Video Projects: Challenge
Ask students to use the video format to challenge others. Inference is the reasoning involved in drawing conclusions based on evidence and prior knowledge rather than simple observation. Ask students to provide hints or clues without providing the solution.
Students must combine the information provided with previous knowledge, experience, and beliefs to come up with the answer. In other words, they make an educated guess or prediction. As a result, not everyone may draw the same conclusion. A person's experience impacts their perspective. A project would involve asking questions, collecting evidence, making connections, sharing predication, making decisions, and drawing conclusions.
Watch a student video to learn more about inferring called Inferring and Visualizing.
Present an Issue and Challenge Thinking
A student video can be used to provide multiple perspectives on a topic. This can then serve as the basis for discussion of this topic. This video could take the form of a debate, presentation of two sides of an issue, or an open-ended series of questions with possible answers. Provide evidence to support a number of different perspectives. Then ask the audience to make a final decision. For instance, who owns the land that is appearing in the Arctic as a result of ice melting? Should we establish a colony on the moon?
Use One Nation Under God by middle school students to begin a discussion of this issue.
Use Knowledge by high school students to begin a discussion of passing on knowledge.
Build a Visual Story Starter
Use a book, short video clip, or model to jumpstart a video production. For instance, read the book Of Thee I Sing by Barack Obama. Then, ask students to write and record their own question and answer based on famous people from your state. Click the Lincoln example below to see a sample from the book.
Use the book Move! by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page to get students thinking about how animals move. Then, choose an animal from the book and learn more about its movement. Use online video sources to see the animal move (see below). Then create their own video combining stock footage with your movements. Challenge others to move like an animal.
- Animal Video: video of animals
- Arkive: Images of Life: animals and biodiversity video
- Smithsonian: National Zoo: YouTube Channel
- ZooBorns (animal babies): YouTube Channel
- Zoo YouTube Channels: Oregon, Minnesota, Santa Barbara, Woodland Park Zoo, Houston Zoo, Monterery Bay Aquarium, Zoo Society of London, Vancouver Aquarium, Cincinnati, Denver, Georgia Aquarium.
Create Visual Story Problems
Create a problem for others to solve. This could be a math problem, but it would also be a social situation involving peer pressure.
Go to Graphing Stories from Dan Meyer for a great math example.
Watch How to Make a Math Project winner of the CSTMF.
Keep in mind that your productions don't need to be long. They might simply be a scene. Watch middle school conflict scenes at Vimeo. These each end with a question about what you think will happen next.
Create Inspirational Video
Use videos as inspiration for student productions.
Watch videos from Light Bulbs Collection, Seeing Service Collection, or Global Views Collection produced by teachers and students. Then ask students to create their own.
Watch Edible Pencil. Create your own video about creating an invention.
Try It: Create a Challenge
Create a short video that provides information necessary to solve a problem or make a decision. For instance, you might present a real-world math problem. Or, establish a scenario culminating in a dilemma. Use a variety of shots to add interest and provide detail. All of the information needed to solve the problem or discuss the topic should be provided in your video. Remember, you don't need to use standard "talking head" shots. Think about close-ups, over the shoulder shots, and other interesting camera angles. Also consider the use of interesting settings, meaningful props, and/or puppets or other ways to represent characters. Put a title at the beginning and a question or other text at the end. Enter at title at the beginning. Consider using titles to highlight steps or vocabulary.