Brian's Lesson Plan Topics and Standards

Lesson Plan: Topic and Standards


Title
Elements of composition in a video scene

Summary
The goal is to provide basic vocabulary and analytical tools so the student can discuss how a specific video scene is constructed, whether from a commercial, and movie, or other video formats, and then have the student create a short video with appropriate images, tracking, sound, etc., that exemplifies an understanding of those elements.

Audience
Grade 12, Language Arts and some Fine Arts


HCPS standards

Main Standards are connected to Reading standards for Language Arts, although they would be adapted for visual literacy.

Standard 1: Reading: CONVENTIONS AND SKILLS: Use knowledge of the conventions of language and texts to construct meaning for a range of literary and informational texts for a variety of purposes

Standard 2: Reading: READING COMPREHENSION: Use reading strategies to construct meaning from a variety of texts

Standard 3: Reading: LITERARY RESPONSE AND ANALYSIS: Respond to literary texts from a range of stances: personal, interpretive, critical

Standard 6 for Grade 11: Oral Communication: CONVENTIONS AND SKILLS: Apply knowledge of verbal and nonverbal language to communicate effectively in various situations: interpersonal, group, and public: for a variety of purposes


Other standards can be drawn from:

Fine Arts (grades 9 to 12)
Standard 2: MUSIC: Understand and apply elements of music and understand how music communicates ideas, feelings, and experiences across cultures
where students are expected to analyze compositional devices and techniques

Standard 1: VISUAL ARTS: Understand and apply art materials, techniques, and processes in the creation of works of art and understand how the visual arts communicate a variety of ideas, feelings, and experiences
where students evaluate the function of artwork in different cultures, careers, and historical periods

There are also standards connected to visual media in earlier grades


Relevant NETS standard

1. Basic operations and concepts
Students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems.
Students are proficient in the use of technology.

2. Social, ethical, and human issues
Students understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology.
Students practice responsible use of technology systems, information, and software.
Students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity.

3. Technology productivity tools
Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.

4. Technology communications tools
Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences.

5. Technology research tools
- Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.
- Students evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness for specific tasks.

6. Technology problem-solving and decision-making tools
- Students use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions.

(note that because the project involves both critical analysis and the production of a digital film, most of the NETS standards can apply).

Brian's Fourth Blog: Film, Politics and PBS

http://www.pbs.org/

I teach a Politics and Film class at Windward Community College. There are so many films, and so little time, that it is very useful to have a resource that takes the study of film seriously. I had thought about commenting on www.imdb.com, but so much of the content at that site is trivia and there is no “for educators” section.

At the PBS site, on the other hand, the additional material connected to PBS shows is extensive, well-presented, and designed to encourage an educational engagement, even if the site is not used by people in a school setting. The keyword search allows you to find shows on virtually any topic, and even if many of the resources are tied to the specific content of the shows, they are easily reworked to be useful to many other educational situations. A search for “the invasion of Iraq”, for instance, yields an appealing website that has video excerpts, interviews, a chronology, readings and other resources that anyone interested in the Iraq war would find useful.


(by the way, did people hear that the first years of Sesame Street are now deemed "unsuitable" for children?)

Brian

My Post,

which can now be read at http://www.coldheartedtruth.com/ ....

----------------

I agree, this system does seem crazy, but I wonder what the best way to pick a president would be. I mean, if it's national vote, then people would need that much more money to win. But doing state by state would take forever. It may be a crazy system, but at least it's organized to keep our attention ... and now that the Superbowl is over, there aren't that many sporting events to pay attention to for awhile.

Is there any indication about whether the pro-McCain vote is to some extent an anti-Bush vote from Republicans? I mean, even though he supported the war, it's not like he's been toeing the line for the administration .... But I haven't seen any polling that talks about which republican candidate is getting republican voters who approve or disapprove of Bush.

What others are saying ....

Comments on blogs vary quite considerably. I was on one blog that was devoted to people complaining about iPower, a web server that evidently was very good but took a very bad turn in around 2005 and now people are trying to escape. It was interesting to hear how hard it can be to get a company to fee your domain so you can transfer it to another company. The comments on this blog did offer some advice, but not that much - it was more a place for venting (disguised as customer education, I suppose).

Other comments on other blogs, especially those connected to professions and technical issues, are designed to give advice. I'm thinking in particular of sites such as http://css.weblogsinc.com/, create a space where people can have their questions answered or join in on conversations about aspects of the field.

Another function of comments on blogs is more personal, offering people a more or less public diary with pictures, commentary and anything else connected to someone's life. Typically, I think these have very little interest to anyone but someone's personal friends (or stalkers, I suppose), who are the only people likely to comment on the blogs. Stumbling upon some unknown person's personal blog, and the comments attached to it, makes you realize how boring people are (and make you question why you're making a blog yourself, I suppose).

A fourth function, which is sometimes a combination of the technical and personal genres, is the political commentary blogs, which can be little more than a rant but can also offer very informed and nuanced analyses of political events, characters, and so on. The comments in this can be rants, but also reactions that actually engage in a debate, point to further information, flawed reasoning, and so on.