As a global leader in entertainment, Warner Bros. Discovery reaches and influences audiences worldwide. We believe that new perspectives and unique voices lay the foundation for all of our great stories and we are committed to creating programs and partnerships that empower the next great storytellers.
Story Lab, a Warner Bros. Discovery program, launched in partnership with Young Storytellers, is a comic-book inspired in-school program that aims to develop a generation of young people who value their voice and the voices of their peers.
The program's curriculum, taught to sixth grade middle school English Language Arts teachers by Young Storytellers' trained educators, reinforces the core values of storytelling - confidence, empathy and creativity.
Warner Bros. Discovery Story Lab Participation Terms & Conditions
Warner Bros. Discovery and DC are excited to make various Warner Bros. Discovery and DC characters and story elements (“Materials”) available for your educational use as part of the Warner Bros. Discovery Story Lab Program (“Program”). As a participant in the program, you will have the opportunity to develop creative works (such as stories, artwork, videos, photographs, etc.) that incorporate, reference or are otherwise inspired by the materials. The materials are only for use in connection with the program, but we hope students will share their creative work outside the program with friends and family so long as the use is non-commercial (so, for example, no t-shirts or posting on the Internet). The Warner Bros. Discovery Story Lab may exhibit your creative work in the Warner Bros. Discovery Story Lab Culminating Event along with your name and any photographs, voices or video.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW & GOALS
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Warner Bros. Discovery Story Lab, a program developed in partnership with Young Storytellers provides a comic-book inspired curriculum for sixth grade middle school students that teaches core storytelling skills while reinforcing confidence, empathy and creativity. Through analyzing DC Super Heroes, sixth grade students learn about the general structure of superhero stories. Students then draw connections between their own experiences and the stories of DC Super Heroes. By the end of the unit, students will have learned how to tell their personal stories through the creation of autobiographical comic books and presentations that highlight the importance of their stories.
Before the unit begins, teachers will participate in a Young Storytellers training event that will present the curriculum content and an approach to engaging young people in creative expression through games and activities included in the program lesson plans. Time will also be dedicated to discussing and planning how teachers can adjust the program to fit the needs of their students and the culture of their classrooms. After the training period teachers will have access to support through the StoryLab portal, Young Storytellers office hours and program newsletter. In addition, participating teachers will receive a suite of digital tools to support instruction including ready-made presentations, teacher/student exemplars, and digital student worksheets.
The program consists of 20 lessons. Lessons can be given once or twice each week, or participating teachers can modify the duration of the program to suit the needs of their class.
Unit Goals
By the end of the program, students will be able to:
Use the key elements of narrative story structure (character, setting, conflict, resolution) to create their own texts.
Identify their unique strengths and realize the power in their own narrative.
Use social emotional competencies to actively build and participate in a supportive classroom community.
Confidently share their thoughts, feedback and ideas with peers and with an audience.
By the end of the program, students will create:
A complete comic book with cover, beginning, middle and end
A pitch presentation that explains why their story deserves to be heard
PROGRAM EXPECTATIONS & TEACHER SUPPORT
The following list of expectations is set to help maintain program fidelity, as well as provide clarity around teachers' critical programmatic role. We are here to support teachers in any way we can and have outlined the system of support built for them below.
PROGRAM EXPECTATIONS
Participate in the one-day professional development.
Teach the curriculum provided, maintaining established curriculum.
Oversee creation of student superhero stories, autobiographical comic books and student pitches.
Administer student surveys (electronic) at completion of the curriculum.
Provide program feedback to Warner Bros. Discovery and Young Storytellers.
TEACHER SUPPORT
One four-hour professional development session around the curriculum.
Teacher handbook with curriculum, student worksheets and supporting materials.
Access to Story Lab portal, which includes curriculum, printable PDFS, lesson resources, and a virtual community forum
Instructional videos from DC animators
FAQ and virtual learning videos
Office hours with Story Lab program specialist throughout session
Open line of communication with Warner Bros. Discovery and Young Storytellers (See Contact Sheet on following pages).
CONTACT SHEET
As a participant of WBD Story Lab, you have a direct line of support to each of the program partners. We have noted below the program contacts, as well to whom certain questions should be directed. However, you should feel comfortable reaching out to anymore on the list below for support in any program area.
WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY
Kaitlyn Herring
Associate Manager, Social Impact, Warner Bros. Discovery Kaitlyn.Herring@warnerbros.com
Contact for: Program feedback
YOUNG STORYTELLERS
Pilar Alvarez
Education Director
Pilar@youngstorytellers.com
323-962-4500
Contact for: Curriculum, program feedback, questions and support
Rachael Pierce Jones
Curriculum Specialist
rachael@youngstorytellers.com
Contact for: Curriculum, program feedback, questions and support
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS COMMON CORE STANDARDS ADDRESSED
READING | LITERATURE
Key Ideas and Details
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2 | Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text that does not include personal opinions or judgments.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3
Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
READING | INFORMATIONAL TEXTS
Key Ideas and Details
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.3 | Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
WRITING
Text Types and Purposes
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.1 | Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.1.A | Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.1.C | Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.1.E | Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3 | Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.B | Use narrative techniques such as dialogue, pacing, and description to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.D | Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.E | Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
Production and Distribution of Writing
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.5 | With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of language standards 1-3 up to and including grade 6 here.
SPEAKING AND LISTENING
Comprehension and Collaboration
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.1 | Effectively engage in a range of collaborative discussions (e.g., one-on-one, in groups, teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues in order to build on others’ ideas and clearly express their own ideas.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.1.B | Follow rules for collegial discussions, set specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.1.C | Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion.
LANGUAGE
Knowledge of Language
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.3 | Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading,or listening.
National Core Arts Standards
Visual Arts: Creating
VA:Cr1.1.6a: Combine concepts collaboratively to generate innovative ideas for creating art.
VA:Cr1.2.6a: Formulate an artistic investigation of personally relevant content for creating art.
VA:Cr2.1.6a: Demonstrate openness in trying new ideas, materials, methods, and approaches in making works of art and design.
VA:Cr2.3.6a : Design or redesign objects, places, or systems that meet the identified needs of diverse users.
VA:Cr3.1.6a : Reflect on whether personal artwork conveys the intended meaning and revise accordingly.
Visual Arts: Presenting
VA:Pr5.1.6a : Individually or collaboratively, develop a visual plan for displaying works of art, analyzing exhibit space, the needs of the viewer, and the layout of the exhibit.
Visual Arts: Responding
VA:Re.7.1.6a: Identify and interpret works of art or design that reveal how people live around the world and what they value.
VA:Re.7.2.6a: Analyze ways that visual components and cultural associations suggested by images influence ideas, emotions, and actions.
Theatre: Performing
TH:Pr4.1.6b: Experiment with various physical choices to communicate character in a drama/theatre work.
The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) Competencies:
SELF-AWARENESS: The abilities to understand one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts.
SELF-MANAGEMENT: The abilities to manage one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations and to achieve goals and aspirations.
SOCIAL AWARENESS: The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, & contexts.
RELATIONSHIP SKILLS: The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with diverse individuals and groups.
RESPONSIBLE DECISION-MAKING: The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across diverse situations.
LESSON BREAKDOWN
This handbook will guide teachers through each of the 20 lesson plans, and each lesson plan will consist of the following components:
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES
A list of things that the students should learn or be able to do after completing the lesson.
TODAY | A complete breakdown of the lesson for the day.
GOAL | A student-friendly description of the goal of the lesson. Teachers should write this goal on the board and explain it to their students at the beginning of each lesson.
PLAY | An interactive way to develop and address skills and topics that are related to what the students are learning or doing that day.
TEACH | The lesson content as well as teaching methods that will support values of creativity and empowerment.
CREATE | The task that students are to complete by the end of the day.
SHARE | Time set aside for students to share their ideas with the rest of the group. This practice also helps build community.
Each lesson is planned for a fifty-minute period. Please adjust this duration as needed in order to accomplish the main task for the day. Depending on your available time, check-ins and share sections can be done with the entire group sitting in a circle, in smaller groups, or in pairs. What matters most is that everyone responds to the check-in question and share prompt in their own way.
OVERVIEW OF LESSONS
LESSON ONE
Understand the overall goals of the WBD Story Lab program and create group agreements.
LESSON TWO
Define what a superhero is and what makes us similar to and different from a superhero.
LESSON THREE
Learn and describe the basic parts of a superhero story in collaboration with our classmates.
LESSON FOUR
Brainstorm and identify the real-life superpower to use in our autobiographical comic book.
LESSON FIVE
Write the outline for our autobiographical comic book.
LESSON SIX
Turn our comic book outline into a story using complete sentences.
LESSON SEVEN
Participate in peer feedback to get ideas for revision.
LESSON EIGHT
Revise to add details, descriptions and make our stories clearer to our readers.
LESSON NINE
Learn and practice different ways of illustrating comic characters.
LESSON TEN
Learn the key elements of a comic book and demonstrate our understanding through a comic book panel game.
LESSON ELEVEN
Illustrate the beginning panel/s of our autobiographical comic book (black and white).
LESSON TWELVE
Illustrate the middle panel/s of our autobiographical comic book (black and white).
LESSON THIRTEEN
Finish the first draft of our autobiographical comic books including the ending and cover using pencil and pen.
LESSON FOURTEEN
Provide feedback to classmates on their autobiographical comic book stories and use feedback to think about next steps to improve our own work.
LESSON FIFTEEN
Add color to comic book panels in order to reflect the key emotions expressed in our stories.
LESSON SIXTEEN
Create superhero "stats" including motto and mission to complete our autobiographical comic book cover.
LESSON SEVENTEEN
Write a pitch for our autobiographical comic book that expresses the value and importance of our superhero story.
LESSON EIGHTEEN
Use physical and verbal expression to improve the effectiveness of our comic book pitches.
LESSON NINETEEN
Share our pitches to receive feedback from our peers and make improvements before our performance.
LESSON TWENTY
Presentation!
TEACHER TRAINING RECORDING (9/17/22))
