Performance Task: Create a Documentary Clip (Lessons 13-14) | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G7:M4:U3:L13

Performance Task: Create a Documentary Clip (Lessons 13-14)

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • SL.7.5

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.7.3, W.7.6, SL.7.4, SL.7.6, L.7.1
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can use multimedia components like video editing with images, camera techniques, voice-over, interviews, graphics, text, statistics, and music to clarify and emphasize points. (SL.7.5)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Work Time A and B: Documentary Clip (SL.7.5)
  • Closing and Assessment A: Chalk Talk comments (SL.7.5)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner - SL.7.5 (10 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Film Documentary Clip - SL.7.5 (30 minutes)

B. Edit Documentary Clip - SL.7.5 (35 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Chalk Talk - SL.7.5 (15 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Complete the Documentary Filming and Editing: If students don't finish their documentary film clip in class and technology allows, they can do so for homework.

B. Publish the Documentary Clip: If students don't publish their documentary clip in class and technology allows, they can do so for homework based on school policy and teacher guidance and recommendations for family, friends, and/or social media.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • SL.7.5 – Opening A: On an entrance ticket, students watch a documentary clip to identify multimedia components they see and then generate possible components they might use in their own documentary clip.
  • SL.7.5 – Work Time A: Students film their documentary clip using multimedia components such as images, zoom in or out, voice-over, and/or interviews to support listeners in understanding their findings and emphasize salient points.
  • SL.7.5 – Work Time B: Students edit their documentary clip using multimedia components such as images, camera techniques, voice-over, interviews, graphics, text, statistics, and/or music to support listeners in understanding their findings and emphasize salient points.
  • SL.7.5 – Closing and Assessment A: Students celebrate peers’ skills in effectively using multimedia components.
  • In this lesson, students focus on working to contribute to a better world by presenting their knowledge in a documentary film clip that will be published to the class and potentially to a wider audience. Students also work on being effective learners, as using technology to create a documentary film clip can be difficult. Students will need to practice perseverance and collaboration to succeed in this task.
  • Creating a documentary film clip gives students the opportunity to practice perseverance and collaboration skills that they can apply to many other tasks in and out of school. Using technology and precision may be challenging for students, but they will grow and produce a product of which they can be proud. 
  • In order to ensure access to technology and an appropriate working environment, filming and editing may have to take place over a few days. Use other rooms and resources in the school, including a computer lab or library, if available. If other spaces are unavailable, 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). Remember that students completed a similar editing process, with similar online tools, for the podcast performance task in Module 2, and many students may already have experience with filming and editing videos. 
  • The Dance Card and Chalk Talk protocols are 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.
  • At the end of class, encourage and assist students to publish their documentary film to an audience, based on school policy and teacher guidance and recommendations: family, friends, and/or social media. Or, if technology and policies allow, students can publish their documentary films on their own for homework. Additionally, invite the community and school to a Plastic Pollution Documentary Film Clip Screening, so that all may celebrate their learning.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Release more responsibility more quickly to students as they comprehend the tasks or concepts. For example:
    • Allow those students who know how to film and edit to do so independently without group discussion.
    • Designated students who know how to edit film as class experts and have them support others with this work.
  • Invite students to organize a Plastic Pollution Documentary Film Clip Screening. Invite environmental agencies in the community. Students may piece together all the clips into a feature film, plan an introduction presentation, and invite questions and comments from the audience at the end of the screening. Put students in charge of invitations, planning the venue (ideally a local movie theater), and/or creating a snack bar and bake sale to benefit the fight against plastic pollution.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • Throughout this unit, students have planned and written their documentary film clips and storyboards in preparation for the performance task. In these lessons, they film and edit their documentary film clip.

Support All Students

  • Continue to monitor students to determine if there are issues surfacing as a result of the content of documentary film clips that need to be discussed as a whole group, in smaller groups, or individually. To support students in processing this content, ask: “What habit of character did you use as you created and watched this content?” Students may need to draw on perseverance, empathy, or compassion as they read and discuss this content, being sensitive to their own and others’ reactions to the information presented.
  • If students need more time to complete their documentary film clips, establish a documentary film clip working station with devices that students can visit during a break or when they have finished other classwork. ▲
  • Students may need additional support with camera techniques; inserting images, voice-overs, interviews, graphics, text, statistics, and/or music; and editing film. Work in small groups with these students, or allocate a student expert to support students with this work. ▲
  • Note there is a differentiated version of the Chalk Talk Questions about Documentary Film Clips used in Closing and Assessment A in the separate Teacher’s Guide for English Language Learners. ▲

Assessment Guidance

  • Review student work during and after the lesson either to provide specific feedback and suggestions or to identify common issues that could be used as whole-group teaching points.

In Advance

  • Cue and preview clip of A Plastic Ocean, 42:30-45:45.
  • Prepare
    • Devices for each group to use for filming and editing
    • Quiet spaces for students to film (empty classrooms, rooms, hallways, outdoors)
    • Bookmarked film-editing websites for students
    • Devices for each student to use when viewing documentary clips during the Chalk Talk
    • Headphones for each student
    • Chart paper posted around the room with the titles of each documentary clip
  • Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lessons 13-14 at each student's workspace.
  • Review the Chalk Talk directions and norms, Chalk Talk questions about documentary film clips, and the Dance Card directions.
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Opening A: Device to play A Plastic Ocean documentary clip minutes 42:30–45:45
  • Work Time A: Technology for students to edit their documentary clip—for example, http://eled.org/0247 or http://eled.org/0248. Be sure to model for the group how to use these sites, and be prepared to support students with the technology. If such technology is unavailable, invite students to create their own documentary with sound effects and dramatic music in a live performance.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 7.I.A.1, 7.I.B.5, and 7.I.C.10.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson consists of collaborative tasks in a workshop atmosphere during which students can work at their own pace and get help as needed. 
  • ELLs may find it challenging to understand and use new technology. However, some ELLs may find that using technology is a strength that they can share with their classmates. Appointing some students experts and encouraging a collaborative workshop atmosphere around the technology use will help those students who are new to technology. Also, modeling (even modeling of learning a new skill from a student or a technology teacher) will help students in their willingness to learn new skills.

Vocabulary

  • clarify, emphasize, multimedia components (A)

Key

(A): Academic Vocabulary

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • A Plastic Ocean documentary video (from Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time B)
  • Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 4, Opening A)
  • Academic word wall (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time A)
  • Performance Task anchor chart (one for display; from Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Closing and Assessment A)
  • Work to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 3, Lesson 5, Work Time A)
  • Model Documentary Script (one for display; from Module 4, Unit 3, Lesson 1, Work Time B)
  • Model Documentary Storyboard (one for display; from Module 4, Unit 3, Lesson 9, Work Time A)
  • Chalk Talk directions and norms (for display and posted around the room; from Module 2, Unit 3, Lessons 12-13, Closing and Assessment B)
  • Vocabulary log (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time A)
  • Model Documentary Script (one per student; from Module 4, Unit 3, Lesson 1, Work Time B)
  • Model Documentary Storyboard (one per student; from Module 4, Unit 3, Lesson 9, Work Time A)
  • Documentary script (student-generated; one per triad; from Module 4, Unit 3 Lessons 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6-7)
  • Documentary storyboard (student-generated; one per triad; from Module 4, Unit 3, Lesson 9, Work Time A)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Devices to play A Plastic Ocean documentary video
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lessons 13-14 (example for teacher reference)
  • How to Edit Film anchor chart (one for display)
  • Chalk Talk questions about documentary clips (for display and posted around the room)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lessons 13–14 (one per student)
  • Devices for filming and editing (one per triad)
  • Sticky notes (3 per student; for Chalk Talk)
  • Colored pencils or markers (one per student, a different color per student; for Chalk Talk)
  • Chalk Talk questions about documentary clips ▲

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.

Download this Performance Task

Opening

OpeningLevels of Support

A. Engage the Learner - SL.7.5 (10 minutes)

  • As students arrive, play the clip of A Plastic Ocean, 42:30-45:45. 
  • Repeated routine: Students respond to questions on Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lessons 13-14.
  • Once students have completed their entrance tickets, use the Dance Card protocol to discuss the film clip:

"Which images did you see?" (Lord Howe Island, the ocean, birds flying.)

"How did these images provide emphasis and clarify points?" (It showed the beauty of the landscape, to contrast with the problem of the seabirds eating plastic. It showed what the landscape could or should be for the birds.)

"Which camera techniques did you see?" (Zooming in and zooming out.)

"How did these camera techniques provide emphasis and clarify points?" (They showed the plight of the birds up close, with the plastic in their stomachs.)

"Which graphics did you see?" (The animation of the gyre.)

"How did this graphic provide emphasis and clarify points?" (It showed that "in reality, it's just one ocean with no boundaries.")

"When did you hear voice-overs?" (During the Lord Howe Island images and the graphic of the gyre.)

"How did the voice-over provide emphasis and clarify points?" (It told you what to pay attention to, and what was important about the image or the graphic.)

"When did you hear music?" (During the graphic of the gyre.)

"How does the music provide emphasis and clarify points?" (The dramatic music provides emphasis and clarifies the feelings of concern for the problem of plastic pollution.)

  • 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.
  • With students, use the vocabulary strategies on the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart to review the following words that they learned in Module 2: multimedia components (the combination of sound, still pictures, and video), clarify (make easier to understand; make clear), and emphasize (give particular attention to; stress). Record on the academic word wall with translations in home languages, where appropriate, and invite students to record the words in their vocabulary logs.

For Lighter Support

  • Encourage students to first grapple to independently analyze the multimedia components of the video clip. Then they can share their ideas with their triad. Grappling first will increase students' confidence and success on future independent analysis tasks.

For Heavier Support

  • During Opening 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 multimedia components rather than content. 
  • Also, encourage students to work in triads to complete the entrance ticket. Collaboration ensures comprehension and success on the task as well as an opportunity to practice speaking and listening skills. 

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Film Documentary Clip - SL.7.5 (30 minutes)

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

"I can use multimedia components like video editing with images, camera techniques, voice-over, interviews, graphics, text, statistics, and music to clarify and emphasize points."

  • Focus students on the Performance Task anchor chart, and remind them of the criteria for an effective documentary clip. Remind students that in this lesson, they will create their documentary clip from their scripts and storyboards.
  • Also remind students of the goal for the work they are doing with their documentary clip: creating a story that teaches others about the problem of plastic pollution and ways to solve it.
  • Display and ask students to retrieve their copies of the Model Documentary Script and Storyboard. Model the process of studying the storyboard and determining which parts require filming and which parts will require video editing. Explain that at this point, students will be filming all the narrated portions of the script and the interviews in the documentary film clip. Some multimedia techniques will need to be added later, such as images, graphics, music, statistics, and text. Everything else will be filmed now.
  • Remind students that because of time constraints, limiting filming to one or two takes will be helpful. To do so, remind students of the habits of character of respect and collaboration: being efficient is really important to the process at this stage. Remind students that while on-camera, they must remember to speak audibly, clearly, make eye contact with the camera, and use formal presentation skills. Speaking with energy and enthusiasm will help to engage the viewer.
  • Distribute the devices for filming, and ensure that students know how to use them. Invite students to begin filming the images, narration, and interviews (if possible or necessary). Ensure that each triad has a quiet space to film, or stagger the filming to avoid background noise. Remind students to hold the camera steady by stabilizing their forearms on a surface, or by using a tripod. Remind students that these videos will be viewed by classmates and possibly a wider audience, so it's important to take this process seriously and work in a focused manner to produce high-quality work.
  • If students have finished filming during homework, invite them to move on to editing.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.

For Lighter Support

  • In Work Times A and B, challenge students to explain how to film and how to edit film. Doing so will ensure they understand the processes themselves and also will allow them the opportunity to use challenging language structures and vocabulary. 

For Heavier Support

  • N/A

 

B. Edit Documentary Clip - SL.7.5 (35 minutes)

  • Inform students that the appropriate learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson is the same as in the previous section:

"I can use multimedia components like video editing with images, camera techniques, voice-over, interviews, graphics, text, statistics, and music to clarify and emphasize points."

  • Remind students of the academic mindset, "This work has value for me."
  • Ask:

"What value does film editing have for me?" (Responses will vary, and may include: I can learn a valuable skill that will serve me in school and potentially even in a career.)

"Does this work have value for me even if I do not want a career in technology?" (Responses will vary, and may include: Yes, working hard on a project will help me to produce something I can be proud of.)

  • Focus students on the Work to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart, specifically on the habit of using strengths to help others grow. Remind students that some of them have strengths in working with technology, and some need help growing in their use of technology.
  • As necessary, display the Model Documentary Storyboard. Model how to annotate the script and storyboard (if not already done) to indicate elements to include when editing, such as the following:
    • images
    • music
    • statistics
    • text
    • graphics
    • voiceover
  • Have students retrieve their triad's documentary script and storyboard. Invite them to begin annotating the script and storyboard to indicate the elements that they want to include as they edit.
  • Explain to students that most online film-editing platforms will include voice-over mechanisms, music, images, other graphic features that students can include as they edit.
  • Invite student experts to teach the basics of film editing using an online tool such as http://eled.org/0247 or http://eled.org/0248. If students do not volunteer to do so, take the lead on this; if student experts emerge, provide them with opportunity to lead. Model the process, and record steps on the How to Edit Film anchor chart (see sample modeling below). These steps may vary depending on the editing software:
    1. Upload the video clips of your film. The film becomes the main track. Text, statistics, images, voice-overs, graphics, and music will then be layered above or below the main track.
    2. Add text, statistics, images, voice-overs, graphics, and music by uploading, recording, or selecting them from the program. 
    3. Insert the text, statistics, images, voice-overs, graphics, or music clips where they belong in your script. Watch the film, and place the clip just below or above that spot. Drag and drop clips and/or shorten them as needed. Adjust the volume of the clip as needed. Consider volume so that listeners can hear people speaking in the film over the music.
    4. For text, statistics, images, voice-overs, graphics, or musical interludes, upload the film in pieces. Then add the text, statistics, images, voice-overs, graphics, or music in between the pieces.
    5. Create a title page and credits page for the film, with the names of the students and the jobs they performed.
  • Invite student experts to help the groups with splicing together film clips, text, statistics, images, and music to create a completed documentary film clip.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.

For Lighter Support

  • In Work Times A and B, challenge students to explain how to film and how to edit film. Doing so will ensure they understand the processes themselves and also will allow them the opportunity to use challenging language structures and vocabulary. 

For Heavier Support

  • In Work Time B, work slowly, recording instructions on the board or chart paper and repeating each step orally several times to ensure students understand how to edit film. If feasible, encourage students to work in homogeneous home language groups during teacher modeling to translate the instructions in each step. Before releasing students to work independently, repeat each step, model it, and wait while students perform the step, circulating to provide support. Repeat this process, releasing students only when they are able to perform steps easily.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingLevels of Support

A. Chalk Talk – SL.7.5 (15 minutes)

  • Explain to students that they will have the opportunity to share their documentary film clip and respond to others’ film clips through a protocol called Chalk Talk. Post a piece of chart paper for each triad, and ask them to write the title of their documentary film clip at the top of the chart paper. Distribute three devices and three pairs of headphones to each triad, and ask them to cue up their documentary film clip on each device so that others can watch it at that station. If there are not enough devices in the classroom, students can watch the film clips together at a station, but the volume will have to be low enough so as not to distract other groups. Also, near the chart paper, post the Chalk Talk directions and norms and the Chalk Talk questions about documentary film clips—also the Chalk Talk questions about documentary film clips ▲, as necessary. The differentiated version supports students in writing responses with sentence starters. ▲ Read aloud the Directions and Norms, modeling each step on the board for students who need more visual support. ▲ Then read aloud each question and cold-call on a number of students to ensure understanding with questions such as:

“What should you notice in the documentary film clip you watch?” (I should notice that multimedia adds emphasis and clarify points, and a call to action to stop plastic poll.) 

“What does it mean to celebrate a group’s documentary film clip?” (It means to respond to their film in a positive way; now is not the time for feedback on ways to improve.)

  • Distribute sticky notes and different colored pencils or markers. Release students to begin the Chalk Talk, ensuring that students respond to at least one of the posted questions at every station they visit in the allotted amount of time.
  • During the Chalk Talk, circulate around the room, reading and pointing students to interesting comments. Remind students of the norms, if needed, particularly that of silence.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite students to share patterns and themes that emerged from the Chalk Talk.
  • Ask:

“What can we celebrate about these documentary film clips?” (They all inspired me to make a change with plastic pollution. They are examples of high-quality work and craftsmanship.)

For Lighter Support

  • Prior to the Chalk Talk in Closing and Assessment A, challenge students to read aloud and explain the directions and norms, pantomiming each step of the protocol for their classmates who need heavier support. Doing so will ensure they understand the directions and norms themselves and will allow them to practice speaking and listening skills.

For Heavier Support

  • In Closing and Assessment A, invite students to use the Chalk Talk questions about documentary film clips ▲. This resource supports students’ written responses to their peers’ podcasts with sentence frames. Also, ask students who need lighter support to help review and pantomime the steps of the Chalk Talk protocol to support students’ comprehension of and successful participation in the protocol.

Homework

Homework

A. Complete the Documentary Filming and Editing

  • If students don't finish their documentary film clip in class and technology allows, they can do so for homework.

B. Publish the Documentary Film Clip

  • If students don't publish their documentary film clip in class and technology allows, they can do so for homework based on school policy and teacher guidance and recommendations for family, friends, and/or social media.

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