History Now TV: Newscast of an Event in U.S. History
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Middle School Project: iMovie
History Now TV:
Newscast of an Event in
U.S. History
The Unit of Practice
Invitation
How can students make a historical event come to life? How can students learn about
a particular event in history by reenacting the event? How would that event be
different if the event happened today? How can students learn how to research
history?
Situation
Students work in the classroom, computer lab, and media center. This project can be
completed in one or two weeks, depending on the length of the film and the
expectations of the teacher. Researchers will use the Internet if possible.
Tasks
Students brainstorm and decide on a historical event and create a task list. Students
create a storyboard and then script, produce, and shoot the video. Once shot, the
video is edited and presented to the class and possibly posted to the class Web site.
Students gather historical photos and historical videos (from the Archives of U.S.
History CD—optional) when available (make sure they have permission to use these
resources).
Interactions
Students work individually and in small groups. Students in each team assume
different roles in the development of their project. For instance, each group will need
researchers, scriptwriters, a journalist, a tech expert, a project coordinator, a camera
person, and actors.
Students in the class work in collaborative groups to identify an event. The event can
be planned using Inspiration (optional).
Middle School Project: iMovie n
History Now TV: Newscast of an Event in U.S. History 1Students in each team assume different roles in the development of their project.
Students see and interact with the different parts of the planning, production,
presentation, and assessment process. The groups create a storyboard of their
project including the video shots, still pictures, historical footage, audio, and
narration they want to include. The groups create a list of tasks that they will need to
successfully complete to produce their video. Researchers use both print and
Internet sources to research the event.
Tools
m Computer; FireWire hard disk (optional); CD burner for post-production and
dubbing (optional)
m The Internet; Sherlock; AppleWorks; Inspiration (optional); iMovie, iTools to post
projects (optional)
m Digital camcorders; tripod for camera (optional); VCR
Assessment
From the identified tasks at the beginning of the project, the teacher, with the help of
the students, creates a rubric to measure the finished iMovie and presentation.
Students need to be aware of what is expected prior to beginning the project. The
teacher can make amendments to the rubrics as necessary; however, any changes
need to be defined to the students.
The teacher should create benchmarks against the students’ rubric to monitor the
process. For example:
3...................Creative, exceeds criteria, standards
2...................Meets criteria, standards
1...................Did not meet the basic criteria, standards
0...................No project
Both the teacher and the students assess their project and the process.
Standards: Language Arts—Grade 7 & 8, Social Studies—Grade 8
Language Arts:
1.0 Written and Oral English Language Conventions
Students write and speak with at command of standard English conventions
appropriate to this grade level.
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History Now TV: Newscast of an Event in U.S. HistorySocial Studies:
United States History and Geography: Growth and Conflict
Students in grade eight study the ideas, issues, and events from the framing of the
Constitution up to World War I, with an emphasis on America’s role in the war. After
reviewing the development of America’s democratic institutions founded on the
Judeo-Christian heritage and English parliamentary traditions, particularly the
shaping of the Constitution, students trace the development of American politics,
society, culture, and economy and relate them to the emergence of major regional
differences. They learn about the challenges facing the new nation, with an emphasis
on the causes, course, and consequences of the Civil War. They make connections
between the rise of industrialization and contemporary social and economic
conditions.
The project
Students use video to enhance their comprehension of the importance of an
historical event. They gather data on a specific historical event and brainstorm as to
how that event would be different if the event were to take place today.
Working in a collaborative teams with assigned roles, students plan their project,
gather their resources, and build their video presentations. The video should
illustrate the important details of the historical event. The teacher should take the
different parts of a particular time period and create a series of desktop movies
interpreting some critical events historically. For example: the events leading to the
Civil War, the war itself, and the end of the war. In these movies students can discuss
the war’s affects on the economy, politics, and culture.
Phase 1: Getting organized
To make the students understand an historical event chronologically, the teacher can
use diagrams on the whiteboard, or Inspiration (optional), to demonstrate order of
events. For example: What led Abraham Lincoln to give his famous speech, the
Gettysburg Address in 1863?
Once the concept is understood, the teacher organizes the groups and identifies the
roles that each member of the group will have for the project, based on feedback
from the students.
The student groups decide on an event and begin to create an inventory list of what
will be needed to complete the project. The list of tasks and the selected historical
event should be signed off by the teacher.
The teacher should give all students a timeline for project with benchmarks for
check-in points. These should be posted in the class so everyone can see
responsibilities and progress.
Middle School Project: iMovie n
History Now TV: Newscast of an Event in U.S. History 3Phase 2: Research and planning
Each group makes a list of the tasks that they need to accomplish. This list of
inquiries can give the students a direction on what to look for. For example:
m What is the event?
m Who participated in it?
m Where did it take place?
m Why? Was it a result of another event? If so, which one?
m Who benefitted? Who was affected?
m From the research, how do you think it happened?
m What was the fashion, architecture, and culture like during the time of the event?
Once the questions are answered, students acting as the director and assistant
director use the answers to create a storyboard.
Pictures, video footage of the events, interviews, and archive DV footage (from the
Archives of U.S. History) can be used to improve the final project. See “Options and
Extension Activities” for more details.
Using reference books and the Internet, students research the history of the event. A
template has been included for this process. The group should brainstorm ideas of
how this event would occur if it were to take place today. What would the scenery be
like, what would the equipment/machinery of the individuals be like, how would it
affect the event?
Groups should present their project idea to the teacher and get approval before
moving on.
Phase 3: Storyboarding
Students use the storyboard activity sheets to map out a filming plan (angles,
interviews, picture inserts, voice-overs, music).
Students should indicate the types of things that they are interested in filming at each
stop on the storyboard and estimate how long it will take.
The storyboard needs to contain as much information as possible. “Filming Tips”
includes information such as will the shot be wide or a close up, handheld or on a
tripod, and how long will it be.
“Editing Tips” are just as important. Here the editor needs to know what stills
(pictures), transitions, titles, or effects will be used.
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History Now TV: Newscast of an Event in U.S. HistoryNarration also needs to be described in the “Editing Tips” section so the editor
knows how long each clip will be. For example, if there is more talking than images
or DV, the video clip(s) can be slowed down by using the Faster/Slower slider along
the bottom of the iMovie timeline. This should be mentioned as an editing tip on the
storyboard.
If anyone is interviewed on camera, the editor needs to have the correct spelling of
the person’s name and the title (if any) to place a striped subtitle underneath the
image. This function can be found in the “Titles” tab in iMovie.
Once all of the shots, pictures, interviews, answers from the list of questions, possible
transitions, camera instructions, titles, and narration are sequenced in the
storyboard, filming can begin.
Middle School Project: iMovie n
History Now TV: Newscast of an Event in U.S. History 5An example of a storyboard segment should look like this:
Each group prepares the set or sets to shoot and take their video. Parent and
community volunteers would be useful in this phase of the project for interviews.
Phase 4: Filming
The storyboard is the map for the project. Without it, the project will not be as
successful. The director and the assistant director need to use the storyboard and its
directions to complete each shot.
If interviews are used, sound needs to to be considered. The DV camera has a
microphone, but the surrounding sounds may be too loud to pick up the person
being interviewed. As an option, a microphone can be used to connect to the mic
port on the camera to record the interview.
Phase 5: Making the iMovie
At least one person in each group should be a so-called “expert” or fairly familiar with
iMovie. The teacher or a tech person in the building might want to work with the
experts prior to the actual iMovie being made.
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History Now TV: Newscast of an Event in U.S. HistoryTeachers or group leaders should understand titling, transitions, and the advanced
features in iMovie. The storyboards need to be detailed according to shots and
scenes. A desktop movie should be a collection of scenes. Each scene needs to have
video instructions, still image instructions, titling, transitions, effects, and audio
directions. For example: “Scene 1: (1) Still of log cabin. Transition to (2) video of
Lincoln’s face ( Jose’s speech). Stay on his face for two seconds. (3) Cross-dissolve
into a picture of slaves. (4) Run a title in front of the slaves picture stating the number
of slaves during that time. Integrate images with the speech until the end. Audio:
Scene 1: Narration from script—Four score and seven years ago our fathers…”
Using their storyboard, students create their iMovie. If there were any changes or
multiple takes per shot, this information should be included in the storyboard as a
note to the editor. For example: “Editing Tips—Shot 3, Jose’s rendition of Lincoln’s
speech. He pauses too much, so make sure to cut out unnecessary pauses. Also, use
the pictures collected from the research phase to fade throughout the speech.”
Students who will narrate in the group will need to have their script ready to record
into the iMovie.
After final review and porting out to video tape, each group should be ready to show
their video on a TV to the class.
Preparation
This project should be part of the culminating project for a history unit.
m Make sure the students have a variety of pictures they can use for their projects to
video or scan (optional).
m Make sure that the student researchers know how to access the Internet, capture
pictures, and paste them into a word processor or import them as a JPEG file into
iMovie.
m Make sure that the student iMovie experts know how to use the basic features of
iMovie and have spent time on the iMovie tutorial.
m Make sure that the narrators have prepared their script for each scene in their
storyboard. A knowledge of AppleWorks would be needed if they will be using a
word processor.
m Make sure each group has a packet of handouts that include any relevant step
sheets or activity guides.
m Make sure any necessary electronic files such as activity guides have been installed
on the computer.
m Make sure that all of the appropriate software such as AppleWorks, Netscape
Communicator, Internet Explorer, and iMovie have been installed on the
computer and there is sufficient storage space for the project.
Middle School Project: iMovie n
History Now TV: Newscast of an Event in U.S. History 7Options and extension activities
m The final movie can be posted on the Internet using iTools.
m Each group might produce a planning tool using Inspiration, if available.
m The Archives of U.S. History CD can be used. This is part of the Apple Learning
Series Secondary Multimedia Kit.
m A microphone can be used to help record interviews. Plus, it gives the project
more of a professional feel. Handheld microphones range from $20 to $300.
Depending on the grade level and the importance of the sound, prices will vary. A
decent handheld microphone with a mini-plug connector can be purchased at a
local electronics store for around $30.
Resources
Yahooligans
www.yahooligans.com
Ask Jeeves Jr.
www.ajkids.com
Searchopolis
www.searchopolis.com
The Discovery Channel
http://dsc.discovery.com/
The globe.com
http://members.theglobe.com/algis/
Hyperhistory.com
http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/civil_n2/hist_6.html
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