I read Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek, and what caught my attention right away was how John Branch started with the people instead of jumping straight into the avalanche. He opened with Chris Rudolph calling out for Elyse Saugstad as everything was breaking loose, and that set the scene right from the start. From there, he kept it focused and easy to follow, and it held my attention the whole way through. I stayed with it because I could see who was involved and what was happening to them as it unfolded (Branch, 2012). I was also able to relate to the emotional situation that Saugstad found herself in because I have been in a much smaller avalanche in my youth and know the tremendous power of claustrophobia and fearing that you will be buried alive.
The way the author engages the audience comes down to how he builds the situation before everything goes wrong. He shows what Tunnel Creek is, how it is used, and what people already knew about it. When Tim Wesley talks about being cautious of that area and explains how the snowpack can change over a long vertical drop, that is not filler. That is a warning built into the story. By the time the group drops into that slope, I already understand the risk. That is what keeps the reader locked in. The story moves in order and gives the reader time to follow each step, which is something Ohler (2023) stresses when he talks about keeping a story clear and connected.
There is no background music in this piece, but the embedded interview videos did make a difference for me. The video of Elyse Saugstad, where she describes being buried and not being able to breathe, added something the text alone could not fully convey. Reading about what happened is one thing. Listening to her describe being buried in the snow and trying to breathe changed how I took in the story. This was not someone talking about it from a distance. This was someone who had been there and lived through it. Seeing her and hearing her explain it made the moment more real than the text alone (Branch, 2012).
The graphics and animation were very engaging and helped me understand the story and each situation that was discussed or happening. Tunnel Creek is not a simple location to picture, especially for someone who has never been there. The aerial views, the route visuals, and the avalanche simulation made it easier to follow what happened. When the story describes the slope and the way the snow moved, I could connect that directly to what I was seeing. That kept the story from becoming confusing. Lambert (2010) explains that visuals in digital storytelling should deepen understanding, and that is exactly what happens here. Robin (2006) also points out that combining text with visuals can strengthen how information is communicated, and this piece shows that clearly.
The interactive design helped with understanding what was happening. I could move through the story at my own pace, stop and look closely at a visual, and then continue reading. The terrain map that shifts and shows different parts of the mountain made it easier to see where everything was taking place. That gave me time to take in what I was reading instead of being rushed through it. I was able to explore the terrain, the sequence of events, and the people involved without losing track of the story. Story Concepts (2013) emphasizes that digital stories should be built in a way that supports the reader’s experience, and this piece does that well because every part works together without getting in the way.
From an educational standpoint, this story is interesting and has real value. It connects reading, science, geography, and decision-making in one place. Students can see how conditions on the mountain, along with human choices, led to a specific outcome. That gives a clear example of cause and effect. It also gives a strong example of sequencing because the story shows how each step led to the next. Robin (2006) explains that digital storytelling can support learning by combining information and media in a way that holds attention, and that is exactly what this does.
This also connects to ISTE standards because it shows how digital tools can be used to communicate information clearly. The text, visuals, and interaction all support each other. Nothing is there just to be there. Students need to see that technology is not about adding extra features. It is about using the right tools to help people understand what is being communicated. That lines up with what Robin (2006) describes about students learning to communicate through digital storytelling.
As far as the audience, this piece fits older students and adults best. The length, vocabulary, and depth would be too much for many younger students if it were assigned all at once. In my fifth-grade classroom, I would not assign the entire story straight through because many of my students are low readers and would struggle to stay with it. What I would do is use selected sections. I could use the visuals to walk them through what is happening while we read it together. We could talk through cause and effect, follow the order of events, and look at the decisions that were made along the way. I could also tie it into our science lessons on weather and landforms, so they can actually understand what they are looking at.
When I look at this next to what Lambert, Ohler, and Robin talk about, I can see it in how the story was put together. It stays on one event and the people tied to it. It moves in order from start to finish. The visuals and video help explain what is happening instead of pulling attention away from it. That lines up with what Lambert (2010), Ohler (2023), and Robin (2006) point out about keeping the story clear and using digital tools to support what is being communicated.
This is a nonfiction digital story built around a real event. It uses reporting, interviews, visuals, and interactive elements to show what happened. It walks through how it unfolded and who was involved as it moves forward. It stays direct and shows the situation through what took place and the people who were there (Branch, 2012).
A simple story map for this would look like this. The beginning introduces the skiers, the location, and the snow conditions. The middle shows the decisions being made and the warning signs that were already there. The turning point is when the avalanche happens. The ending shows the aftermath, including the search, the loss, and the effort to understand what went wrong. That is a structure I can use in my classroom when teaching students how to break down a story or organize their own writing (Ohler, 2023).
What I take from this is that Branch told the story in a way that kept everything clear and connected. The people, the setting, the visuals, and the sequence all worked together. That is why it holds attention. It is also why it has value in the classroom. Students can learn from the content, and they can also learn from how the story was put together.
References
Branch, J. (2012). Snow Fall: The avalanche at Tunnel Creek. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/projects/2012/snow-fall/index.html#/?part=tunnel-creek
Lambert, J. (2010). Digital storytelling: Capturing lives, creating community (3rd ed.). Routledge.
Ohler, J. (2023). Digital storytelling in the classroom: New media pathways to literacy, learning, and creativity (3rd ed.). Corwin.
Robin, B. R. (2006). The educational uses of digital storytelling. In C. Crawford et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of SITE 2006: Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (pp. 709–716). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education.
Story Concepts. (2013, November 18). Story Concepts. https://storyconcepts.blogspot.com/
