Zombie Geography and Future History

Teaching with Narrative

“Increase Engagement with Storytelling”David Hunter, MiTFormer TeacherCurriculum DesignerZombie-Based Learningdavid@zombiebased.com

Roy ZimmermannDirector of Education and Scholarly Communications,Microsoft Researchroyz@microsoft.com

1. Come up with an interest– A topic/genre/or hobby you are interested in and have

some knowledge about.– Examples: Zombie apocalypse, time travel, fashion

design, skateboarding, teleportation, Steampunk, Harry Potter™, etc

2. Come up with a learning objective– The subject you’d teach– Examples: Geography, History, Math, Science, Visual Art,

Programming, Entrepreneurship, etc

ThinkAs you get settled:

1. Pair with someone next to you and share your topic and learning objective.

2. Discuss why you chose these.

Pair

1.Your idea2.An idea you heard

Share

Zombie Geography and Future History

Teaching with Narrative

“Increase Engagement with Storytelling”

Agenda

• Better Learning Experience• Teaching with Narrative• Examples– Zombie-Based Learning– ChronoZoomers Guild

• Designing Narrative for Learning Experiences

What you’ll do today:

• Outline a project• Integrate narrative for engagement

1 sentence

Engagement

Stages of Narrative Integration

• Prompt

• Integrated Materials

• Interactive Elements

• Parallel Story

• Extended Creativity

Better Learning Experience

Narrative

Brian Herzog http://flic.kr/p/72vcrc

Suzanne Collins and Scholastic

Lego and Warner Bros. Pictures

Philip Roeland http://flic.kr/p/esYCpU

Better

=As engaging as

outside of school

Zull, James E. The Art of Changing the Brain: Enriching Teaching by Exploring the Biology of Learning.

Learning

=Setting up the

Learning Process

Soria moria slott, Theodor Kittelsen, 1900.

KimMaida http://fav.me/d4cse7y

Better Learning Experience

=Cohesive experience that

promotes learning and engages students.

Building a Learning Experience

• Hook• Inform• Play/Practice• Apply• Extend

What is Narrative?

How can narrative build a better

learning experience?

Memorable

Cohesive

Empathy

Creative

But Wait…

THERE’S

MORE!

Narrative

Assessment

21st Century Skills

EngagementStudent-centered

Middle school geography curriculum set in the zombie apocalypse.

The Geographer Johannes Vermeer, 1669

George A. Romero’s Flyboy,Neca, Reel Toys, 2005

Dead Reckon

www.ChronoZoom.com

join.ChronoZoom.com/teach

Middle school and high school projects teaching history through time travel.

Ivan Egorovich by Ilya Repin, 1877

Chronological Thinking

Multiple Perspectives

USC Games, 2014

Rick Veitch, 2014

ChronoZoomers Guild

Design

Stages of Narrative Integration

• Prompt

• Integrated Materials

• Interactive Elements

• Parallel Story

• Extended Creativity

1 sentence

Engagement

Conceptual Integration

Spectrum of Integration

Shared Activities Shared Concepts

Prompt/Driving Question

1 sentenceExamples:Zombie-Based Learning: “How would you map data to predict where zombies will spread?”

ChronoZoomers Guild:“How would you change history to prevent WWI?”

• Zombies• Time Travel• Existing Storyworld

• Fashion Design• Sports• Baking

• Geographer• Historian

• Scientist• Writer

• Computer Programmer• Magician

• Historical Thinking:• Chronological Thinking• Historical Comprehension• Analysis• Research• Issues (Identifying issues in

the past, forming a position on a course of action, evaluating a decision).

• Time Travel:• Messing up the past• Change the future• Paradoxes• Prevent bad things• Multiple dimensions• Time-shock

Historical Issues Prevent wars/atrocities

historical issues prevent historical atrocities?

Historical thinking (historical issues)

Time Travel

How can we understand issues in order to prevent historical atrocities?If you could time travel, how would you prevent WWI?

Share!

Integrated Materials

Information resourcesExample:

Create a plan for how to change history to prevent an event.

• Researching possible causes• Understanding causality• Forming an opinion• Supporting an argument• Considering new outcomes• Events are not inevitable

• Policy memos on time travel• Time travel brochures• Time travel tutorials• Informational websites• Video tutorials• Time travel training• Etc.

• Researching different causes• Understanding causality• Making decisions• Supporting an argument

• Policy memos• Video tutorials

Share!

Interactive Elements

A safe way to practice the new information.

Example:

Research, understanding causality, decision making, supporting arguments

Supporting Arguments: Practice making up arguments on different topicsand practice supporting them properly.

• States a clear point• Supports the point with

relevant evidence

Argument doesn’t include a clear pointor relevant evidence.

Ideas: Maybe I could have a game where students play in a group and use random phrases to construct an argument.

Constructed the strongest possible argument

What topic to choose. Share their argumentsChoose the best evidence

Ideas:Maybe it could be like Cards Against Humanity, students pull an argument for each round and use the evidence in their hand to support it as best they can.

Maybe they have 1 piece of evidence per group per turn, and they each write an argument for that evidence. Best one wins.

A student can create various quality arguments.A student can evaluate the quality of arguments.

Group card game where students connect arguments and evidence around time travel.

Student assesses and creates arguments.

Share!

Parallel Story

Sets up project scenario

Example:

Create a presentation making an argument and supporting it with evidence.

Time travellers are planning to manipulate history to prevent a certain event. They must choose/argue what to change in order to accomplish objective.

Research for evidence and use ChronoZoom to present the argument and evidence.

Researching possible causes. Deciding on the best decision.Figuring out what might happen with the best decision.

• Researchers for CZG• Tossed into their first big

challenge• Unsure whether they can

overcome challenge

• 200 years in the future• North America• Very large organization

Use ChronoZoom to present how you would change history to prevent WWI.

New recruits at the ChronoZoomers Guild have to figure out how to change history and prevent WWI.

Share!

Extended Creativity

Give students a chance to go even deeper.

Example:

Deeper application of skillsReal world application of skillsPublishing forum for student to express their creativity

• Research other events to prevent• Consider the impact of changes• Consider what would happen with the “wrong” changes

• Write about characters using other challenges• Create more antagonists for the character• Create their own time travel stories.

• Research historical events• Support arguments• Consider causes• Consider impact of events or decisions

• Share presentations online• Present to an audience• Publish a story (fan-fiction)

• Online forum around these creations• Competitions/contests for deeper work

Write their own stories or apply the same objectives to other events.

Continue these skills in other projects.Build ways to share work with others.

Share!

Better Learning Experience

Narrative

1 sentence

Engagement

Questions

Comments