LearniT-TeachiT

Grade Focus: Grade 7, Grade 8
Age Level: 12, 13
Subject: History, Social Studies
Technology Integration Activity: Video Productions
Estimated Time of Completion: Two weeks of class time for research and filming. Two days of class time for presentations and reflection.

Author: Erica Payne Last modified: 03/29/2010

Introduction

Students will create a video broadcast illustrating a concept or explaining event from The Vietnam War. Students will research the topic of their choice using the Internet and on-line databases. Students will film their broadcasts using Flip Video Cameras. Among the concepts the students will choose from are Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi, North Vietnam, and Ng Dinh Diem in Saigon, South Vietnam, domino theory, guerillas, LBJ, the Gulf of Tonkin, the air base at Da Nang, napalm, The Tet Offensive, "Hawks" and "Doves," and conscientious objectors.

Prerequisite Experience

Students will have a basic understanding of the facts of The Vietnam War from classroom instruction and textbook.

Teacher Prep Time

2 - 3 hours

Teachers should have prior knowledge of using web sites and available on-line databases to conduct research. Teachers should have in-service training or exposure to the Flip Video Camera and video editing software. If possible, the teacher could create demonstrations using CamStudio to briefly introduce the students to video editing tools. The teacher should also have established account with Edmodo for their students and begun using it and brainstorming user rights and responsibilities.

Teachers can also review these training videos from Nortel LearniT

1. Discovering the Internet,

http://nortellearnit.org/technology/Discovering_the_Internet/

2. Imaging, http://nortellearnit.org/technology/Imaging/

3. Video Production,

http://www.nortellearnit.org/technology/Video_Productions/

Use the following United Steaming videos to show students footage from The Vietnam War and examples of broadcasts from the Vietnam era.

America in the 20th Century: Vietnam. Media Rich Learning. 2009.
Discovery Education. 6 February 2010
http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/
Archives of War: The Vietnam War. WPA Film Library. 2004.
Discovery Education. 6 February 2010
http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/

Project

Students will research and understand a variety of topics related to The Vietnam War. Based upon classroom instruction and their research, students will create a news broadcast focusing on the topic of their choice.

Assessment/Grading

Rubric - Both self-evailuation and teacher evaluation

Lesson Plan Details

Engage

Why was The Vietnam War one of the most divisive wars in the history of the United States? The United States spent anywhere from $112 to $155 billion to defeat North Vietnam. What happened in Vietnam? Was it worth it? Show selections from

America in the 20th Century: Vietnam. Media Rich Learning. 2009.
Discovery Education. 6 February 2010
http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/

Explore

Search the Internet and on-line databases using a Trackstar created by the teacher to focus their research. The web address for the Track is http://trackstar.4teachers.org/trackstar/ and the Track number is 401419.

Additional Web Resources:

Battlefield: Vietnam

http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/

Veteran’s Stories: The Veteran’s History Project

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/veterans/

LBJ for Kids

http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/lbjforkids/main.htm

EBSCO Databases

http://search.ebscohost.com (Specifically the Student Resource Center available through this subscription web site)

ProQuest – Historical New York Times

http://www.proquestk12.com (Using the primary sources on this subscription web site)

Students will choose a topic based on their interests but only one group may have each topic. Students can use prior knowledge, textbooks, print resources and on-line resources to find information and images related to their topic. Students will also be asked to watch at least three news broadcasts prior to beginning the project. Students will use an Edmodo discussion group to brainstorm effective presentation techniques in television news broadcasts (one potential topic could be comparing news broadcasts now to those during the Vietnam War era).

Explain

As students are researching, they will keep in mind how they should format their research to be presented in a TV broadcast format. They will be given the grading rubric at the beginning of the project and encouraged to check their work to the rubric to gauge their progress. Students will provide the teacher with a written script created on Google Docs with citations for information and images for the news broadcast. Through the Google Docs, the teacher will be available to monitor and provide feedback. The students will be able to work together to edit and revise their script based on feedback.

Elaborate

Each group will write a script for their news broadcast using the information they found. Students will also incorporate sounds, images and possibly interviews into their broadcast. Students can refer to the following sites for information regarding the use of Digital Imaging - http://www.nortellearnit.org/technology/Imaging/ and http://www.nortellearnit.org/resources/Handouts/#video%20productions. Students can view the following You Tube video to gain an overview of the Flip Video camera http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh6s9gNoFro.

Students can edit and manipulate their videos with Audacity and Media Coder. The broadcast should be 3 – 5 minutes. Students will share the broadcasts with their class via Teacher Tube.

Evaluate

After students have shown their broadcast to the class, the group will complete a self-evaluation. They will complete the rubric and also note what they thought was their most successful part of the broadcast and one thing they would have done differently. There will be a discussion on each video presented on the class Edmodo site. The class will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each video and the topics that were covered. The teacher will use the rubric to evaluate the project.

Video Production Project Rubric

Criteria	Level 1 (D)	Level 2 (C)	Level 3 (B)	Level 4 (A)
Research / Content	Content lacks detail	Content somewhat detailed	Content is detailed	Content is appropriate and detailed
Planning	Incomplete	Somewhat complete	Complete	Complete and thorough
Communication of Understanding	Communicates little information with clarity	Communicates some information with some clarity	Communicates information with clarity	Communicates comprehensive information with clarity
Technical quality of video(e.g. editing, transitions, lighting, composition, audio)	Poor	Satisfactory	Good	Excellent
Overall use of Technology to Present Findings	Use of technology to present findings using a few simple ideas	Use of technology to present findings using some simple ideas	Use of technology to present findings using ideas of some complexity	Use of technology to present findings using complex ideas

Extend

Students could show a copy of the broadcast to someone who lived during The Vietnam War. Students could interview the person and ask how their broadcast compared to the person’s memory of the time.

Students could try to find people (in person or via Skype) who either served in the military during The Vietnam Way or was a conscientious objector and compare the similarities and differences of the way they remember the time period.

Students could complete journal entries related to The Vietnam War and what role they may have played during the time period. Students could publish their journal entries on Glogster and incorporate text, graphics, video and sound.

Students could compile all broadcasts and create one DVD to be placed in the school Media Center for other classes to use.

Broadcast from The Vietnam War