Warm Up Activity
Estimated time to complete: 30 Minutes
Explain to students that they will watch four different types of stories: a news package, a video profile, an explainer video, and a short documentary. Play them in random order without revealing the type of video stories. The purpose of this exercise is to see if they could identify each type of story based on prior knowledge.
After watching all the stories, have students IDENTIFY what type of story they are.
Using this JAMBOARD, have students place sticky notes in the box with the corresponding story type on SLIDE 2.
Note: Jamboard activity could be substituted with classroom whiteboard and markers/stickies.
SLIDE 2:
Boxes (story types): Explainer, News Package, Documentary, and Profile
Sticky note (labels): DACA, PIPELINE, HEALTH, SCHOOL SAFETY
SLIDE 3-6:
Have students place sticky notes with video and storytelling elements they recognize. Examples include b-roll, photos, narration, statistics, interviews, music, etc.
Possible characteristics. Please note there could be a combination of some or all in each category:
- News packages: Newsworthy issues/topics, factual information, balanced reporting, research, voice overs, soundbites, b-roll footage, infographics, reporter standup, nats.
- Video profiles: The story of one person, it could include voiceover (VO) or the person narrating, b-roll, pictures, nats (natural sound), interviews of family members or peers of that one person.
- Explainer videos: Narration and/or voiceover (VO) with a host, commentary, research, personal experiences, explanations, infographics, nats (natural sound), music, entertainment.
- Short documentary: Narration and/or voiceover (VO), scene reconstructions, archival footage, nats (natural sound), b-roll, images, research, lengthy interviews, soundbites.