Name: Rori Brewer

PART A: In using the proposed lesson plan, students will learn how to create and publish an original
movie in class in addition to writing an essay. In doing so, students can analyze how two different
different mediums, essays and videos, use different methods and techniques to relate details of a
famous authors life and why. Students will also learn how to use the class blog in order to publish
their original video and essay, as well as receive feedback from others. Finally, students will present
their work in front of parents, students from other classes, school administration, and other teachers,
explaining how their original video differs from the essay they created and why.
Grade Level: 9-12
Content Area: English Language Arts with Support For Language Learners
Technology Used (check all that apply): Movie Audio Podcast Vodcast Other: Google docs
Content Area/Grade/Standards/Topics Addressed: English Language Arts, grades 9-12
Topics Addressed: Analyze the life story of a famous author
Standards Addressed:
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: ELAGSE9-10RI7 Analyze various accounts of a subject told in
different mediums (e.g., a persons life story in print and multimedia), determining which details are
emphasized in each account.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas: ELAGSE9-10SL5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g.,
textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding
of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
Brief Description of Learning Experience:
The teacher will introduce students to the topic by viewing a video about the life of a famous writer
from history. Students will comment on the video as a class, noting what parts of the writers life was
highlighted in the video. Students will then read a selection from a biography about the writer and
comment again, this time in groups, with the teacher walking around to each group to make sure
students stay on topic and engaging in questions and answers with students if necessary. Finally, the
class will listen to a podcast about the author. This time, students will work in pairs to assess what the
podcast did or did not cover compared to the video and writing selection.
Students will now be put into collaborative groups in which each group must choose a famous
historical writer whose life they will research and use their findings to write a collaborative essay using
google docs and create a video about the writers life. Before creating their video, all students will be
instructed to use video and audio editing software in the school computer lab by watching the
teachers example and simultaneously creating their own short video clips on a chosen topic. Teachers
will give them a list of suggested websites to find both written and video biographies about various
writers. After compiling their research in class and creating brief outlines for their essay and video,
students will be given time in the computer lab each day to work with their groups, splitting up various
activities as necessary. After completing their project and receiving feedback from the teacher,
students will then be able to edit the final project, again in groups, and then, in class under the
direction of the teacher, post their finalized essay and embed their video onto the class blog.
Students will then present their projects in class with other students assessing each groups work with
a form created by the teacher. Students will be able to highlight in their presentation how each
medium allowed them to highlight different details about the authors life. Students will again be able
to edit or adapt their work. Teachers will then invite parents, other teachers, and school administration
to an event in which all classes will be able to present their final projects. During this event, the
teacher will invite all parents to post comments on student projects on the class blog. The teacher will
also give students instruction and time in class to complete a required comment on at least one other
blog entry from a different class that completed the same project. If possible, the teacher may also
collaborate with another teacher in a different school to complete the same project at the same time
so that students get a chance to view and comment on projects created by students from that school.
The teacher will then take all feedback and the students work into consideration and offer a final
assessment of the project.
Student Engagement/Higher-Order Thinking: This lesson would reach level 5 of LoTi, as students
will be able to incorporate technology into a student-directed project in which they work collaboratively
in groups, give feedback to other students, and have choice in their project. They will also publish
their work outside the class, allowing students from other classes, other teachers, and parents to view
and become engaged and affected by their chosen multimedia. Students will also be more motivated
to do well as their peers, parents, and teacher will all be part of their feedback and assessment. The
lesson provides students with a challenging standards-based project, that can easily be adjusted to
support English Learners and students with disabilities as the use of print, auditory, and visual media
can reach all different types of learners. Students become explorers and producers through their
research and by learning how to use video and audio editing software to create various multimedia.
They also get a chance to lead the class and educate others about a famous writer using their own
research.
Importance of technology: Using technology to create multimedia to is important to this project as
it addresses necessary standards in the students education. It gives students a way to easily