ENGLISH TEACHERS

“I can’t get my daughter to do anything at home but the energy she puts into this project just blows me away!”     
Parent (Tampa, Florida)

 

How do you teach students solid essay-writing skills in a hyper linked world where everything is non-linear and multi-tasking is a way of life? Use their own fascination with technology! Your students will be captivated by the idea of making a movie - and structuring/narrating a good documentary requires all the same skills as writing a good essay.

They'll learn to:

  • To read multiple texts with a critical eye, determine central ideas, and summarize them succinctly.

  • To evaluate source credibility, point of view, relevance, sufficiency of evidence, and purpose.

  • To integrate content from diverse media - visually, quantitatively, and in written form.

 

They'll have to:

  • Use their research to develop an opinion, then write arguments to support their analysis using valid reasoning skills and strong evidence.

  • Write their narration to convey complex information simply, clearly, and accurately.

  • Revise, review, polish, and redo - and accept constructive critique from an audience of their peers.

 

Once they're done and they show their film they'll have the chance to:

  • present their information or advocate/defend their point of view.

  • Use digital media to make a convincing case to their target audience.

  • Practice their public speaking and communication skills in their introductions and Q&A.

And along the way, they may just realize that they really can change the world - or their small corner of it - if they try hard enough.