Create a Documentary Clip: Analyze a Model Documentary | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G7:M4:U3:L1

Create a Documentary Clip: Analyze a Model Documentary

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RI.7.1, RI.7.7, SL.7.1, SL.7.4

Supporting Standards: These are the standards that are incidental—no direct instruction in this lesson, but practice of these standards occurs as a result of addressing the focus standards. 

  • W.7.1, W.7.2, W.7.3
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can explore a model documentary and generate ideas for my own documentary clip. (RI.7.7)
  • I can determine the purpose and analyze the content of an effective documentary script about plastic pollution. (SL.7.4)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 1 (RI.7.1)
  • Work Time A: Analyze a Model Documentary note-catcher (RI.7.7, SL.7.2, SL.7.4)
  • Work Time B: Model Documentary Script annotations (SL.7.2)
  • Closing and Assessment A: Exit Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 1 (SL.7.1)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner - RI.7.1 (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Review Documentary Techniques - RI.7.7 (10 minutes)

B. Analyze a Model Documentary Script - SL.7.4 (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Form Documentary Triads - SL.7.1 (10 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Begin Action Plan: Students consider and solidify their personal action plans. They research a solution to plastic pollution, write letters to a government official or agency, or carry out a personal action. Students record their plans, research, and the actions they've taken on Homework: Action Plan Journal. Students complete all sections of the action plan journal, including one note in the final research or results section, which will be added to throughout the unit as their action plans progress.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • RI.7.1 – Opening A: On an entrance ticket, students review the performance task, discussing their inferences, ideas, and concerns about it with a partner.
  • RI.7.7 – Work Time A: Students review documentary techniques by rewatching a clip of A Plastic Ocean and engaging in a discussion.
  • SL.7.4 – Work Time B: Students read a model documentary script and generate criteria for their own script.
  • SL.7.1 – Closing and Assessment A: Students form documentary triads based on their interests and discuss ideas for reducing plastic pollution.
  • In this lesson, students focus on working to contribute to a better world by preparing to create a documentary on reducing plastic pollution. The Think-Write-Pair-Share protocol is used in this lesson. Protocols are an important feature of the EL Education curriculum because they are one of the best ways we know to engage students in discussion, inquiry, critical thinking, and sophisticated communication. A protocol consists of agreed-upon, detailed guidelines for reading, recording, discussing, or reporting that ensure equal participation and accountability in learning.
  • For the performance task at the end of the unit, students will film and edit their documentary clips. To ensure access to technology and an appropriate working environment, filming and editing may have to take place over a few days. Plan now to reserve other rooms and resources in the school, including a computer lab or library, if available. If other spaces are not available, allow students to stagger their filming over several class periods or during a break in their school day.
  • If time is an issue in completing this performance task, make the editing of the film optional or limit the number of elements students have to include in their editing (i.e., only include images, music, statistics, graphics, text, or voice-over). Use students’ experiences with a similar editing process (with similar online tools) for the podcast performance task in Module 2 as a guide to help determine how to best structure the task to meet students’ needs. 

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Invite students who have expertise with documentaries and who watch them outside of school to begin researching and planning options earlier in the lesson, while the rest of the class works to find strengths in the exemplar.
  • Allow those students who enjoy this work to watch other documentary clips and create a list of strengths of these exemplars.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In previous lessons, students have focused on exploring the problem of plastic pollution and examining solutions for reducing it. In this lesson, students will examine an exemplar documentary clip and a model documentary script in preparation for creating their own documentary about their chosen solution to plastic pollution.

Support All Students

  • Students may need additional support with watching and comprehending a documentary clip. Allow students to watch the clip multiple times with English subtitles. Focus students on techniques rather than content for this activity. ▲
  • Students may need additional support to choose a solution or identify an area of plastic pollution to target. Model this using a successful group. Also, work with small strategy groups to support students. ▲
  • An optional Mini Language Dive, intended for use after students analyze the model documentary script in Work Time B, is available in the Teacher’s Guide for English Language Learners. ▲
  • For this unit, encourage students to form documentary triads to write and produce their documentaries. This will support them in planning and writing and in the performance task documentary development. It also allows for students to develop collaboration skills, which are essential for college and career readiness. However, if some students work better independently or in pairs for this unit, permit them to do so. ▲

Assessment Guidance

  • Review students’ Analyze a Model Documentary note-catcher to ensure they understand the components and expectations of a documentary script.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students will begin planning and writing their documentary scripts, drafting their narrative openings, and continuing to develop their action plans.

In Advance

  • Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 1 at each student's workspace.
  • Decide how to create the strategic documentary triads of students who will work together over the course of the unit to plan, write, and create their own documentary clip. Create the triads based on the social or academic needs of the students or based on the action plan that interests them. In Closing and Assessment A of this lesson are instructions for forming triads according to action plan. If not forming triads by action plan, modify or skip this activity. If grouping students by action plan, determine the triads at the end of this lesson after students have a sense of which action plan they might choose.
  • Preview then reset the clip from A Plastic Ocean minutes 1:18:33-1:23:50 
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time A: Device to play A Plastic Ocean documentary clip minutes 1:18:33-1:23:50

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 7.I.A.1, 7.I.B.5, and 7.I.B.6.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson provides students with the opportunity to collaborate throughout the lesson on all activities, which supports students with comprehension and speaking and listening practice.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to understand the Model Documentary Script. Reading it aloud with expression will help students understand the purpose and content of each section, as tone of voice will cue narrative, argument, and informational passages. Use the suggestions below to support students in comprehending the script. 

Vocabulary

  • N/A

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Performance Task anchor chart (one for display; from Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Closing and Assessment A)
  • Techniques anchor chart (one for display; from Module 4, Lesson 2, Work Time A)
  • A Plastic Ocean documentary video (from Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time B)
  • Discussion Norms anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 13, Work Time C)

  • N/A

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Device to play A Plastic Ocean
  • Analyze a Model Documentary note-catcher (example for teacher reference)
  • Model Documentary Script: "Lunch, Hold the Plastic" (example for teacher reference)
  • Exit Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 1 (example for teacher reference)
  • Homework: Action Plan Journal (example for teacher reference) (see Homework Resources)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 1 (one per student)
  • Performance Task Directions (one per student and one to display; see Performance Task Overview and Supporting Materials)
  • Analyze a Model Documentary note-catcher (one per student and one for display)
  • Model Documentary Script: "Lunch, Hold the Plastic" (one per student)
  • Exit Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 1 (one per student)
  • Homework Resources (for families) (one per student)
  • Homework: Action Plan Journal (one per student; see Homework Resources)

Assessment

Each unit in the 6-8 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize students' understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

OpeningLevels of Support

A. Engage the Learner - RI.7.1 (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: Students respond to the discussion prompts on Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 1.
  • Once students have completed their entrance tickets, display the Performance Task anchor chart, and ask students to Think-Pair-Share about additional criteria they must include in their documentary to make it effective and to follow the directions. Record student responses on the chart. Inform students that today they will analyze a model documentary in order to develop criteria for their own documentary. Later in the lesson, students will work in triads to brainstorm their action plans and develop ideas for their documentary.
  • Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as with the previous lessons to review learning targets and the purpose of the lesson, reminding students of any learning targets that are similar or the same as in previous lessons.

For Lighter Support

  • Students may be overwhelmed by the amount of text on the entrance ticket. Before reading, ask students to draw on their previous experience to Think-Pair-Share about what they recall about the performance task for this module. Then allow extra time for students to read and respond to the entrance ticket prompts.

For Heavier Support

  • See For Lighter Support. Additionally, allow students who require heavier supports to read and respond to the entrance ticket in pairs. As necessary, draw together a small group of students to read aloud the entrance ticket and model responding to the prompts.

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Review Documentary Techniques – RI.7.7 (10 minutes)

  • Review the appropriate learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

“I can explore a model documentary and generate ideas for my own documentary clip.”

  • Inform students that they will now rewatch a clip from A Plastic Ocean to review documentary techniques. Display the Techniques anchor chart, and ask students to recall their work in Unit 1 analyzing the video techniques that make documentaries effective.
  • Display and distribute the Analyze a Model Documentary note-catcher, and explain that students will use this note-catcher to take notes on the clip from A Plastic Ocean.
  • On the device, play the documentary clip and ask students to use their note-catcher to Think-Write-Pair-Share about the filmmaking techniques they identified in this clip. (There are several images of Craig trying and failing to get food without plastic, voice-over, music, text to introduce the speakers and places, and graphics to illustrate straws in the ocean.)
  • As students share, record student responses on the displayed copy of the Analyze a Model Documentary note-catcher in order to support visual learners. ▲ Consult the Analyze a Model Documentary note-catcher (example for teacher reference).
  • Play the clip again and ask students to use their note-catcher to Think-Write-Pair-Share about these questions:

“How do you think the filmmakers did and didn’t use a script to plan and prepare for this clip? What words and dialogue could the filmmakers plan for and which couldn’t they plan for?” (The filmmakers likely used a script for their voice-over narration. Greg most likely planned on asking people at restaurants for different containers from plastic, but he couldn’t have scripted those parts because he didn’t know what the other people would say.)

  • As necessary to support visual learners, record student responses on the displayed copy of the Analyze a Model Documentary note-catcher. ▲ Consult the Analyze a Model Documentary note-catcher (example for teacher reference).
  • Ensure that students understand that not all parts of a documentary are scripted. As in this clip, filmmakers often choose to interview subjects or engage in discussions with people in the community. While filmmakers often plan their questions in advance, these conversations in the transcript were recorded on the spot, not written out ahead of time. Students will explore this idea further in analyzing a documentary script and planning and drafting their own scripts.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.

For Lighter Support

  • N/A

For Heavier Support

  • During Work Time A, consider whether students would benefit from multiple viewings of the video clip and/or the English subtitles displayed while they view. These supports ensure students can focus on techniques rather than content.

B. Analyze a Model Documentary Script - SL.7.4 (25 minutes)

  • Review the appropriate learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

"I can determine the purpose and content of an effective documentary script about plastic pollution."

  • Explain to students that today they will begin to plan a script to use as the basis for their documentary clip. Display and distribute the Model Documentary Script: "Lunch, Hold the Plastic." Explain that, as in the model script, they will write in first person, I, because such a personal viewpoint will help to show that individuals can take action and make a difference. Some groups may decide to write in the first person plural, using we instead of I to describe their actions. Read the model aloud as students follow along.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What is this script about?" (It is about how one person realizes how much plastic she is using and decides to stop using plastic for takeout food.)

  • Inform students that the class will work together to identify the purpose, techniques, and information given in the first section of the script. Then students will join with others to discuss the purpose and techniques in the other sections of the script. Note the spaces where students can record notes on their copies of the Model Documentary Script.
  • As a class, reread the narrative lead and determine the purpose, techniques, and information given, recording responses on the displayed copy of the Model Documentary Script together, so that students have a model for determining the purpose of the other three sections of the documentary script. (Purpose: to engage the viewer and introduce the problem; Techniques and information: using narration, a story, to engage the viewer and introduce the problem.) For sample responses, see the Model Documentary Script: "Lunch, Hold the Plastic" (example for teacher reference).
  • Then, ask students to brainstorm as a class about which filmmaking techniques could be used to turn the script into a documentary, recording their ideas in the next box on the model script. (Possible responses: the image of a plastic bag in a river, a shot of a person near a river seeing the plastic bag, voice-over narration, music to create a tense mood.) Consult the Model Documentary Script: "Lunch, Hold the Plastic" (example for teacher reference) for sample answers as necessary.
  • Explain to students that there are no definite correct answers but that they should use the knowledge they gained from analyzing A Plastic Ocean to think about techniques documentary film creators use.
  • Ask students to form small groups to reread the rest of the script and determine the purpose, techniques, and information of the other three sections.
  • Use a total participation technique for students to share their answers. To support visual learners, record student responses in the notes of the displayed Model Documentary Script. Consult the Model Documentary Script (example for teacher reference) for sample answers as necessary.
  • If mindset and habits of character are not mentioned, ask students to Think-Group-Share:

"What habits of character did you see in this script? Who demonstrated them? What did they look/sound like?" (Answers will vary, but may include: The narrator of the documentary shows initiative and perseverance in deciding to stop using plastic to carry her food. She also helps to make a better world by taking an action to reduce plastic pollution.)

  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.

For Lighter Support

  • During Work Time B, encourage students to record the gist of each section in the margins of the Model Documentary Script. They can share these gists with classmates who need heavier support and together they can highlight the key ideas in the script. This partner work ensures comprehension and recall of the key details of the script. 
  • Also, during Work Time B, challenge students as they read the Model Documentary Script to identify and explain language structures from Language Dives throughout the module, such as modifying phrases and coordinate adjectives. They can share these examples with their classmates who need heavier support, identifying the nouns that these phrases or adjectives modify. Reviewing language structures in new contexts ensures mastery.
  • After Work Time B, invite students to participate in a Mini Language Dive in small groups to explore a sentence containing an idea that clarifies evidence to support a main claim in a documentary script. The sentence also provides an opportunity for students to examine how declarative language (It is clear) followed by a that-clause is used to clarify evidence to support a main claim.

For Heavier Support

  • During Work Time B, encourage students to record illustrations in the margins of the Model Documentary Script. They can share these illustrations with classmates who need lighter support and together they can highlight the key ideas in the script. This partner work ensures comprehension and recall of the key details of the script.
  • Also, as necessary, draw a group of students together to model identifying the author's purpose and writing elements in the first two parts of the Model Documentary Script to gradually release students to work in small groups to identify the author's purpose and writing elements in the second half of the script. The gradual release allows students to learn and then practice the skill of identifying author's purpose.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingLevels of Support

A. Form Documentary Triads - SL.7.1 (10 minutes)

  • Display and distribute Exit Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 1. Invite a volunteer to read the exit ticket aloud. Inform students that they will engage in an activity to form documentary triads to have a collaborative discussion about ways of reducing plastic pollution that interest them. (See Teaching Notes for suggestions on forming strategic triads.) Display and review the Discussion Norms anchor chart as necessary. Remind students about the character traits of kindness, compassion, and respect with regard to compromising with groupmates.
  • Post signs or designate different areas of the room to be the stations for different Action Plans students can create and follow in their documentaries. The four suggested categories are:
    • Personal Decisions (using less plastic, recycling more)
    • Communication with Officials (contacting local, state, or federal government to ask for changes to the laws)
    • Invention or Research (researching new materials, processes, or devices for replacing plastic, recycling it, disposing of it, or cleaning it up more efficiently)
    • Other (other ideas for actions that students may generate)
  • Explain to students that they will form groups based on their interest in one of these four action plan categories. Invite students to go to the station that interests them and form triads with others interested in similar action plans. Students may need guidance in forming triads if numbers or interests are not aligned.
  • Provide students with several minutes to talk in triads about an action plan that interests them. Remind students of respect as they discuss their ideas and compromise to develop an action plan that interests all students in their triad. Explain that students will continue to discuss and solidify their plans over the next couple of lessons. Instruct students to use the prompts on their exit tickets to help guide their discussions. Circulate to assist students in compromising. Explain that each triad should turn in one exit ticket. Use the sample responses on Exit Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 1 (example for teacher reference) to explain how students could combine their individual action plans into a triad action plan in their documentary clip script.
  • After 5 minutes, inform students that they must choose an action plan. Remind students that although they are taking personal actions outside of class, and will be tracking their progress on these actions, they will need to coordinate with the other members of their triads to ensure that each triad member's action plan can be used in their scripts, storyboards, and video clips. Students can work together on the same action in a category, such as collecting recycling, or divide up different actions within the same category, such as writing letters to different officials. Using a total participation response, invite students to share their action plans and how they will combine them. For examples, see Exit Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 1 (example for teacher reference).
  • Invite students to reflect on the habits of character focus in this lesson, discussing what went well and what could be improved next time.

For Lighter Support

  • Ensure students understand both the activity of voting for a personal action plan by moving to one of the four corners as well as what each action plan entails. Explain the activity and action plans, then ask students to Turn and Talk to review them with a partner. Circulate to identify and correct any misconceptions. Having students reiterate the directions will ensure they can participate fully in the activity. 

For Heavier Support

  • See For Lighter Support. Additionally, use modeling, and think-alouds such as: If you are interested in trying to recycle, reduce, or reuse more in your own life, your own house, move to this corner. If you are interested in researching or reading more about an invention to help with plastic pollution, move to this corner. Etc. Once students understand the activity, they can participate fully in it.

Homework

Homework

A. Begin Action Plan

  • Students consider and solidify their personal action plans. They might research a solution to plastic pollution, write letters to a government official or agency, or begin to carry out a personal action. Students record their plans, research, and the actions they've taken on Homework: Action Plan Journal. Students complete all sections of the action plan journal, including one note in the final research or results section, which will be added to throughout the unit as their action plans progress.

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