StoryVisualizer by LEGO Education

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to provide teachers with an example of how the modern students' life (Legos and graphic novels) can be used creatively to engage children in digital storytelling around STEM topics. Specifically, the authors explore the use of graphic novels, or longer visual narratives, to serve as mentor texts for students in creating shorter comics-based digital stories. They begin with a section on integration of STEM and literacy, followed by a description of how digital literacies and digital storytelling can be used in service of such integration, with particular attention on the visual medium of graphic novels as a medium for connecting these practices in the classroom. Finally, they demonstrate how Lego Story Visualizer can be employed to meet our goals of integration and digital storytelling and to connect academic learning to children's world and daily cultural practices.