Famous Americans on the Big Screen
Norris Bunn
Smithland Elementary
Social Studies K-3
Overview: Students were divided into groups. Each group was responsible for writing about a famous American that we had studied. Each group had to generate a report that covered the beginning, middle, and end of their subjects life and highlight the subject's major contributions. They divided the resulting report into parts and each child read a part to the camera.
SOL: Social Studies K.1, 1.2, 2.11, 3.11
Time Required: 1- 2 hours plus editing
Technology Used: Flip Cameras, Computer
Procedure: Students wrote their parts out and I attached their papers to the flip camera so that they could read their part to the camera. I recorded the students on a green screen and used Adobe software to drop in backgrounds. I used Microsoft Movie Maker Live to edit the parts, create transitions and add titles and credits.
Assessment: Assessment was based on the finished group product, the ability of the individuals to work cooperatively, and individual performance on a unit test.
Describe how the use of technology affected student learning: Students were excited about being video taped and loved seeing themselves on screen when the project was completed. They all had positive things to say about the project.