On Assignment

The Granny

The Red-Eared Donkey

How to Make a Man Cry

 

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PROGRAMS BY AGE/GRADE

The following categories are simply guidelines - middle schoolers regularly complete our high school and even university programs. High school teachers often use our simple projects as an introduction to media technology or brief overview of the subject matter. Sophisticated fourth graders have done excellent work with our middle school modules. If you have any questions, contact us and we'll make sure we find the best fit for your goals.

 

SIMPLE (Elementary/Middle School)

These modules are highly structured and require little preparation or technical knowledge on the part of the teacher. All activities, worksheets, a how-to video, Power Point presentation, rubrics, and other teaching materials are included. The modules are an excellent introduction to media technology/movie making and focus on critical thinking/analysis and written/visual storytelling skills.

  • Do you want a project that can be completed in as little as two weeks?

  • Do you want to open the box and start - with little or no preparation time and all activities included?

  • Do your students need a more structured approach, where they are taken step-by-step through the critical analysis of a single subject?

  • Do you want to focus on basic opening/body/conclusion writing skills?

  • Are you new to media technology and visual storytelling?

  • Are you interested in doing films on environmental issues?

EXAMPLES: A 60-second documentary on the pros and cons of solar energy. A public service announcement on Global Warming. A 3-minute explanation of the Water Cycle.

PRICE: One year, single classroom educational license: $100. Introductory price: $49.95

 

CREATIVE (High School)

These modules each contain more than five hours of professional, in-depth footage and extensive background information on a global issue (i.e., humanitarian aid in Sudan) with at least a dozen potential stories. Curriculum, student activities, how-to videos, Power Points, rubrics, and other teaching materials are included, but the format allows teachers and students more leeway to structure their own storylines and points of view. This is an excellent project for students who rise to a challenge and would be excited to create a unique and compelling mini documentary that they could show the public, use to advocate on an issue, or even include in a college application. Students/teachers do not require prior media technology skills to use these modules but will need more time to view the footage, read the background materials, and develop their documentaries.

  • Do you want a project that can be completed in four to twelve weeks?

  • Do your students rise to a challenge? Do they want creative choices more than a fill-in-the-blank structured approach? Can they work on their own?

  • Do your students want to create something unique and original?

  • Do your students know how to structure a basic storyline with an opening, a body, and a conclusion? Can they read through background materials and use flowcharts to create their own stories?

  • Are you interested in doing films on global issues in Sudan and Cuba?

EXAMPLES: A 5 minute expose on the black market in Cuba .A 3-5 minute documentary on the challenges of educating girls in a Sudanese refugee camp.

PRICE: One-year, single classroom educational license: $250. Introductory price: $95.

 

CHALLENGING (College and University)

Over forty high schools and several colleges have used this program with great success. Each semi-professional editing package offers 23-37 hours of extraordinarily rich and sophisticated footage with hundreds of potential storylines. Comprehensive background materials include several hundred pages of footage summaries, timed sequence lists, and flowcharts. Footage is broadcast quality and uncompressed and was shot for PBS.

  • Do you want a project that can be completed in a full semester or can your students work extensively on their own?

  • Do your student want to try their hands at professional filmmaking using footage that they cannot shoot on their own?

  • The sky's the limit! Are they excited to take on more than just another homework assignment?

  • Do they want to change the world?

PRICE: One-year, single classroom educational license: $995.