Using Scooby Doo to Improve Writing

February 10, 2009
For some time now we have used film to support writing.  Here we use a Scooby Doo trailer to explore how focusing on different aspects of a film changes the writing.

Scooby Doo – Batman Trailer
Uploaded by Leeowen
We always turn the sound down on this trailer and stop it before the Batman outline turns into Scooby Doo.  The children need to watch it several times just to respond to it as it is, no sound and no Scooby Doo as that completely changes the film.  We would show them it all after we have finished.
Divide the children into groups and ask each group to focus on a different aspect: camera angle and movement, light and dark and colour.  The children watch the trailer several times and m ake notes about what they see and then discuss.  Share what they see.
They then watch again but jot down words and phrases that link to their focus and the film.  The camera group often come up with things such as swooping up and over, racing along, gliding down the corridor, turning and choosing the doorway.  Here the verb choice to describe the movement and prepositions are very strong.
The light and dark group might jot down phrases such as moonlight shining on water, lit up house, shadows of trees, light entering the gloom from the moonlit windows, patterned shadows.  Here noun modifiction and expansion are strong.
These can then be crafted into sentences to describe the film clip.  Depending upon the focus for observation, the paragraphs will be very different and that can then lead into a discussion about what you as a writer want your reader to see and feel.
There is also something interesting about the fact that whatever is moving around the house is hidden from the viewer and with older children it would be worthwhile exploring how you hide something from the reader and then decide to reveal it.  The revealing in this clip leads to humour and completely changes the tone.  Different ways of revealing could be explored in writing and the impact upon the reader.
Do you have any film clips you like to use to support children in writing?
Linked posts: Using Images to support writing

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Posted by alijoy

Warming up the word – part 2

February 5, 2009

Here’s a great activity for warming up the word.  Whenever you read to children get them to record phrases that stand out for them, particularly from poetry and fiction.  Record these and dipslay so that all can see.

Give children thirty seconds to choose 3 or 4 of their favourite and to put them together to create a short poem which they say out loud to the rest of the class.  The whole class identify parts that go well together because of the rhythm, the sound of the words, the images or whatever else. 

Remember – no longer than ten minutes on it altogether. 

Linked posts – Warming up the word part 1

Image by metrognome0 under the Creative Commons Licence

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Posted by alijoy

Digital Storytelling Resources

January 7, 2009

A site that has listed all the resources that I was going to do over the month.  Well worth visiting. http://www.thedigitalnarrative.com/Flowgram.htm

I will go through some of the resources in more detail but for those of you who are chomping at the bit – enjoy!

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Posted by alijoy

Digital Storytelling

January 6, 2009

For the month of January I thought I would focus in on resources that can help us develop digital storytelling in the classroom.

What is digital storytelling?  Well I think the easiest definition is story telling using tools on the computer which could consist of  sound or images or the orchestration of sound, moving and still images, voices over and text.  Digital storytelling originally started off as a way of recording ‘ordinary’ people’s life stories but in the classroom encompasses telling all sorts of stories, your own and others’.

I am going to assume that you have already mastered Powerpoint and adding sound to slides so will start with Photostory 3 as this programme takes you through step by step to create a film.

To find out how to download Photo Story 3 and to see a series of short films that show you how to use it go to http://www.deseducation.org/view_folder.asp?folderid=1821&depth=5&rootid=17&level2id=391&level1=17&level2=391&level3=1608&level4=1631&level5=1821

If you have used Photo Story in the classroom please let us know how it went and what your children produced.

 

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Posted by alijoy