Movie MAker Ideas

How it all comes together

Once you have decided to make a movie with your kids, and you have played with Movie Maker, then you will need to follow a basic plan of attack.

1. Decide will this be a group project or individual.

2. What is the topic and what are your expectations. What slides do you want to see? Do you want a bibliography? Do you want a title slide?  Example of a "Trip to Another Country"

3. Have students research, plan the movie, record video or take pictures. Remember if you prefer you can have students use United Steaming Video Clips. In fact you can make a file folder with the pictures and video clip you want the students to use. Story board handout (Acting with a pencil)

4. Bring students to the lab to put it all together. Here is a direction sheet that you can use or modify.

5. Have students save to their folder or a flash drive for easy access in the classroom

6. Performance in the classroom- hook up the projector to your computer and have students watch the videos. It is always a good idea to have all students recording facts or using a rubric while watching other groups videos to insure that everyone pays attention.

See an example of a created movie in Mrs. Blackwell's Class

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Here are few ideas to get your creativity flowing!

Kindergarten Video project

Geometric Shapes

Famous Americans

Christopher Columbus – 3^rd grade

Not enough? Search for another idea

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Movie Maker Tutorials and More

How to Use Movie Maker Videos http://www.atomiclearning.com/moviemaker2

Kids with Cameras http://www.gigglepotz.com/kidswithcameras.htm

Movie Making For Kids http://www.town4kids.com/town4kids/kids/digitalmedia/moviemaking/movie_main.htm

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Documents to Use and Modify

Print out a story board for your classroom (acting with a pencil)

Requirements for the project "Trip to Another Country"

 Movie Maker "How To" direction sheet

See an example of a created movie in Mrs. Blackwell's Class

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 Ideas for Classroom Movie Maker Projects

History Wax Museum

• Each student in class chooses a “famous” person to be in a wax museum.
• The student records facts about their subject.
• Students fill out a storyboard about their subject.
• Students are videotaped dressed as their “famous” person.
• Pictures or short video clips about their subject are also used in the final Class production.

It’s My Life- Biography

• Students collect pictures of themselves growing up over several years.
• Create a timeline of major events in their life
• Students will write a script of their life incorporating the pictures they will use.
• Each picture is then videotaped or scanned.
• Students will then narrate their script with music playing about each of the pictures.
• This is all put together in a video production for each student. ( great end of the year or Mother’s Day gift)

Math is Everywhere- Math/Real world

• Students each find examples where the math concepts taught in school are used in everyday life.
• Students are video taped demonstrating the “skill”
• Then they tell how this skill is used in the real world

Garden Party- Using Scientific method

• Videotape students doing Science experiment (use Sci method) working to grow class plants at each step: predictions, planting seeds, measuring growth, watering, observing, conclusion
• Extra: integrated into math and language lessons that included measurement, estimation, and graphing

American Revolutionary War

• The teacher collects a group of  AR pictures ( Battles fields, Soldiers, Weapons, famous Generals…) and a few patriotic music clips and places all out on a folder for students to access.
• Students then use the “raw material” to  create a PPT or Movie maker video where they tell the significance of the AR.
• Extra: video tape different students reciting the Declaration of Independence then mix, pictures and student videos with music in the background for a powerful, class creation that students and teachers can be proud of.  

Where in the United States are we?

• Each classroom creates a presentation about its “chosen” city and state. Use longitude and latitude, culture, climate….
• The other classrooms, using maps, the Internet, textbooks, and other resources, will try to 'guess' where all classrooms are located.

Weather is Weather

• Videotape/pictures students outside during  different seasons of the year.
• Create a class video where the seasons and the change of seasons is summarized
• Use pictures at appropriate times
• Extra: Show the effect of weather and climate on plants, animals, buildings, and human beings.

Math Introduction to Variables and the Distributive Property

• Students write skits that act out the Properties that have been learned (humorous)
• Students then act them out on video

Math Rap

• Teach students the Multiplication Rap or the Math memory stories
• Video tape class ( a few students at a time reciting the song)
• Put it all together in a class video

Writer and Movie Producers

• Take any process (rock formation, water cycle, Life of a frog, finding a direct object, Making a decimal a percent…) and have students create memory keys, songs, or funny skits to explain the process
• Have a student director and actors produce the productions

Field Trip---Zoo example

• Videotape students during a field trip to the zoo: taking notes, videotaping the animals, recording the animal sounds.
• Students create an electronic slideshow

Class Yearbook

• Videotape  and take photos of students during important events during the school year.
• Have students use good character skills by videotaping students saying what qualities they like about other classmates.
• Students sell final production and use money to purchase class tech equipment for next year.  

I would gladly help you facilitate any of these projects in your classroom

Just e-mail me and set up a time!

stafford@mustangps.org

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