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Another Way to Tell a Story

I teach a seventh-grade elective called Communications. I've blogged about this class and my students before. It's a class I've grown to love! Our main focus this year has been creating and sharing our daily morning news show, B-AM News. 

Last week I watched the Oscars and I saw a commercial that inspired me...




Walmart challenged three talented directors to create a short film, one minute, about a box. The three versions were creative and different and entertaining. I gave that same challenge to my students. One class finished and presented their videos. I'll share a couple below for your viewing pleasure. 

I made my own film. 

It was just like writing a story. I felt the same worry when I began, "Is this going to be good enough?" I drafted and revised and revised and revised. The process is exactly the same as writing. My film doesn't have any dialogue, but the creating was not easy.

Looking for a new way to approach writing? Filmmaking. Creating a story. We are now going to have weekly challenges to create these short films. I'm inspired and reinvigorated! 






March is the Slice of Life Challenge.
I'll be sharing a post each day in the month of March.
Please join me at Two Writing Teachers to read more slices!

Comments

  1. As a communication teacher at both the high school and college level, I love this idea. I’ll share this w/ the other speech teachers on my team and wish there were time for this project in my Communication 1101 dual credit class. Alas, trimesters once again prohibit fun.

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  2. How fun is that?! I love how you find inspiration in all sorts of places. Very cool idea, Michelle.

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  3. So fun! I love that all the time, you are living as a writer. You see a commercial while watching the Oscars on a Sunday night and immediately think, I want to do that!! Keep learning and exposing your students to the same kind of learning!

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  4. If I was still teaching speech or drama, I would definitely have kids do this assignment. I saw these last Sunday night and thought they would be a great activity for the classroom!

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  5. I love this idea and how you did it yourself to be ready to teach it. Your students are rising!

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  6. You are so right, no matter the communication medium, creating a product that speaks to an audience takes the same basic process. Thanks for sharing the details and a couple of the short films.

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  7. What a fun way to communicate writing/a story. I bet your students are really enjoy this work.

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  8. I'm sharing your Writing Out Of The Box with my students tomorrow! Words CAN do anything. WIth power comes responsibility, as your boys video shows. Something good from a commercial - I love then an idea works!

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