As a kid, I absolutely loved reading the magical, mystical Choose Your Own Adventure books. The excitement of making choices and seeing how they affected the story always kept me glued to the pages.
As an ESL teacher today, I’m always looking for ways to make reading more accessible to my ESL students. Naturally, I gravitated back to my old favorites, like The Cave of Time and Journey To Atlantis. I found that my students loved reading these books just as much as I do!
You can imagine my excitement when I figured out how to add a modern twist to the role-playing story idea. And with that, Click Tales was born.
Today, I’m thrilled to bring this same interactive experience to more ESL classrooms with the Click-Tales: Digital Adventure Short Story Template; a Choose Your Own Adventure-Style ESL Writing Activity
Why It’s A Perfect Choice
- It’s a student-centered writing activity. Students work in groups to create an interactive adventure story.
- It’s modern. Rough draft worksheets paired with creative software and image generators. It’s a blending of traditional and cutting edge technology, and students enjoy the transition.
- It’s comprehensive. The tale is written by students, for students, so the language will be clear and level appropriate.
- It’s adaptable. Younger learners can really let their creativity run wild, while older students are more engaged in the technical aspects.
- It’s fun and engaging. The decision-making process keeps readers and writers actively involved from start to finish, and back to start again. Students will delight in seeing their published works of fiction, which they can share and show off with pride.
In this post, you’ll learn how to use this valuable writing template in your own classroom. Plus, I’m providing a free sample story I created using the resource to give you a glimpse of what’s possible!
How It Works
The Click-Tales template is an easy-to-use resource that helps you create your own clickable adventure stories on Canva. The template comes with:
- Pre-made story structures
- Printable Worksheets to guide students through the process
- An easy-to-use Canva template to create digital online original stories. (You will need a Canva account to access the template, but it’s FREE to sign up! And what’s more: Canva PRO is FREE for Educators! But you knew that, right?)
Watch the video below to see how it works and why it’s a hit with students and teachers alike!
Here’s How It Works:
- Choose Your Own Story Setting:
- Create a story based on any theme that suits your class, like a jungle adventure, space exploration, or underground excavation.
- Choose Your Own Character
- Are you a scientist working to save the planet from a virus? Or are you a zoologist searching for the missing link? Maybe you’re just a plain old treasure hunter, looking to uncover the riches of a lost city.
- Write Your Story
- The template includes prompts and sections for writing the beginning, the choices, and the outcomes. It’s perfect for students to practice writing short sentences and using vocabulary they’ve learned.
- Interactive Learning
- As students make choices, they get to see the consequences of their decisions, which encourages critical thinking. Additionally, it helps them practice different grammar structures and vocabulary.
- Perfect for Group Work
- Use the template in small groups or pairs to encourage collaboration as students create and share their stories.
Why the Adventure-Style ESL Writing Activity is Great for English Learners and ESL Students:
- Improves Vocabulary and Grammar: By creating multiple story paths, students reinforce vocabulary and grammar structures in a fun, hands-on way.
- Encourages Creativity: Students get to create their own stories, making learning feel like a creative adventure.
- Engagement: The interactive nature of the Alternate Endings format holds students’ attention and keeps them engaged in the learning process.
- Customizable: You can tailor the stories to different levels of language proficiency, making it suitable for beginner to advanced learners.
Free Sample Or Paid Version: Which Would YOU Choose?
For an idea of how the template works, I’ve created a sample short story using the resource.You can download it below and see how the template brings the story to life! Use this story as a starter activity or simply as inspiration for your own creations.
Subscribe Below To Start Your Click Tale Adventure!
People are talkin’…
Verified TPT User
“My students were obsessed with this activity! They begged to do more stories. I loved how it made writing fun for them.”
Verified TPT User
“Clear instructions, super engaging, and easy to prep. I used this as a sub plan and it was a hit!”
If you’re ready to take your ESL lessons to the next level, grab your own Click-Tales Template today!
Or perhaps, you’re ready to jump right in to unlimited alternate endings?
Excellent Choice!
I hope you enjoy this new adventure in digital technology and English instruction. I can’t wait to see what you create!
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Thanks so much and as always,
Happy Teaching!
-Elsa