Lesson Plan

Pedagogical approach: applying developing knowledge in new situations

View episode 13 of Noah & Saskia.

In pairs, students develop a concept for a chat room interaction. They imagine they are meeting online for the first time in webweave (visit www.abc.net.au/noahandsaskia) or a similar online setting.
The students will be involved in:

• creating avatars/representations and a set that reflects their own or fictional characters’ identity/tastes
• considering the selection of backgrounds, names, clothing, gestures, voices, sound effects, interests, catchphrases, physical attributes and ‘attitudes’. Students can refer back to Worksheet 2 and Worksheet 3 to develop ideas.
• writing dialogue for the two avatars
• developing a storyboard to show the interaction of the avatars

Webweave, where Noah & Saskia chat online, was created using the Australian Children Television Foundation’s software package Kahootz. If you have access to Kahootz or a similar program, students can create this interaction and ‘setting’ virtually. Have students present their creations to the whole class through the use of a data projector or in small groups around computers. Students can visit www.abc.net.au/noahandsaskia, follow the shortcuts to Noah’s World and explore Webweave world and Comic Strip maker for ideas. Similarly, Saskia’s World has a shortcut to Max Hammer media.

Alternatively, students can select from a range of media to make their avatar/representation three-dimensional (3D). Consider the use of clay, paper products, cloth, wire, string, etc.