We're putting together various ideas for how teachers can use Moviestorm in the classroom. We'd love your feedback on these - which ones work, which don't, how could they be improved, and so on. If you've actually tried any of these, let us know how it went.
And of course, please contribute any of your own!
Do an on-screen debate about green issues such as recycling, alternative fuels, global warming, or biodiversity. This can be presented as a studio debate or an interview. Illustrate with slides or video if necessary.
Benefit: the student is required to demonstrate familiarity with both sides of a debate, and be able to present both cases clearly.
Create a promotional or informational video about working in a particular field of science. Explain what the job role involves, what qualifications are necessary, what the rewards are, and encourage students to investigate that as a career choice. Illustrate with slides or video if required.
Benefit: this encourages students to think of taking up a career in science, and gets them to think about the practical and commercial sides of science.
Create a biography of a famous scientist and explain the key elements of his work. Intersperse presentation with slides and music to create a documentary. If appropriate, enhance it with reconstructed scenes from the era or the person’s life.
Benefits: adding multimedia content increases the depth of understanding and research, and enables the student to approach the subject in a richer way than just using written text and still images. Providing narration builds confidence in speaking without needing to do it in front of an audience or camera. Creating reconstructed scenes is fun and engaging, requires further research, and encourages an imaginative approach to the subject.
Do a weather forecast, using weather data drawn from public records. As an interesting variation, the student may be required to do weather forecasts for a specific date and historical event (e.g. Hurricane Katrina, Krakatoa, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami).
Benefit: the student has to demonstrate familiarity with the principles of meteorology and the key symbols. They also understand how weather forecasting is presented to the public.
Create a video to explain the scientific method. This could be presented as a lecture, a case study, a debate, or however the student feels appropriate. The student should be encouraged to take an unusual approach, such as using a story to illustrate the concept. (For example, use a Mr Bean type character who behaves erratically to try and achieve something, and contrast with a scientist who tries different approaches until he figures out a solution.)
Benefit: this can be an enjoyable way to present the topic. If the student takes an academic approach (e.g. drawing on the history of science) this can lead to some in-depth research.
Present a scientific concept in an interesting way. (As an example, one student presented the cell as a series of interlinked rooms, with characters explaining the roles of the various cell components.)
Benefit: the student has to think creatively about the concept and how to present it clearly. This promotes a deep understanding of the concept and makes it more interesting.
Lesson ideas - science
No replies to this topic
1 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users