Summary
Every grade in elementary school learns about seasonal changes and the weather (SOL K.10, 1.7, 2.7, 3.8, 4.8, 5.7) so a small group of kindergarten students was given the task of making an informational video announcing the start of spring on the school-wide morning announcements. First the students met together to discuss the signs of spring and select which ones they wanted to do. They came up with four main signs of spring: the weather gets warmer, animals have their babies, flowers start to bloom, and gardens begin to grow. Then each student chose the topic that interested him or her. Next they read books and watched videos about the spring to get ideas and background knowledge to share in their video. On some of our session days it was too cold to film outside (and very un-spring-like) so they decided to include some of their artwork in the video. They used Pixie to draw pictures illustrating their special sign of spring. Finally, it was warm enough to film, and they explored the grounds of the school looking for signs of spring and ways to communicate them to their peers. They improvised their lines in the video (there was no written script since we weren’t sure what we’d find, but we had made some predictions). The film was edited by the teacher outside of class and then presented on the morning announcements to the entire school. It is also posted online to help other people remember and recognize the signs of spring!
TIPC Ratings
The students used teacher selected text and videos, as well as their own prior knowledge and field research, to collect information about their chosen sign of spring. Then they synthesized their findings in their own words to present it in an authentic and unique way to the entire school.
The students came up with many of their own ideas for filming around the school. They pointed out signs of spring and identified places around the school to showcase their topic on film. They used Pixie to create digital drawings of whatever they thought would best illustrate their chosen sign of spring. They decided among themselves who would say what and even helped each other with their lines. Some volunteered on-the-spot to speak for others who didn’t know what to say. Their finished video was presented to the entire school and published online for a wider audience.
The students were basically presenting facts in their video, so there wasn’t a lot of critical thinking and problem solving.
The students not only chose their topic but also decided how best to illustrate that topic using Pixie and video. They synthesized their research to create an original film that was helpful for the entire student body to review the signs of spring. They predicted where to find signs of spring outside and what would be entertaining for their audience.
Student Artifact
Download Files
- Lesson Plan (Word Doc)
- Lesson Plan (PDF)
- Link to Vimeo Video
- Student Pixie Drawings (JPG)
