Digital Video Project

Digital video projects can be very useful in a classroom setting. The projects can be difficult but they are definitely intriguing to children.

Title: Whale Hunt
Age: 4th-5th grade
Content Area: Social Studies

Materials: "Tale of a Whale" book, worksheets, video camera, computers and research, Moviemaker program

Description:
Students will read the story "Tale of a Whale" with their teacher as a whole class. The students will then break up into groups and each group will research a part of whale hunting. Each group will compile their information on their topic and put together a storyboard. The students will make a poster board with their information and record a video of them presenting the information. They will also produce a short skit to visualize what part of the hunting they have.

Preparations/Challenges:
Before the students would start this project I would have to make sure that there are video cameras that the school has for these types of projects. Once we could get the video cameras I would have to set aside time to show students the movie maker program and how we would be using it to put together their video. In preparation for the actual project I would have to make sure I can get computer time for the students so they have time to gather their research and data on their particular part of whale hunting. I would also send home a consent form for parents to sign and make sure it is alright with them that their students videos will be put up on my youtube account so the entire class can see each groups videos when through with the project. Some challenges are that the students may need more help with the movie making part. Students may not easily grasp the movie maker program and may need more help. Another challenge may be that a parent does not what their student in a film on youtube and therefore the student may not be able to be in the video.

Timeline:
Day 1: Read story with class and discuss the different parts of whale hunting.
Day 2: Select groups and discuss topic. Begin researching information.
Day 3: Spend full class period with more researching.
Day 4: Make storyboard to go with skit. Have cleared by teacher.
Day 5: Go over how the video camera works/ start explaining movie maker.
Day 6: Continue working in movie maker and how it works and sound clips.
Day 7: Let students film their skit.
Day 8: Edit videos/sound clips.
Day 9: Presentations
Day 10: Presentations