Video Projects: Engage
News and current events engage young people in thinking about the world around them. Rather than assigning a report, ask students to create a news program. Rather than a traditional journal, keep a media journal detailing what news they read, music they heard, and programs they watched.
Create News Programs
A popular way to integrate video into the classroom is a regular news program. Keep in mind that news programs can be associated with any content area.
Watch a teacher talk about news reporting in the classroom: It's News to Me. She suggests four aspects of a simple news video:
- Introduction: introduce self and topic
- B-Roll and Voice Over: narration over footage
- Adding Additional Information: bring everything together
- Outro: toss back to the studio
Your news program might contain a lead story, weather, sports, lunch menu, guests, and local events.
- Elementary Examples
- The Morning Watch
- CFN in 2010
- Spirit Rallies (Grade 4-6)
- School Safety (Grade 4-6)
- Special Report - Bathrooms (Grade 4-6)
- Quality Commenting on Blogs (Grade 3): Vimeo
- How to Compose a Quality Comment (Grade 3): Vimeo
- 2nd Grade Blog Tutorial (Grade 2): Vimeo
- Middle School Examples
- First Things 1st 2011(Grade 7-8)
- First Things 1st 2010 (Grade 7-8)
- MMS News (Grade 7-8)
- High School Examples
- Storm Surge
- Wolfpack TV (Grade 9-12)
- Music is Fun (Grade 9-12)
- NTV Morning News (Grade 9-12)
To learn more about building news stories, watch Nick Monacelli talk about news video production.
Create Topical News Programs
Explore content-area news and events.
- Elementary Example
- Science Explorers News
- Atlanta Flood 2009
- Captain Underpants: YouTube
- Middle School Examples
- High School Examples
Design Travel Programs
Take viewers on a virtual tour of a local or remote location. This could be an "arm chair" tour of a favorite country, a virtual field trip to a local nature park or historical place, or an imagination trip inside a cell or through the center of the earth.
- Middle School Examples
- TSZ News at Common Ground Park. Explore a local park.
- Where We Live. Notice how a map is used as part of the video.
- Teacher Examples
- Where's Boomer: Teacher-produced project for ELL using Comic Life: Vimeo
Create Special Event Videos
Create a program focusing on a special current event or anniversary.
- Middle School Examples
- High School Examples
- Fifth Star from Adobe Youth focusing on the one hundred years of women's right to vote. Notice how interviews, historical photos and footage, and personal narratives are incorporated.
- Step Up Youth Summit
Highlight Special Programs
Use special programs to explore people, places, and things of interest. Students enjoy exploring trends such as hair styles or popular bands. Explore ordinary, famous, and infamous people through background information, interviews, and historical footage. Consider a "Day In The Life" series focusing on important people in the school, career shadowing projects, or the lives of animals. Highlight a student who is a recent immigrant or a child with an interesting ethnic custom.
- Elementary School Example
- Middle School Example
Create Welcome Programs
A popular project involves welcoming others to school, getting to know teachers, or orienting new students. Record important activities during the year. Also record discussions of important class topics such as school rules and expectations, dress code, discipline issues, or class procedures. These can later be integrated into a class or school orientation.
- Elementary School Example
Build a Video Yearbook
In addition to a traditional print yearbook, consider a digital product. Film events throughout the year. This project can serve as a year-end activity involving students in selecting and editing the raw footage. Then, share the program with parents at the end of the year. What a great public relations tape to show at Open House the following year!
- Elementary School Example
Create a Student Portfolio or Showcase
Involve students in creating a video portfolio that reflects their work. Showcase a piece of student work such as the results of a science experiment, a diorama, or model. For instance, each team member could describe a contribution to the Native American Village they created. One might focus on the teepee while another might talk about the fire pit. Or, use video to highlight a piece of personal artwork (i.e., sculpture, collage, mobile, painting) discussing the steps in creating the artwork, particular areas of ease or difficult, or describing the materials or approach.
Take periodic reading samples to check fluency.
Watch Tina Siao Portfolio.
Highlight School and Community Programs and Projects
Look for ways to connect to school and community projects. Tell the history of your school. Go "behind the scenes" at school or in a local business. Interview local people about their role in shaping the community. For instance, focus on local heroes.
- Elementary School Example
- Prairie Garden Experiment. Students share their class garden.
- Middle School Example
- Feel the Burn. Students explain their physical education program.
Create Teacher Productions
Although you may want to get your students involved with video production, also consider creating videos that reflect your work as a teacher. The following examples are from the SECC Teach 21 program:
Ideas
- Anticipation. Ask students to describe what they would like to learn. What are their goals? What do they already know about the topic? Or, what do they think will happen in the book they are about to read.
- Slice of Life. Create a regular video newsletter or other communication that shows what's happening in the classroom.
- Tutorials. Create short tutorials reviewing key concepts, providing examples, or demonstrating the steps in a process.
- Process. Ask students to share their thinking as they solve problems. For instance, show me how you solved the math problem, tell me how you completed the science experiment, or share how you made your decision. Film students as the create products. Ask them to talk about each stage in the process as they work their way through a project.
- Products. Ask students to talk about the product they have produced. Direct them to describe their model, poster, or other creation.
- Reflect. Ask students to talk about what they learned during a unit. Remind students about what they said at the beginning of the semester.
Try It: Create a News Program
Watch a few videos on this page. What are the features of an effective news or event program? Create a project that incorporates a mixture of still images and video. Think about using historical photos, diagrams, maps, and other images to enhance your video project.