Puppet Pals HD

Price: Free!
Grade Recommendation: All
Subject: All
Specific Skill: Storytelling
Levels: N/A
Players: N/A
For iPad, iPod, or Both: Both

Please note that the free version of this app only unlocks the 'Fairytale' theme. Additional themes can be purchased in-app for 99 cents each. But the best deal is to spend $2.99 on the Director's Pass, which makes all of the other themes available.

What a fun app! Students use up to 8 'actors' (characters) and up to 5 backdrops to tell an original or recreated story. They use their fingers to make the characters 'move' and record the story using their own voices! The app is quite customizable! Photos taken with or saved on the iOS device may be used as an actor/character or as the backdrop.

The Director's Pass includes the following themes: Arthropod Armada, Christmas, Entertainers, Fair Weather Friends, Fairytale, Monsters, On the Farm, Pirates, Political Par-tay, Space, Talk Shows, Thanksgiving, Wild West, and Zombie Attack.

Saved shows are initially saved to the camera roll. From there, they can be exported via text message or email, uploaded to YouTube, or transferred to a computer.

The possibilities for using this app are endless. Spend the $2.99 for the Director's Pass and watch your students' creativity bloom!

Toontastic

Price: Free!
Grade Recommendation: K - 5th
Subject: Storytelling
Specific Skill: Writing
Levels: N/A
Players: N/A
For iPad, iPod, or Both: iPad

Think of this fun app as a digital puppet show! It's quite easy for students to turn a story into a cartoon by capturing their voice and animation. The free original version comes with an acceptable number of characters, background music, and scenes. However in-app purchases add additional elements. Finished cartoons can be shared via ToonTube (http://toontube.launchpadtoys.com/).

I suggest encouraging users to plan out their story before beginning the animation process in this app. It's best if they use the Story Arc already embedded in the app. However, the app also allows for scenes to be deleted and added to the Story Arc.

Setup - Introduce the characters and story setting
Conflict - Create a problem for your main character
Challenge - Make the problem even more difficult
Climax - Help the main character solve the problem
Resolution - Show that the problem has been settled

Once they are ready to create their cartoon, they'll first need to choose a setting or draw their own. They'll do the same thing for characters. Next, they'll start recording animation by using their fingers to move the characters and record the oral version of the story. They'll then select background music from the choices given. The process continues for each scene that's part of their Story Arc.

This app is highly recommended, even if you don't supplement it with any in-app purchases. It's a treat to witness the creativity and imagination that goes into turning stories into digital cartoons!