Teacher Tap

 

Video Projects: Emote

Sometimes a video producer wants to connect with people at an emotional level. Use video to convey the wide range of human emotions including happiness, sadness, fear, joy, empathy, and affection.

Watch Anne Frank in Our Hearts by middle school students.
Watch The Picture Box, a silent movie by high school students.

Show, Not Tell

Involve students in creating a silent movie that shows emotions rather than describes them with words and narration.

Watch Writing - Show Not Tell from Teach 21 to see how one teacher created "show-not-tell" projects with her children.

Share Insights

Rather than the traditional book review, try a media review. Watch a movie, listen to an audio recording, or view a television program. Then, write a critical review. Or, provide a video-based book critique. Ask:

Connect to Emotions

Rather than a traditional view of animals, think about their relationships. Do animals fall in love? How could you show this in a video?

Watch Fashion in Furs (1964) on YouTube. How many people do you know that wear furs today? What has changed? Why? What emotions does this video convey? How would the emotions have been different 50 years ago? What other topics have changed over the past 50 or 100 years? Check out other ideas at AV Geeks.

Activate a Poem or Short Story

Write an original poem or use an existing work. Use visuals and motion to convey additional meaning.

Demonstrate Character Traits

Create a video that reflects a character trait such as honesty, perseverance, self-discipline, fairness, respect, integrity, courage, compassion, or loyalty.

Go to The Foundation for a Better Life. Notice the topics in the left column. Talk to students about how the value is reflected in the video.

Convey Abstract Concepts

Use video to explain an abstract concept such as freedom, mindfulness, hope, liberty, poverty, or justice. Or, visualize vocabulary from a subject area.

Also, use visuals to express action words, descriptive words, opposites, positions, and other concepts. Create a video for younger students. Consider a project that includes figurative language.

Record Oral History

What was it like to live 10, 50, or 100 years ago? Record a video interview to collect oral histories and stories. Put the clips together to build an understanding of a person, place, or time.

Watch Storycorps for some great examples. While some of the stories are audio only, others have been animated. These stories could also incorporate historical photos and other visual resources.

Watch Lessons from the Heart from Teach 21 to learn about how one teacher uses oral history in the classroom.

For teaching ideas, read Immigration and Oral History from the Library of Congress.

Take 1Try It: Focus on Emotion
Design an assignment that connects with students at an emotional level. Use the ideas above to start your discussion.


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