Activity 6

Vlog – Video Blog

Grade level: 7^th through 10^th graders

Language objectives:

• Students will practice their oral skills
• Students will write a manuscript
• Students will film and compose a video blog  

Content objectives:

• Students will analyze a fictional character
• Students will imagine being in a fictional characters life

The activities cover at least two competence aims after year 10:

• Create, communicate and converse about own texts inspired by English literature, films and cultural forms of expression
• Select different digital resources and other aids and use them in an independent manner in own language learning
  (Udir, 2016) 

This is a creating activity with the power words compose, imagine and portray. It is an interdisciplinary activity between English and literacy. The activity is very easily adaptable because the teacher can change the fictional character to be more appropriate for the age group. More advanced students can also talk about a topic that concerns today's society instead of what a fictional character did that day. The video blog does not necessarily have to be posted on YouTube, this depends on the schools rules and if the students want to. Creating a video blog can be easier for some of the shy students, instead of making this a performance in front of the class. They can choose to sit alone while filming it, so that it is not so much pressure.  

Into: 

The into-activity will be the homework prior to this class, where the students will have read a novel or a short story. The students will then pick one of the main characters in the story and write down some key information about the characters personality.

Through:

The students will make a manuscript to preform in front of a computer camera. They are using computer cameras to make it more authentic to stereotypical video blogs. The video blog will be about their chosen fictional characters every day life, and made up problems. The students will have a lot of creative freedom to talk about what they think the character would want to talk about.

Beyond: 

In the beyond-activity the students will post their video blog, either on YouTube or send it as an email to the teacher. The teacher will choose some example to show the rest of the class.

The teacher can assess this activity by giving out some criteria on what should be included in the video, but that might also take away some of the creativity, and fun of making it.

Sources:

Utdanningsdirektoratet. (downloaded 15. October 2016). English subject curriculum.  http://www.udir.no/kl06/eng1-03/Hele/Kompetansemaal/kompetansemal-etter-10.-arstrinn/?lplang=eng

Activity 5

Podcast Critiques

Grade level: 10^th graders

Language objectives:

• Students will listen to an online podcast
• Students will evaluate a podcast
• Students will construct a list of criteria for a podcast

Content objectives:

• Students will be able to compare their expectations oppose to the content of the actual podcast

The activities cover at least two competence aims after year 10:

• Create, communicate and converse about own texts inspired by English literature, films and cultural forms of expression
• Select different digital resources and other aids and use them in an independent manner in own language learning
  (Udir, 2016)

This is an evaluating activity with the power words compare, construct and critique. The technologies being used in this activity is the web page PodBean and RubiStar. PodBean is a good place to find educational podcasts that is authentic and relevant. RubiStar is a online rubric service, that will provide the students with an easy way to make a form for their evaluating criteria. There is not much difference between making the form physically, compared to using RubiStar. The benefit of using RubiStar is that the students can not lose their piece of paper, and they can hand in the Rubric ID to the teacher at the end of class, and still work on it at home.

Into:

The class will make a list of criteria for what they think should be included in a short, educational podcast about the election. The students will make their own individual lists using the online rubric maker RubiStar.

Through:
The class will listen to a short, educational podcast about the election on PodBean.com, which the teacher has chosen and listened to beforehand. They will take notes, and have the criteria form in front of them while listening.

Beyond:

The class will summarize together which of the criteria was met and not. After going through the podcast, and summarizing it in plenary the teacher will ask the students; if they were to make a list of criteria again, is there any changes they would make? At the end of class, the students will hand in their RubiStar Rubric ID so that the teacher can assess their forms.

Sources:

Utdanningsdirektoratet. (downloaded 15. October 2016). English subject curriculum.  http://www.udir.no/kl06/eng1-03/Hele/Kompetansemaal/kompetansemal-etter-10.-arstrinn/?lplang=eng

Activity 4

Social Media for Social Change

Grade level: 10^th graders

Language objectives:

• Students will be able to practice and use the grammar structure of present tense
• Students will create a Venn diagram

Content objectives:

• Students will develop and discuss ideas about social change through media
• Students will explore the possibilities of Facebook as a political arena
• Students will look at benefits and negatives of Facebook as a campaigning area

The activities cover at least two competence aims after year 10:

• Create, communicate and converse about own texts inspired by English literature, films and cultural forms of expression
• Select different digital resources and other aids and use them in an independent manner in own language learning
  (Udir, 2016)

This is an analyzing activity with the power words develop, mind-mapping and explore. The technology used in this activity is within the social media, and will depend on what students use the most. In this example the teacher chose Facebook as the social media. This is an interdisciplinary activity between English and social studies.

Into: 

The into-activity will develop over time. Students will be assigned to follow Facebook campaigns in political campaigns as they progress.

Through:

The students will analyze a Facebook campaign and write down what the pros and cons of using Facebook as a campaigning arena are. This will be done individually using a Venn diagram.

Beyond: 

Towards the end of class, the students will be divided into groups of 3. They will then present their diagrams to each other, and discuss what the benefits of campaigning through social media are.   

Sources:

Utdanningsdirektoratet. (downloaded 15. October 2016). English subject curriculum.  http://www.udir.no/kl06/eng1-03/Hele/Kompetansemaal/kompetansemal-etter-10.-arstrinn/?lplang=eng

Activity 3

Digital Storytelling

Grade level: 8^th through 10^th graders

Language objectives:

• Students will collect information about a social or environmental problem
• Students will write short texts to use in collaboration with pictures to make a short movie

Content objectives:

• Students will organize photos into a short, picture-based movie
• Students will find a social or environmental problem they care about

The activities cover at least two competence aims after year 10:

• Create, communicate and converse about own texts inspired by English literature, films and cultural forms of expression
• Select different digital resources and other aids and use them in an independent manner in own language learning
  (Udir, 2016)

This is an applying activity with the power words collect, use and show. The digital tool used in this activity is called Animoto (https://animoto.com/). It is a way to easily make short movies online for free. Animoto is very user friendly, which makes it less time consuming to introduce to the students and use in the classroom.

Into: 

The into-activity will take place in an earlier class, where the students will read up on either a social or environmental problem they care about. The teacher will divide the students into groups of 4-5 students. They will be asked to gather information, and make a plan for what kind of pictures need to be taken for their short movie. The students will shoot a collection of photographs during this class, and/or during their spare time.

Through:

In this class, the students will be prepared and have already taken the photos. They are now going to use them to make a short film that demonstrates a particular point. The teacher will begin by giving them an introduction on how to use Animoto.

Beyond: 

In the beyond-activity each group will get a computer. They will then log on to Animoto to make a short film of one minute that is conveyed through images and sounds. The students are required to use text to convey meaning, but can also use music to reinforce their message. The students will have the rest of the class to finish their movie.

In the next class, the students will show their movies to each other, and discuss the different social and environmental problems in groups. 



Sources: 

Animoto (downloaded 20. October 2016)

https://animoto.com/

Utdanningsdirektoratet. (downloaded 15. October 2016). English subject curriculum.  http://www.udir.no/kl06/eng1-03/Hele/Kompetansemaal/kompetansemal-etter-10.-arstrinn/?lplang=eng