Launch
Launch
Students will launch the narrative and visual storytelling project by exploring turning points, studying mentor-text craft, gathering first feedback from peers and community voices, and producing early portfolio artifacts that set up later research, drafting, revision, and symbolic design work.
Days 1 - 8
Research & Empathy
Research & Empathy
Students will gather and analyze feedback from peers, adults, and community partners to understand what makes a personal turning-point story meaningful to readers and listeners. They will practice close reading of mentor texts, conduct interviews and story circles, sort evidence into patterns, and create an empathy artifact that captures audience needs, emotions, and memorable craft moves before moving into defining a focused narrative direction.
Days 9 - 21
Define & Frame
Define & Frame
Students will turn interview notes, story-circle evidence, and mentor-text analysis into a focused narrative design brief for a personal turning-point story. They will define audience-centered criteria for what makes a meaningful narrative, test their assumptions against Fish in a Tree and other mentor texts, frame a clear How Might We statement, and produce a first narrative direction with revision based on peer, teacher, and community feedback.
Days 22 - 34
50 min over capacity (650 min available across 13 days)
Generate Narrative Concepts
Generate Narrative Concepts
Students will generate several possible directions for a personal narrative about a turning point, test those options against audience needs and mentor-text craft, and select one concept to carry into drafting. Across the phase, they will sketch alternative structures, tones, and symbols; gather peer and community feedback; and document why one narrative path is the strongest fit for meaning, clarity, and audience impact.
Days 35 - 47
Prototype & Test
Prototype & Test
Students will turn selected narrative concepts into low-fidelity story prototypes, test how clearly readers understand the turning point and emotional shift, and use peer, teacher, art teacher, and community-partner feedback to complete multiple documented revisions before moving into final refinement.
Days 48 - 60
100 min over capacity (650 min available across 13 days)
Refine & Showcase
Refine & Showcase
Students will refine their personal narrative and supporting visual artifacts through targeted revision, final reader validation, and stakeholder-ready documentation. They will prepare a polished narrative, a symbolic piñata, and a process vision board that show how mentor-text craft moves, feedback, and design choices shaped their work before the public exhibition phase.
Days 61 - 72
50 min over capacity (600 min available across 12 days)
Showcase
Showcase
Students will present their published personal narratives, process vision boards, and symbolic piñatas to families, peers, the art teacher, and community partners; gather and analyze audience feedback; make final audience-centered revisions to their oral and written explanations; and document how their writing, design choices, and identity work developed across the project.
Days 73 - 80
Launch
Days 1–8
Research & Empathy
Days 9–21
Define & Frame
Days 22–34
Day 29
Generate Narrative Concepts
Days 35–47
Day 40
Day 43
Prototype & Test
Days 48–60
Day 60
Refine & Showcase
Days 61–72
Day 72
Showcase
Days 73–80
July 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
21
Day 2
📖 Fish in a Tree Craft Hunt
📖 Fish in a Tree Craft Hunt
22
Day 3
🎨 Voices and Visions Share Circle
🎨 Voices and Visions Share Circle
23
Day 4
🗣️ Dialogue and Sensory Scene Lab
🗣️ Dialogue and Sensory Scene Lab
24
Day 5
✍️ Turning Point Snapshot Draft
✍️ Turning Point Snapshot Draft
27
Day 6
🔁 Revision Relay Feedback Round
🔁 Revision Relay Feedback Round
28
Day 7
🧩 Piñata Symbol Sketches
🧩 Piñata Symbol Sketches
29
Day 8
🎙️ Portfolio Note and Audio Checkpoint
🎙️ Portfolio Note and Audio Checkpoint
31
Day 10
📘 Fish in a Tree Craft Notes
📘 Fish in a Tree Craft Notes
August 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
3
Day 11
🎙️ Story Circle Listening Notes
🎙️ Story Circle Listening Notes
4
Day 12
📝 Interview Questions for Turning Points
📝 Interview Questions for Turning Points
5
Day 13
👥 Partner Interviews on Memorable Writing
👥 Partner Interviews on Memorable Writing
6
Day 14
🎨 Vision Board Symbol Hunt
🎨 Vision Board Symbol Hunt
7
Day 15
🌎 Community Writer Interview Notes
🌎 Community Writer Interview Notes
10
Day 16
🗂️ Empathy Map Evidence Board
🗂️ Empathy Map Evidence Board
11
Day 17
✍️ Turning Point Scene Quickwrite
✍️ Turning Point Scene Quickwrite
12
Day 18
💬 Two-Peer Scene Feedback Round
💬 Two-Peer Scene Feedback Round
13
Day 19
🔁 Conference Revision with Evidence
🔁 Conference Revision with Evidence
14
Day 20
📌 Empathy Artifact and Story Focus
📌 Empathy Artifact and Story Focus
17
Day 21
🎧 Portfolio Note and Audio Checkpoint
🎧 Portfolio Note and Audio Checkpoint
19
Day 23
📘 Fish in a Tree Annotations
📘 Fish in a Tree Annotations
20
Day 24
🧩 Turning Point Craft Lesson
🧩 Turning Point Craft Lesson
21
Day 25
📝 How Might We Frame
📝 How Might We Frame
24
Day 26
🎯 Narrative Design Brief Checkpoint
🎯 Narrative Design Brief Checkpoint
25
Day 27
🎨 Symbolism with the Art Teacher
🎨 Symbolism with the Art Teacher
26
Day 28
🗂️ Mentor Moves to Story Plan
🗂️ Mentor Moves to Story Plan
27
Day 29
28
Day 30
🤝 Design Brief Peer Tuning
🤝 Design Brief Peer Tuning
September 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
31
Day 31
🗣️ Community Mini-Gallery Feedback
🗣️ Community Mini-Gallery Feedback
1
Day 32
🔁 Brief and Symbol Revision
🔁 Brief and Symbol Revision
2
Day 33
✅ Framing Conference Gate
✅ Framing Conference Gate
3
Day 34
🎙️ Portfolio Note and Audio Reflection
🎙️ Portfolio Note and Audio Reflection
7
Day 36
📘 Fish in a Tree Craft Map
📘 Fish in a Tree Craft Map
8
Day 37
🧭 Perspective and Structure Remix
🧭 Perspective and Structure Remix
9
Day 38
🎨 Symbol Sketches for Piñata Meaning
🎨 Symbol Sketches for Piñata Meaning
10
Day 39
✍️ Three Scene Concept Drafts
✍️ Three Scene Concept Drafts
11
Day 40
14
Day 41
🗣️ Reader Reaction Interview Rounds
🗣️ Reader Reaction Interview Rounds
15
Day 42
🔁 Two-Peer Feedback Revision Loop
🔁 Two-Peer Feedback Revision Loop
16
Day 43
17
Day 44
🤝 Mini Gallery with Community Notes
🤝 Mini Gallery with Community Notes
18
Day 45
📊 Concept Choice Evidence Board
📊 Concept Choice Evidence Board
21
Day 46
🧩 Narrative Direction One-Pager
🧩 Narrative Direction One-Pager
22
Day 47
🎙️ Portfolio Note and Audio Checkpoint
🎙️ Portfolio Note and Audio Checkpoint
24
Day 49
🎙️ Dialogue and Sensory Scene Lab
🎙️ Dialogue and Sensory Scene Lab
25
Day 50
📝 Chunk 1 Story Prototype
📝 Chunk 1 Story Prototype
28
Day 51
🔁 Two-Peer Feedback Circuit
🔁 Two-Peer Feedback Circuit
29
Day 52
🗂️ Feedback Pattern Sort
🗂️ Feedback Pattern Sort
30
Day 53
🎨 Vision Board Test Cards
🎨 Vision Board Test Cards
1
Day 54
🗣️ Mini-Gallery with Partners
🗣️ Mini-Gallery with Partners
2
Day 55
✍️ Revision Sprint from User Evidence
✍️ Revision Sprint from User Evidence
October 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
5
Day 56
👥 Teacher Conference Checkpoint
👥 Teacher Conference Checkpoint
6
Day 57
🧪 Second Reader Test Round
🧪 Second Reader Test Round
7
Day 58
📌 Piñata Symbol Sketch Set
📌 Piñata Symbol Sketch Set
8
Day 59
📚 Chunk 1 Portfolio Note
📚 Chunk 1 Portfolio Note
9
Day 60
13
Day 62
🧰 Dialogue and Sensory Upgrade Lab
🧰 Dialogue and Sensory Upgrade Lab
14
Day 63
📝 Final Narrative Revision Sprint
📝 Final Narrative Revision Sprint
15
Day 64
💬 Two-Peer Feedback Round
💬 Two-Peer Feedback Round
16
Day 65
🎨 Symbolism and Piñata Planning
🎨 Symbolism and Piñata Planning
19
Day 66
🪅 Piñata and Vision Board Build
🪅 Piñata and Vision Board Build
20
Day 67
🗣️ Reader Validation Interviews
🗣️ Reader Validation Interviews
21
Day 68
🪞 Final Polish and Artist Statement
🪞 Final Polish and Artist Statement
22
Day 69
🧪 Showcase Table Prototype Check
🧪 Showcase Table Prototype Check
23
Day 70
📂 Portfolio Growth Note
📂 Portfolio Growth Note
26
Day 71
✅ Published Narrative Milestone
✅ Published Narrative Milestone
27
Day 72
29
Day 74
🖼️ Gallery Labels and Artist Statement
🖼️ Gallery Labels and Artist Statement
30
Day 75
🔍 Two-Peer Gallery Tune-Up
🔍 Two-Peer Gallery Tune-Up
November 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
2
Day 76
🛠️ Final Exhibit Setup Sprint
🛠️ Final Exhibit Setup Sprint
3
Day 77
🤝 Community Story Walk Gallery
🤝 Community Story Walk Gallery
4
Day 78
📣 Voices from the Journey
📣 Voices from the Journey
5
Day 79
📝 Portfolio Growth Note
📝 Portfolio Growth Note
6
Day 80
🏅 Published Narrative Defense
🏅 Published Narrative Defense