Pitch a Documentary Clip: Create a Storyboard | EL Education Curriculum

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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.

  • SL.7.4, SL.7.6

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can create a storyboard with images, captions, and my documentary clip script on plastic pollution. (SL.7.4, SL.7.5)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 9 (SL.7.5)
  • Work Time A: Storyboard (SL.7.5)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner - SL.7.5 (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Create a Storyboard - SL.7.5 (35 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Share Storyboard - SL.7.5 (5 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Optional: Finish Storyboard: If students have the technology or access to materials, they can finish work on their portions of the storyboards.

B. Independent Research Reading: Students read for at least 20 minutes in their independent research reading text. Then they select a prompt and write a response in their independent reading journal.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • SL.7.5 – Opening A: On an entrance ticket, students share images ideas and concerns about creating their storyboards with their triad partners.
  • SL.7.5 – Work Time A: Students create their storyboards to prepare for turning their documentary scripts into filmed clips.
  • SL.7.5 – Closing and Assessment A: Students share their favorite part of their documentary storyboards so far, explaining what makes the panel they chose the best or most effective panel.
  • In this lesson, students focus on working to contributing to a better world by preparing to create their documentary clips and inform others about the problem of plastic pollution and the steps they can take to help reduce pollution.
  • Think-Pair-Share 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.
  • If homework is not an option for students and they don’t finish their storyboard in this lesson, then they can work with their triad to finish their storyboard in Work Time A of the next lesson.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Encourage students to develop more detailed plans for their documentaries, perhaps focusing on describing in more detail the shots they will film and listing any props they may need for filming. Students can add this information as notes to their storyboards or write them down on a separate document.
  • Students who have expertise in drawing or using online tools to create images can be designated as classroom experts to be consulted as other students need support. 

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In previous lessons, students have analyzed a model documentary script and storyboard and begun planning their own. In this lesson, students work on their storyboards together with their documentary triad groups.

Support All Students

  • The subject matter in the works selected may include descriptions of environmental pollution and harm to wildlife. Continue to monitor students to determine if there are issues surfacing as a result of the content of this chapter 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 discussed and worked on your documentaries?” Students may need to draw on perseverance, empathy, and compassion as they read and discuss this content, being sensitive to their own and others’ reactions to the information presented.
  • Students may need additional support selecting or creating images. Circulate and encourage students to ask follow-up questions about their scripts to help them discover what kinds of images will work for their documentary storyboards. ▲

Assessment Guidance

  • Review students’ storyboards to ensure that they are understanding the task and selecting appropriate and useful images to help convey their plans to film the documentary.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students will practice pitching their documentaries to their classmates, using their storyboards and their work with their film clips to help them convey their ideas and generate excitement.

In Advance

  • Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 9 at each student's workspace.
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout previous modules to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 7.I.A.1, 7.I.B.5, 7.I.C.10, and 7.I.C.12.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson provides an opportunity to draw or create images to express ideas with a lower demand of cognitive and language acquisition.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to use online platforms to create images. Some students may not have experience using platforms to create images and may not feel comfortable drawing. To ensure all students can produce high-quality work that they can be proud of, draw together students who wish to use an online platform to create their images. Together review each step and create a sample image, encouraging students to take notes on each step in the modality that best suits them (in English, in drawings, in their home language). Ensure students can use the online platforms before releasing them to do so on their own.

Vocabulary

  • N/A

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Presentation checklist (example for teacher reference) (from Module 4, Unit 3, Lesson 5, Closing and Assessment A)

  • Presentation checklist (one per student; from Module 4, Unit 3, Lesson 5, Closing and Assessment A)
  • Model Documentary Storyboard (one per student; from Module 4, Unit 3, Lesson 8, Work Time B)
  • Storyboard (student-generated; one per triad; from Module 4, Unit 3, Lesson 8, Closing and Assessment A)
  • Independent reading journal (one per student; begun in Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 6, Work Time B)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • N/A

  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 9 (one per student)

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 - SL.7.5 (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: Students respond to questions on Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 9 and form triads to share their responses.
  • Once students have completed their entrance tickets, use a total participation technique to review their responses and address any concerns about creating their storyboards during Work Time A.
  • 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

  • In Opening A, circulate to check students' entrance ticket responses to ensure they are ready to begin creating their storyboard. If they do not have ideas for their panels, encourage them to remain in their triads until they know what images to create. 

For Heavier Support

  • See For Lighter Support. Additionally, if students are the only members of their triads without ideas, they can join with other students who are stuck to share and generate ideas.

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Create a Storyboard – SL.7.5 (35 minutes)

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

“I can create a storyboard with images, captions, and my documentary clip script on plastic pollution.”

  • Inform students they will now draft their storyboards for their documentary clips.
  • Ask students to Think-Pair-Share:

“Who is the audience for our documentary clips? How will thinking about this audience help you develop your storyboards?” (Responses will vary. Possible response: Our audience is community members and teachers, staff, and other students in the school. Therefore, we should make sure our images and plans for shots can convey our ideas to an audience perhaps not as knowledgeable about plastic pollution as we are.)

“What are some of the elements you should consider to make your storyboards as useful as possible to ‘pitch’ them to your classmates?” (Responses will vary but may include: We should make sure the images we select help convey our ideas clearly and make them exciting to the people we are pitching to.)

“What are some of the elements you should think about in order to make your storyboards as useful as possible in your own filming?” (Responses will vary but may include: We should think about how we will find the images we want to use, or plan how to shoot them on video. We should make sure the images or shots we use are realistic and can be found in our school or community.)

  • Ask students to retrieve their copies of the Presentation checklist. Remind students that as they create their storyboards today they will use the SL.7.5 row of this checklist. Review the SL.7.5 row as necessary, consulting the Presentation checklist (example for teacher reference).
  • Invite students to begin creating their storyboards, independently completing their panels, but consulting with their triad members as necessary to ensure the panels work together to convey their plans for the documentary film clip. Students may also consult the Model Documentary Storyboard as necessary.
  • Circulate to support students as they work. Ask questions to guide their thinking:

“What are the best images to use to help convey your ideas?” (For students who need more support, ask, “What do you want to show in your documentary? What pictures can you use to show this?”)

“How do the images in your storyboard help to clarify your claims and findings and emphasize your points?” (For students who need more support, ask, “What information do your images give the viewer? Have you given the viewer all the important information from your script?”)

“How will the images you choose help you pitch your storyboards to your classmates?” (For students who need more support, ask, “How will you use your storyboards to show others what you are discussing in your script? How will the images in your storyboards help others get excited about your documentary clip?”)

“Do your storyboards prepare you to make your documentary? Are the images and plans realistic?” (For students who need more support, ask, “Will you be able to find and shoot the images in your storyboards? Will it be possible to make a video clip based on your ideas?”)

“Does your storyboard add to the script and make it clearer instead of distracting from the ideas in the script?” (For students who need more support, ask, “Do the images in your storyboard match what you are saying in your script or will they be confusing to your audience?”)

  • Invite students to record Y for yes and the date in the final column of their Presentation checklist if they feel they have achieved the criteria marked on their checklists with their storyboard creation in this lesson.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.

For Lighter Support

  • In Work Time A, students may have experience with using online platforms to create images. Ask these students to share their experiences with the class as technical experts. Asset-based instruction increases students' confidence and engagement with creating a storyboard.

For Heavier Support

  • In Work Time A, if time allows, encourage students to act out their portion of the script with their triad to better envision what images to create in their storyboard. 

Closing & Assessments

Closing

A. Share Storyboard - SL.7.5 (5 minutes)

  • Invite students to join with another triad to share their favorite storyboard panel and explain what makes them most excited about the panel they chose.
  • Invite students to reflect on the habits of character focus in this lesson, discussing what went well and what could be improved next time.

Homework

Homework

A. Optional: Finish Storyboard

  • If students have the technology or access to materials, they can finish work on their portions of the storyboards. 

B. Independent Research Reading

  • Students read for at least 20 minutes in their independent research reading text. Then they select a prompt and write a response in their independent reading journal.

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