Video Projects: Provoke

Use video as a way to provoke people to think in different ways about a topic. These heightened emotions may arouse anger and frustration galvanizing a group to take action. Or, these feelings might stir strong positive thoughts about a person, place, thing, or concept. The goal is to change attitudes and take action.

Create Public Service Announcements

Non-profit organizations often use public service announcements (PSA) to influence public interest. These short advertisements are intended to raise awareness of an issue as well as impact attitudes and spark action. The videos are often shown for free or at a low cost by some media groups. Some of these groups also create their own such as NBC's The More You Know. For instance, the Truth anti-smoking ads are intended to provoke views.

The Ad Council is well-known for their national campaigns. Check out classics such as People Start Pollution, People Can Stop It, Brain on Drugs, and Test Crash Dummies. Their ads focus on changing public attitudes topics such as drugs, tobacco, crime, health, and safety issues. See their ads at the Ad Council You Tube Channel.

Some religious and faith-based organizations produce Pass to promote themes that support their values. Government agencies create videos to recruit military enlistees, encourage voter registration, or inform the public about important initiatives. You may remember Medical Quackery from the FDA, VD for Everyone, or Smoke Bear. Check out the Corporation for National & Community Service: You Tube Channel and SAMHSA: You Tube Channel for examples. Watch Reading Promotion Pass from Library of Congress.

Increasingly, television programs are incorporating Pass as part of episodes on topics such as bullying, diabetes, or suicide prevention. The popular program Glee often contains these Pass Examine Pass aimed at teens and talk about how their effectiveness such as Stay Teen: You Tube Channel. Watch videos about protecting ears from hearing loss by people such as Carson Daly.

View students projects. What makes these very short videos effective?

• Elementary School Examples
  • Know Where Your Kids Are
  • Don't Bully
  • Fitness
  • Stop Bullying (Grade K-3)
  • Building School Spirit (Grade K-3)
  • No Excuses Go to School (Grade 4-6)
  • Smoking is Bad (Grade 4-6)
  • The Power of One (Grade 4-6)
• Middle School Examples
  • Buckle Up
  • Rumours Stick
  • Prescription Drug Abuse
  • Depression
  • Smoking Claymation (Grade 7-8)
  • Don't Smoke (Grade 7-8)
  • No Vote, No Voice (Grade 7-8)
• High School Examples
  • Unearthing Hope
  • Don't Be a Gutter Ball
  • 5210
  • Repercussion
  • Don't Sext: Just Text
  • Your Word Is...
  • Message Received
  • Sierra Suicide Prevention (You Tube)
  • Suicide
  • Health Pass
  • Winning Pass from 2010
  • Step Up Anti-Violence campaign (You Tube) : Caveman, Dance, Kids
  • Pass from the Slick Rock Student Film Festival: Cyber bullying, Saving Energy, My Name is Hope, Cyclist, What Does College Have to Do with Me?, My Change, SPCA, Be the Power Of One, Be Healthy, Anti-bullying. Watch the winners from 2010.
  • Throw Out the Habit (Grade 9-12)
  • Second Hand Smoke (Grade 9-12)
  • A Fairy Tale (Grade 9-12)
  • Testing while Driving (Grade 9-12)

Read the Caps for Chomo Web quest to see how you might develop a project for your classroom.

Change Attitudes

Use video as a forum to change attitudes about a topic.

Watch Save the Rainforest, Save Our Future by elementary children. Notice the connection of the rainforest to future careers.

Library Advocacy is a popular topic for changing attitudes.

• High School Examples
  • I Need My Library (You Tube). Winner of the Why I Need My Library Competition
  • I'm Just a Book.
  • Why I Need My High School

Go to Adobe Youth Voices. Watch videos by young people on important issues.

Try It: Create a Public Service Announcement
Create a short video (30 seconds or 60 seconds) focusing on a social issue of importance to your local community. Stress the local aspect as well as the global aspect.