Learning with VideoStudio

Overview
Having high school students in small groups promote the idea of reading being a fun and productive activity, through the creation of their own video public service announcement (PSA), helps them to not only understand the many benefits of reading, but is also a way to produce a positive message about reading that can be shown to their peers, as well as younger students.

Description
The teacher will discuss with the class the many benefits of reading, and being well read on a variety of topics. The teacher will also discuss and show a variety of PSA’s to illustrate the elements of a PSA. The class will then be divided into teams of three. Each team will research the benefits of reading using print, multimedia and Internet resources. They will then synthesize the text-based, graphic, and photographic resources they collected into a storyboard and a script for a 30 second PSA, promoting the idea that reading is fun and has many positive benefits for students. The team will then videotape, capture, edit, and author their video using Ulead’s VideoStudio software editing program. The finished PSA’s will be shown to the class and each team will answer any questions about their video.

Grade Level(s): 9th - 12th

Curriculum Areas: Language Arts, Life Skills

Goals and Objectives

• Goal 1 - Students will use various technologies to produce their videos.
  • Objective 1 - Students will use computers, a word processing program, Internet resources, video cameras and associated equipment, and a video editing program to produce their PSA’s.
    
• Goal 2 - Students will improve their oral communication skills.
  • Objective 2 - Students, as the result of working together on the development of their PSA, and the development of a script for the audio track for their video, will enhance their ability to communicate with each other, and with the audience watching their video.
    
• Goal 3 - Students will strengthen their abilities to work with others in a group on a project.
  • Objective 3 - Students will work cooperatively in teams of three, utilizing their own strengths, and the strengths of others, while respecting divergent opinions, and contributing positively to meeting the goals of their project.