Storybuddy and Skitch for a Nonfiction Features Dictionary

Recently my guided reading group was looking at nonfiction features, and as I'm sure many of my colleagues have done before, we made a Nonfiction Features Dictionary. First, we brainstormed a list of all the features of nonfiction text (bold words, table of contents, diagrams, photos, etc). Then, they had to look through their most recent nonfiction text (and any other book they could find) to find examples of these features. They used their iPads to take pictures of each of the features.

After taking the pictures, they used Skitch to annotate the pictures. Skitch is an app to do just that - you grab a photo from your camera roll, and you can write, type, draw, or otherwise edit the photo. Once you're done with the photo, you can save it to the camera roll (it will save the original AND the edited versions), print it, or email it. Skitch also connects to Evernote, for those of you who are Evernote users! Skitch is an awesome app for editing photos to be used with a variety of apps, not just Storybuddy!

Here's an example of the nonfiction features photos with edits:

Students needed to say what type of feature it was, as well as how it helps them become better readers and understand nonfiction text better.

Once they had done this for all of their nonfiction features photos, they assembled all the photos into one book using Storybuddy. This app has the user create an e-book by putting in photos, drawings, and text. Students can even record their own voice and attach it to each page of the book.

Once the story is finished, it can be read within StoryBuddy, or it can be exported to iBooks, or can even be emailed or printed as a PDF. We have the free version, which means you can only have 2 stories at a time within the app. However, if students export their finished stories to iBooks and then delete the story from StoryBuddy, they can create more than 2 stories.

Just one of the MANY ways to use these awesome apps!