Sharing Your Digital Story
Learning Goals
In this chapter, you will learn to:
- Know the rules for dividing words into syllables
- Make inferences and draw conclusions
- Discuss and respond to the digital story The 8th Step
- Use an apostrophe to show possession
- Use an apostrophe in a contraction
- Write a paragraph about the advantages of learning to make digital stories
Get Ready to Read
- Do you use Facebook or other forms of social media?
- What kind of information are you comfortable sharing on the Internet?
- What are the risks of sharing personal information on the Internet?
Vocabulary
Scan Sharing Your Digital Story to find a bold word for each of the following.
1. Able to be seen and heard by many people
2. A form of something that is different from other forms
3. A series of actions that produce something
4. The feeling that you have done something good or important
5. Happening at the end
6. Something that is made as a result of a process
7. The act or process of bringing something into existence
8. The address where a website can be found online. It usually begins with www.
9. To change something into a different form
Word Patterns
Knowing the rules for dividing words into syllables can help you sound out words you do not know.
Rules for dividing words into syllables:
1. Prefixes and suffixes are usually separate syllables.
Examples: dis-agree re-fresh long-est
2. Sometimes, two consonants make one sound. This is the case with sh, ch, th, wh, and ck). Keep these consonants together.
Example: rock-et
3. In a word ending in a consonant and le, divide the word just before the consonant.
Example: ti-tle
Divide these words into syllables.
10. plateful
11. nonsense
12. unlikely
13. antifreeze
14. shipment
15. kindness
16. hopeless
17. able
18. simple
19. struggle
20. table
21. pocket
22. candle
23. raffle
24. bathtub
25. wishful
Reading Strategy
Read Sharing Your Digital Story and watch The 8th Step. Then, answer the questions from Check Your Understanding (below). Next, follow the instructions to publish your video.
Check Your Understanding
1. Write a summary of The 8th Step. Remember to include only the main ideas, and not the details or your opinion.
2. If Ed’s story was meant for his dog, why do you think he shared it with the online world?
3. What does it mean to “publish” your digital story?
4. In your opinion, what are the reasons for sharing your story with the online world?
5. In your opinion, what are the reasons against sharing your story with the online world?
6. Who is the audience for your digital story?
7. How would you like to share your digital story?
Contractions
Grammar Rule
An apostrophe is used in place of the missing letter or letters in a contraction.
Don’t = do not
- I hope your kids don’t throw a party when you are away.
I’m = I am
- I’m never leaving this sofa.
I’ve = I have
- I’ve lost my winning lottery ticket.
Change the underlined words into contractions. Use apostrophes as needed.
1. Let us light the birthday candles.
2. I am pressing the brakes, but this car isn’t stopping!
3. If you are going to the beach, can I join you?
4. There is a sale at the bookstore tomorrow.
5. We have picked 10 pounds of berries.
6. You would be surprised by how spicy this curry is.
7. Come here. I will fix your necktie for you.
8. Do not shake the pop. It is going to explode!
9. The singer could not figure out how to turn on the microphone.
10. Do not play the bagpipes at midnight.
11. If you are not going to eat your shrimp, I will.
12. I cannot wait for the weekend.
Using an Apostrophe to Show Possession
Grammar Rule
- Use an apostrophe and s to write the possessive form of a singular noun.
The dog’s water dish should always be full.
- Use only an apostrophe to write the possessive form of a plural noun that ends in s.
All the students’ desks were placed in straight rows.
- Use an apostrophe and s to write the possessive form of a plural noun that does not end in s.
The Canadian women’s hockey team won the gold medal.
Insert apostrophes into the sentences below.
1. The worlds most popular instrument is the harmonica.
2. The soccer players uniforms were yellow and black.
3. The kites tail waved in the wind.
4. Grandmas attic is full of beautiful old furniture.
5. The two sailors favourite pub was called The Captains Mess.
6. They called her the Peoples Princess.
7. The childrens shoes were covered in mud.
8. The cats fourth leg was missing.
9. All four hens eggs have hatched.
10. The pirates parrot only seems to know bad words.
Writing Task
Follow the steps below to write a paragraph on this topic:
What were the advantages of learning to make a digital story?
1. Think: Try free-writing for five minutes about the advantages of learning to make a digital story. Free-writing is an activity where you write everything that comes to your mind. Don’t stop writing, even for a second. Don’t worry about grammar or whether your ideas are any good. The point of free-writing is to come up with as many ideas as possible. When five minutes are up, look back at the ideas you came up with.
2. Organize: Ask your instructor for the Paragraph Outline worksheet, or open and print one from the link. You will find a printable version in Appendix 1. Fill in the outline with your best ideas.
3. Write: Follow your outline as you write a first draft of your paragraph. Don’t worry too much about spelling and grammar. Just get your ideas down in a way that makes sense. At this point, you may want to put your draft aside so you can look at it with fresh eyes later.
4. Edit: Use a different colour to make edits to your writing. Check to see how it sounds when you read it out loud. Is the meaning clear? Are there any details that are missing or off topic? Should you use different sentence types to make it flow more smoothly? Are there any words that you want to change to make your writing more alive? (Use a thesaurus to find more interesting vocabulary words.) Are all your sentences complete? Do you need to check the spelling of any words in a dictionary?
5. Rewrite: Write a final copy of your paragraph that includes all your edits. You may wish to type it on a computer. Finally, hand it in to your instructor.
Answer Key
| Vocabulary | |
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1 | public |
| 2 | version |
| 3 | process |
| 4 | rewarding |
| 5 | final |
| 6 | product |
| 7 | creation |
| 8 | web address |
| 9 | convert |
| 10 | plate-ful |
| 11 | non-sense |
| 12 | un-like-ly |
| 13 | anti-freeze |
| 14 | ship-ment |
| 15 | kind-ness |
| 16 | hope-less |
| 17 | a-ble |
| 18 | sim-ple |
| 19 | strug-gle |
| 20 | ta-ble |
| 21 | pock-et |
| 22 | can-dle |
| 23 | raf-fle |
| 24 | bath-tub |
| 25 | wish-ful |
| Check Your Understanding | |
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1 | Answers may vary. The 8th Step is a digital story about a man whose dog was taken away from him when he went into treatment for an addiction. During the story, the man tells his dog about the things they used to do together and what a good friend the dog was. After 20 years, the man explains to his dog why he disappeared one day and expresses how sorry he is. |
| 2 | Ed may have shared his story with the online world because he could never share it with his dog. The dog would not understand. Even if the dog could understand, he had likely passed away by the time Ed made the story. Publicly admitting how his addiction affected his dog may may have helped Ed to forgive himself. |
| 3 | “Publishing” your digital story means converting it to a final version that can be shared with others, if you choose. |
| 4 | Answers may vary. People may want to share their digital story with the online world as a way to express themselves, to help others who have been through a similar situation, to honour someone, or to share a lesson. |
| 5 | Answers may vary. People may not want to share their digital story with the online world because their story may contain personal information that is meant to be shared with people they know, or no one at all. The process of making the digital story may have been more important than the final product. |
| 6 | Answers may vary. |
| 7 | Answers may vary. |
| Using Apostrophes in Contractions | |
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1 | Let’s light the birthday candles. |
| 2 | I’m pressing the brakes, but this car isn’t stopping! |
| 3 | If you’re going to the beach, can I join you? |
| 4 | There’s a sale at the bookstore tomorrow. |
| 5 | We’ve picked 10 pounds of berries. |
| 6 | You’d be surprised by how spicy this curry is. |
| 7 | Come here. I’ll fix your necktie for you. |
| 8 | Don’t shake the pop. It’s going to explode! |
| 9 | The singer couldn’t figure out how to turn on the microphone. |
| 10 | Don’t play the bagpipes at midnight. |
| 11 | If you aren’t going to eat your shrimp, I will. |
| 12 | I can’t wait for the weekend. |
| Using Apostrophes to Show Possession | |
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1 | The world’s most popular instrument is the harmonica. |
| 2 | The soccer players’ uniforms were yellow and black. |
| 3 | The kite’s tail waved in the wind. |
| 4 | Grandma’s attic is full of beautiful old furniture. |
| 5 | The two sailors’ favourite pub was called The Captain’s Mess. |
| 6 | They called her the People’s Princess. |
| 7 | The children’s shoes were covered in mud. |
| 8 | The cat’s fourth leg was missing. |
| 9 | All four hens’ eggs have hatched. |
| 10 | The pirate’s parrot only seems to know bad words. |
Attribution
Theatre
Image by funnytools is in the public domain.