Goals

 

Details

Assessments: Video production

 

Description

NOTE: This was our 2nd semester project, and students were already familiar with the programs used. This was an "application" of Digital Design knowledge, but the assessment was for "mastery" of knowledge for history, science, and language arts. (Do they know their revolution? Do they know their physics? Can they utilize metaphor?)

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Students must film a successful run of their machine, as group, and while half the group has been designated as Architects to complete the last half of the Blueprint Series, the other 2 members will be Digital Designers. While filming, students must make sure they have both close-ups of each function being triggered, and one continuous shot of the machine running from beginning to end.

Digital Designers

1. Edit the video into 4-6 "chunks" (one for each function, and one of the whole process) using your school's preferred video editing software (we have Macs and used iMovie).
2. Convert separate clips into a usable format (we used Quicktime).
3. Insert the clips into your school's preferred digital presentation program (we used Keynote mostly, some students preferred PowerPoint).
4. Create a digital presentation using the following format:

SLIDE 1:
a. Image, either picture of machine or other representing your revolution
b. Title (Metaphor Machine: Name of Revolution)
c. Byline (Names of group members)

SLIDE 2:
a. Title: Name of Historical Event/Person/Place/Idea represented in first function
b. Video of first function
c. Brief physical description (what is happening?)

SLIDE 3:
a. Title: Physics Connection
b. State the law, formula, or concept that is displayed in the first function
c. Explain the connection (if the function shows the law of inertia, what is the object at rest in your machine? where is the force coming from?)

SLIDE 4:
a. Title: Metaphorical Connection
b. Describe the Event/Person/Place/Idea that this function represents (historical background)
c. Explain your metaphor (who/what is the force? who/what is the action, and who/what is the reaction & why?)

REPEAT INSTRUCTIONS FOR SLIDES 2, 3, AND 4 FOR EVERY MACHINE FUNCTION (4, 5, and 6 deal with the second function, 7, 8, and 9 deal with the third, etc.

FINAL SLIDE:
Video of complete run through of Metaphor Machine. Caption with a brief conclusion is optional.

TOTAL SLIDE REQUIREMENT:
11 FOR A MACHINE WITH 3 FUNCTIONS
14 FOR A MACHINE WITH 4 FUNCTIONS
17 FOR A MACHINE WITH 5 FUNCTIONS

Present to the group to edit for conciseness & readability (use of color on color, font size, etc), then revise.

Example Keynote 1
Students will film a successful run of their machine, and edit it into a keynote presentation which gives both a scienti...
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Author Reflections

Our 9th graders had a Digital Design class and our 10th graders had Visual Art, while their core classes were combined 9th/10th grades. Since it is difficult to have 4-5 kids working on the same blueprint, or the same keynote, this is how we managed it: We had enough cameras to have all groups film the successful run of the machine together in math class (our "workshop class). Then we had the groups split into Architects (10th graders) and Digital Designers (9th graders), and at times utilized different rooms at the same time. Blueprints & Keynotes were being created simultaneously. Manage this depending on your resources.

When it comes to the Keynote creation, use whatever kind of template meets your needs. The example is based on a slightly different template than the one provided above, as we edited the requirements after we created the example. The differences are cosmetic, mostly, and the template was changed in order to introduce a more "smooth" telling of the story that is the machine. This will be students primary tool for their Exhibition Presentation.

MATERIALS:
-video cameras & cords
-tapes
-computers
-video editing software
-digital presentation software