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Improvising, writing, and filmmaking. Sounds impossible for elementary students to do. Not my students. My students in grades 1-6 worked through the process of how to take an idea, develop it, and turn it into a movie with amazing success. I introduced students to silent movies this school year. We watched silent movie actors such as Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, and Buster Keaton. We talked about how music was important to engage an audience since there were no words, only title cards. We also discussed how reactions and using facial expressions were incredibly important in this artform. Students then began an improvisation game where students would give a silent movie title. Then silent movie music was played. A student began creating a character and a scene based on the title and music. Other students were added throughout to make a "movie." Students then brainstormed titles. They narrowed the title down to one. They began to develop a script by giving a beginning (establishing shot), a middle (all of the action), and an end (summation aka walking into the sunset). This plan was used to establish locations around the school to make the scenes. Students decided which character or which scene they would participate. The silent movies were shot with an Iphone 11ProMax. It was edited with IMovie on the Iphone, which was very difficult to edit 16 different movies. I would like to take our "filmmaking" to the next level by developing scripts and short films to help emphasize the writing goals our school has set for the next school year. The silent movies were very successful and each student got to see their ideas come to life. The MacBook Pro would help keep them upping up their creativity by using an excep

About my class

Improvising, writing, and filmmaking. Sounds impossible for elementary students to do. Not my students. My students in grades 1-6 worked through the process of how to take an idea, develop it, and turn it into a movie with amazing success. I introduced students to silent movies this school year. We watched silent movie actors such as Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, and Buster Keaton. We talked about how music was important to engage an audience since there were no words, only title cards. We also discussed how reactions and using facial expressions were incredibly important in this artform. Students then began an improvisation game where students would give a silent movie title. Then silent movie music was played. A student began creating a character and a scene based on the title and music. Other students were added throughout to make a "movie." Students then brainstormed titles. They narrowed the title down to one. They began to develop a script by giving a beginning (establishing shot), a middle (all of the action), and an end (summation aka walking into the sunset). This plan was used to establish locations around the school to make the scenes. Students decided which character or which scene they would participate. The silent movies were shot with an Iphone 11ProMax. It was edited with IMovie on the Iphone, which was very difficult to edit 16 different movies. I would like to take our "filmmaking" to the next level by developing scripts and short films to help emphasize the writing goals our school has set for the next school year. The silent movies were very successful and each student got to see their ideas come to life. The MacBook Pro would help keep them upping up their creativity by using an excep

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Help teachers & students in your hometown this season! Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

Mr. Law's Classroom Edit display name

Support his classroom with a gift that fosters learning.

Support Mr. Law's classroom with a gift that fosters learning.

About my class

About my class

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Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.