iMovie In the Classroom: Student made movies using iMovie software. My “how-to” example on designing your own lesson:

Why Use Movies? It’s the classic research report- with a twist! Allows many options for how information can be conveyed to the audience. –Pictures and video clips from reference sources –Students can record themselves in pictures and video clips, starring them! –Student can record voiceovers –Written subtitles and text included with the video –Works Cited info becomes scrolling credits!

Why Use Movies? Increased versatility in lesson design: –Movies can serve as an introduction or sponge activity to new content material. –Can allow for application and synthesis of course material previously learned. The basic project design can be adapted to many different content areas.

Designing your lesson: Selecting the content/anchors Remember that movies tell a story, select an anchor(s) that could be learned by storytelling. Use your assessment anchors to determine what information your students need to include in their movies. I started with a grading rubric to outline point values and required information students needed to have in their movies.

My Movie Making Plan Movie topics focus on natural disasters. The project was introduced more like a standard research project with a twist! I gave students the introductory explanation of the project and clearly stated my expectations of the final product. I really emphasized content requirements the video had to contain. Students selected a disaster that most interested them and posted it on the interactive whiteboard. (Due after day 1) interactive whiteboard

Several days were devoted to have students research their natural disaster topic. They found information, pictures or video to use in their video. (days 2-5) Tip: Simplify note taking by using an excel spreadsheet with three columns (information, pictures, and citations) that information is just cut and pasted in.

Thinking about video production: Students compiled their research materials into a storyboard plan. –I used blank PowerPoint 6-slide/page printout Storyboards and a script of their spoken or recorded segments were collected after the 6th work day. Both were checked before they could start video production.

Lights, camera, ACTION! With very little actual training students were became directors of their own movies (Day 6-10) –Recording themselves in video clips (video cameras, or build-in laptop cameras). –Editing pictures, video clips –Making and editing voiceovers, background music, and build-in sound effects. Completed movies are compressed into quick- time files and loaded onto a USB portable hard drive for submission.

Sample of student work

What did I learn? Students required very little training on a seemingly complicated program. –I learned how to use iMovie in two hours. Setting a benchmark timetable made the three week project manageable for students. Specific content requirements and vague project formats allowed students to express creativity in the movies while still conveying the information that I needed them to tell. Next time I will space out the project and have more work done outside of class (the research).

How can you incorporate movies into your class? Find a few other teachers near you and share your ideas and thoughts!

References