Our 5th Grade Friends Set Off To Rewrite, Sing and Create A Nursery Rhyme Digital Story!

My friend Kellie Benge and I just love talking about how to use the Cantata Learning books and songs with her students.

As we brainstormed through the new Spring 2016 series and Rhythms and Rhymes Harmony Project, we thought it would be great fun to have three of her 5th graders get involved with this project too.

Last week, I went into school to work with my 5th grade friends.

Kellie and the students had brainstormed ideas already so they were ready to jump right into the project of retelling a nursery rhyme in their very own words and way.

They picked Shoo, Fly, Don't Bother Me retold by Blake Hoena and illustrated by Brian Hartley.  

The three had the book already....and had listened to the song and read the book.

We started by pulling out the characters, setting, and actions of the characters.  This helped us think about how we would retell the nursery rhyme in their own words.

Next, we thought it would be very fun and challenging to use Bloxels to retell the story.

Bloxels is a gaming and coding app and too that lets you create your very own video game with personalized characters, settings, actions and a story line.

However, before we went any further, the fifth graders needed to retell the nursery rhyme in their words so they were ready to create using Bloxels.

 They listen to Shoo, Fly, Don't Bother Me from Cantata Learning...

and read the eBook in My Capstone Library.  This gave them a great idea on how the words sound with music.

They decided to create a song about bullying.....and they called it Shoo, Shark, Don't Bully Me!  

I love the first verse they wrote on Friday...

Shoo, Shark, Don't Bully Me, 
Shoo, Shark, Don't Bully Me.  
Shoo, Shark, Don't Bully. Me, 
Why'd you have to pick on me!  

When we meet everyday next week, the 5th graders will finish their original song and use these lyrics to create a digital story using Bloxels and eduBuncee.

We can't wait to see what they create.

This will be something to share with their classmates....and friends of all ages!  They will definitely make an impact on those at their school and throughout the world.