Silent Movies from Perry School, Washington, D.C.

OBJECTIVE: Students will use storyboarding and sequencing skills to create a silent movie. The students will be utilizing the digital camera to film these movies.

MATERIALS:

Newsprint
Markers
Portable Lamps

SOFTWARE/EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

Digital Camera
Diskettes

DURATION: 2 days (120 minutes)

PROCEDURE:

Day 1

I. Community Builder (20 minutes)

1. Students will be seated in a circle.
2. "Story, Story" -- The instructor will lead the class in an activity that allows them to, as a class, tell a story. Each student will add to the story until the instructor says STOP. The story will travel around the circle, each student adding to the story.

II. View Video (5 min)

1. Students will view video that they created in a previous class session.

III. Visual Mapping (15 minutes)

1. Instructor will gather students at a table. Instructor will ask, "What are some ideas for a silent movie?" Then write the words "ideas for silent movie" and draw a circle around it on a sheet of newsprint.
2. Instructor will model writing an idea and then engage students to begin recording ideas.
3. Students will then be broken into groups to complete visual mapping.
4. Share some responses.
5. Students will then be gathered around one table again. Instructor will model drawing a box around the ideas and will ask the question, "What things (props) are needed to make each movie?"
6. Students will then return to groups to record "props."
7. Share responses.
8. Instructor will then ask groups to select one idea.

IV. Frame-by-Frame Mapping (20 minutes)

1. Instructor will lead class in creating a frame-by-frame mapping of the video they just viewed.
2. Students will return to their groups and develop a frame-by-frame map of their silent movie.

V. Debrief

Day 2

I. Community Builder (15 min)

II. Assign Roles (5 minutes)

1. Students will identify all of the different roles involved in their commercial.
2. Students are responsible for deciding who will do each role.

III. Rehearsal (25 minutes)

1. Students will independently conduct rehearsal for their video. Instructor will be on hand just to ensure that everyone is behaving.

IV. Filming (10 minutes)

1. Students will film video.

V. View finished commercial (5 minutes)

1. Using the laptop and Real Player, students will view their finished video.

VI. Debrief