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Friday, November 30, 2012

Kids, Digital Camera, Action! - Movie Making in the Classroom Lesson Plan


&nbwsp;                                                                       Image 1

I teach Computer Science in a Christian school. This year I'll be working with the bible teacher of my 7th and 8th grade computer class and will have the students work on a project where they will create a movie clip that explains a bible verse of their choosing.

To help the students understand what is expected and what they can create, I have accumulated a list of around 20 videos that offer different approaches to explaining a topic and I've been playing for the students one or two videos a day during the last 2 weeks prior to starting the project. The videos that I showcase are downloaded from logo (http://GodTube.com), a site which I have found has an enormous quantity of Cristian related videos, and they cover different video-making approaches such as comedy, testimonial, animated lyrics and songs, animations, reenactments, animated words, filmed hand written messages, etcetera. Now, just because I get my videos from logo doesn't mean this lesson can not apply for secular classrooms too. Students and/or teacher can utilize other video sites such as Youtube.com or Vimeo.com, among many others to find examples of what students can do.

Here my three favorite videos. I've found 7th and 8th graders enjoy these a lot:







For this lesson plan we are using digital cameras to film and Microsoft's VideoMaker software to format the movie. I've found MovieMaker to be very easy to use and simple, and all though it may not have very complex effects, the results are professional looking.



Movie Making Lesson Plan

Summary: Students will learn how to import pictures and edit their movie with effects, transitions and titles.



Learning Objectives:
" Plan a storyboard by sketching each scene
" Work cooperatively in a production team
" Use a camera to capture a variety of action shots
" Identify basic parts of Windows Movie Maker
" Isolate a frame by clicking and dragging the play head
" Split a clip into two pieces and delete frames
" Edit clips to add transitions, effects, and text overlays
" Add a title clip and a credit clip
" Narrate action sequences and add sound track
" Save a project as a Windows Media Player file


Part I
Warmup activity:
Introduce and teach the basics of Microsoft's MovieMaker tool.

Planning:
Once the students are familiar with Microsoft Movie Maker, they begin to plan the creation of their own video production. To start, students are grouped in teams of six and together, the video production team, must decide on a topic from a bible verse and the plot for their movie.


Part II
Organizing:
Students will decide the roles for the team members:
     Director/Sound Editor (1 student)
     Writers/Photographers (2 student)
     Story Board/Cast (3 Students)

Note: if the group is too small for groups of six, teams can be arranged with three students and, while still one student is the director and the other two are writers, all three students participate in the making of the story board and as cast.

Writing: 
[Writers and Story Board team members]
Students develop story line on their Topic of choice (5-8 dialogs). Story board crew use a storyboard, provided with the project, to organize their ideas (5-8 frames)


Part III
Filming Movie:
[Director , Photographers, and Cast members]
Students capture the action sequences using basic video recording equipment, such as a web cam or a digital camera.


Part IV
Sound Capture:

[Sound Editor, and Cast members]
Students will work with sound and background music. Either they will record themselves (if necessary and if if a recorder is available, normally they will use the recorded audio from the digital camera) and/or using speech to text application, and will also add background music and effects

Editing:
[Sound Editor, Photographer, and Cast members]
Students will import the photos/videos/Recordings/Sound into the movie, and edit it as needed.


Part V
Editing:
[Sound Editor, Photographer, and Cast members]
Students will import the photos/videos/Recordings/Sound into the movie, and edit it as needed.



Attachements
Movie Maker Team and Project Evaluation Rubric

Director’s Name: ________________________
Student’s Name: _________________________


Evaluating My Team Members

Criteria
Points

4
3
2
1

Level Of Engagement In Project

Student proactively contributes to team or project by offering ideas and asking questions more than once per class.

Student proactively contributes to team or project by offering ideas and asking questions once per class.
Student rarely contributes to team or project by offering ideas and asking questions.
Student never contributes to team or project by offering ideas and asking questions
a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

Listening Skills

Student listens when others talk, both in groups and in class. Student incorporates or builds off of the ideas of others.

Student listens when others talk, both in groups and in class.
Student does not listen when others talk, both in groups and in class.
Student does not listen when others talk, both in groups and in class. Student often interrupts when others speak.
a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

Behavior

Student almost never displays disruptive behavior during class.

Student rarely displays disruptive behavior during class.
Student occasionally displays disruptive behavior during class.
Student almost always displays disruptive behavior during class.
a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

Write your Team Members’ Name next to a letter for grading

a.

Total---->
a.

b.

b.

c.

c.

d.

d.

e.

e.








Evaluating My Director

Criteria
Points

Below Average
Satisfactory
Excellent

Had a clear vision of final product
1
2
3

Properly organized to complete project
1
2
3

Managed time wisely
1
2
3

Managed people wisely
1
2
3

Managed resources wisely
1
2
3

Communicated with team members and teacher
1
2
3


Total---->


Evaluating The Other Team’s Project

Criteria
Points

Below Average
Satisfactory
Excellent

Format
1
2
3

Mechanics of speaking/writing
1
2
3

Organization and structure – Story Flow: Sequential and Cohesive (logical)
1
2
3

Organization and structure – Introduction: Strong opening leading smoothly to story development
1
2
3

Creativity
1
2
3

Demonstrates knowledge
1
2
3

All graphics are relevant to topic
1
2
3

Graphics appear long enough to make their point, but not too long
1
2
3

All transitions and effects enhance pictures and augment the flow of the movie
1
2
3

Contrast: Good contrast between text and background; easy to see
1
2
3

Font: Readable font; appropriate for subject
1
2
3

Animation: Title animations are artistic and add interest
1
2
3

Title: Titles are visible for an appropriate amount of time
1
2
3


Total---->








Image 1 - Retrieved from http://www.internaldrive.com/courses-programs/id-tech-summer-computer-camps/kids-movie-making-summer-camp/ on November 29, 2012.

2 comments:

  1. Love the detail you get into especially that you posted rubric. can you email me the rubrics?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Marco:
    The technique you are using in class it is different, innovative and remarkable for the students and I want to congratulate you because you are not only making the class fun and easy to understand, you are using original tools for them to learn and discover. Well done!!!

    ReplyDelete