• "I think storytelling is important for figuring out problems in the world and helping you to process it. So if you have a traumatic experience, you're probably going to talk about it. And climate change is sort of a traumatic experience...”

See how Nashville’s youth re-imagined stories about Nashville’s Mill Creek:

Podcast

Students interested in compelling audio stories worked with podcasting. They were initially presented with several short-form podcasts formatted around scientific inquiry. For construction of their own podcasts, students were asked to include an introductory “hook,” content that could be divided into different sections or topics, sound or music, an overarching theme, and a conclusive ending.

Augmented Reality (AR)

Students interested in stories with a visual, audio, and interactive element worked with AR. Emphasis was placed on how students could overlay virtual elements on the real world to engage in an enhanced version of reality. The program Zapworks housed student projects on a school account. Students were encouraged to think of the actors, time scale, and spaces of Mill Creek, and how to visualize these elements in the AR space as “scenes” that can change.

Zine (short for “magazine”)

Students interested in combining illustrated art with narrative worked with Zines. Zines were introduced as self-published booklets, with emphasis placed on their history for underrepresented or silenced voices compared to mainstream media. Students were provided with example zines of a similar format, a six-page booklet with a front and back cover. In addition to the visual component, students were encouraged to think about the point of view, plot, and setting of the story they wished to convey.