Ideas for Making Movies in the Elementary Classroom
Movies are a powerful medium for encouraging creativity and critical thinking in elementary school students. As the price of camera equipment continues to go down, it is becoming more and more feasible for schools to implement movie-making as part of classroom activities. The right movie-making project will let students practice technical skills while exploring their creativity and class topics in a visual manner.
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Go on a Video Scavenger Hunt
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For a simple movie-making project that almost any elementary school student can participate in, send students on a video scavenger hunt. Teach students the basics of using the class cameras, and then give them a list of shots they need to take around the classroom or playground and let them look around for those shots. Shots on the list can be as simple as something blue or as specific as a medium shot of a stapler. When all the shots have been collected, talk about what angles worked best, what technical problems they had and what creative ideas they came up with to complete the shots on the list.
Edit Found Footage
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Movie making isn't always about the camera. Teach students the value of editing by giving them already-shot video clips or found footage to edit with a video editing software. These can be music videos, documentaries or simple experiments. If you have access to microphones, allow children to record their own voiceovers and sound effects to add to the footage. This activity lets students practice the technical aspects of editing without worrying about shooting, and it gives them the chance to be creative through editing alone.
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Film a Short Skit
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Help students write a short skit based on a fairy tale, picture book or historical event. Have them storyboard shot ideas to tell the story through video, and then have them shoot and edit those ideas into a final movie. Show them how to use built-in special effects in the video editor of your choice to add magic to fairy tales or colorful effects to adventure stories. When they finish editing, help them add credits and burn their projects to DVDs so they can bring home their cinematic masterpiece.
Create a Class Podcast
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Have students watch video podcasts available for free from the websites of other schools, and then brainstorm their own ideas for a podcast based on subjects covered in class. Then, break students up into groups and have them shoot a short video podcast based on these ideas. Encourage them to interview experts on their topic from around their school, incorporate books and other media and invite outside groups to participate in discussions. When the podcasts are finished, watch them as a group and discuss what worked well or didn't work well.
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