Digital Storytelling Links

“Founding Fragments: Freemason’s Snuff Box” (Smithsonian)

“The Crystal Palace,” University of Houston

“Founding Fragments: Mr. Peanut” (Smithsonian)

“Cheese Powder: A Brief History” (New Yorker)

“The Phone That Could Not be Killed” (New Yorker)

“Puffed: The Magic of Cereal” (New Yorker)

Questions for your group:

  • How do the filmmakers balance an affective (emotional) dimension with secondary research?
  • How does the pace of the video affect your experience?
  • Does the video inspire a sense of resonance or wonder toward an object? Which one, and why?
  • How is watching the video different from encountering an object “in person”?
  • What role does the soundtrack play? What about the voiceover?
  • How does the story create a beginning, middle, and end?
  • How is a story different from an essay? Can both convey the same information?
  • What would you do differently if this were your story?