. Me, I make a SMARTboard slide with a visual to associate with the story, post the questions to the side and hide them to be revealed one by one. I also make a copy of the story that will go in their interactive notebooks, but with the three key structures turned into blanks, and the class choices (names, instruments, etc.) turned into starred blanks (a different number of starts for each choice).

Then comes storytime! Here’s a video of how that looks in my class:

I start reading through the story and pause to reveal and ask my questions and then jot down answers on a blank spot on the SMART slide to be saved for review later. Review takes place in four steps:

See, they’re STORIES, so they look like BOOKS in the notebooks!

1. Listen to the story, pausing to fill in key structures and class choices (then paste in notebooks).
2. Take turns reading the story to a partner.
3. Take turns asking questions about the story with a partner (I usually pick key question words).
4. Summarize 3-5 key points from the story in Spanish.

I’ve got a few example stories posted so you can see the evolution of the process and maybe get some inspiration, too!