Video/animation Lessons:

• Public Service Announcements: Students researched a social issue topic, collected images and information. They imported the images into Photostory, added text, narration and music to complete their commercial. See all posts tagged with Public Service Announcements to see student work.
• Personal Story: Inspired by the Davis Digital Storytelling Contest Students write about a person, place or event that impacted their lives. My 8th Graders wrote the story, created a storyboard, drew images or gathered photographs, scanned them into the computer and then animated and narrated them in PhotoStory. See all posts tagged with Personal Story to see student work.

Using Microsoft Windows Movie Maker: This video editing software comes standard as a part of Windows XP and Vista. MS has many tutorials and ideas built into the program or on their website. These projects can be done in ANY video editing software that you have. Free software often comes with your camera or computer. MAC users have iMovie which is hear is wonderful! 

•  Stop-Motion Animation: Using digital cameras, Students created clay characters, backgrounds and props, then took individual picutres, downloaded them into Windows Movie Maker and then added narration, music, titles and credits to complete their movies. My students did Fractured Fariy Tales. See all posts tagged with Animation to see student work.
• The Door Movie: Using AFI curriculum, students created a short video about a door. They then added music and sound effects in WMM to complete the movie. The entire process included storyboards, multiple camera angles, shooting, editing and reshooting. Although students worked in small groups to film, they each edited their own version of the finished movies. See all posts tagged with Door Movie to see student work.
• The Magic Door Movie: Students take video of different locations and combine them with footage of opening a door, to create the illusion that The door leads to mysterious places magically. See all posts tagged with The Magic Door Movie to see student work.
• Mock Author and Poet Interviews: Students researched authors and poets, then wrote a script of an interview style show. See all posts tagged with Author Interviews and Poet Interviews to see student work.
• Point of View Movie: Change the point of view to that of a dog, baby, bird or other non-human.  See all posts tagged with Point of View to see student work.
• Get to know you Video or Self-Portrait: A great beginning of the year project for elementary classes. Have students interview each other or put together a quick video SHOWING the things that they love.
• Concept Commercial: A great way to have students make films in your classroom for important content concepts, vocabulary, class rules, science safety guidelines and more. These should be a finshed video that is 30 sec to 1 minute in length.
• How-To Video: Have students write a How To Paragraph (Like how to tie your shoe) then have another group follow the directions EXACTLY and film the results.
• ABCs: There are several really fun ABC songs, have kids look for copyright free images (or have a photo scavenger hunt) that fit each letter of the alphabet. Edit them along with the song so that the pictures show at the same moment that the letters are sung.

Using Pivot Animation: a free download program that allows you to make quick animations using stick figures. See all posts tagged with PIVOT to see student work.

• “Verb: It’s What you Do” Assignment: Students had to select a VERB and act out the action using the stick figures. They created a background in MS PAINT for the animation. Then they imported the animation into Microsoft Windows Movie Maker to add the music, sound effects, titles and credits.