All About Me

Grade Level: Yrs 9-12
Curriculum Connections: History
Required Software: Microsoft Photo Story®, Microsoft Word®

What's in this Lesson:

Teacher Guide (including How to Begin)
Student Activity, Step-by-Step:

Teacher Guide

Summary: In this activity, students research and create a documentary about a major historical event that has shaped the world using Microsoft Photo Story®.

Outcomes:

Evaluates the role of key individuals, groups, events and ideas during specific periods of twentieth century
Explains the forces that contributed to change and continuity during specific periods of twentieth century

Objectives:

Negotiates in groups to allocate tasks, establish roles, procedures and evaluation strategies to achieve appropriate goals within set deadlines in order to develop and complete historical investigations using appropriate historical text types
Communicates through well structured media to explain, argue, discuss, analyse and evaluate complex historical information, ideas and issues using appropriate written and oral forms

Prerequisite Skills: Microsoft PowerPoint and basic Internet skills

Time Allotted: 3 class sessions

How to Begin:

Discuss and list those events from the twentieth century that have shaped our world today. Select one event to examine in closer detail. What were the main issues and implications of this event?
Model the thinking strategies that would be required if you were planning to create a documentary about this event. Discuss how images, music and text enhance understanding. Demonstrate how multimedia can be combined and edited using Microsoft Photo Story.
Group your students into pairs. Each pair select an event to research. You may like to leave this open to personal choice or provide a list of suitable events to choose from.
Make the resource document Outline available for students to access.
Using the internet and other resource materials, allow students time to research and gather information and images pertaining to their topic. This information is then collated in Microsoft Photo Story to create a documentary outlining the major issues, the actual event, public response and long term implications.
Students submit their completed work through a full class screening of the documentary. Encourage discussion and feedback between the students.

Resources

Outline

History Central

Major Historical Events in the History of the World

E History

E History has a comprehensive timeline of events

Fact Monster

fact Monster provides a year by year listing of world events in the 20th Century

ABC World History

ABC World History reports directly on 20th Century events

Student Activity

Description: In this activity, you will research and create a documentary about a major historical event that has shaped the world using Microsoft Photo Story.

Step A Planning the Content
Software: Microsoft Internet Explorer
What to do:

Our world has evolved and changed so much over the past century. Discuss and list those world wide events which have resulted in great changes to society. What were the main issues and the long term implications of these events?
Imagine that you were asked to create a documentary of one of these events. How would you go about planning what information needed to be included? What resources would be required to illustrate the full significance of the event? Working with a partner, select a world event of significance and begin planning your documentary.
Use the World Wide Web and other resource materials to gather your information including images, newspaper clippings and even music!

Step B: Compiling the data

Software: Microsoft Word®, Microsoft PowerPoint®

What to do: Preparing the script

Now that you have researched your chosen event collecting images, music and information, it's time to refine your data.
Open the Microsoft Document Outline and write a script detailing the main issues and implications of your chosen event. From the images you have collected, choose those images which you feel best depicts this information.

Print your completed outline as you will use this document to read from when recording the narration to accompany your documentary.

Step C: Creating the Documentary

Software: Microsoft Photo Story®

What to do: Collate the images, music and script using Microsoft Photo Story

Open Microsoft Photo Story and select Begin New Story
Import the images you selected for your documentary and click Next

Ensure that a microphone is plugged in, turned on and has been configured.
Select the Record button and begin narrating your script. While you are reading the script, have your partner run the cursor over the part of the image that you would like to focus on. Microsoft Photo Story will pan in on the aspect of your image that you have selected creating a moving film that zooms in and out of chosen areas of your picture.
Continue recording narration for each of your images. Select Preview Story to view your documentary thus far. Once you are happy with your presentation, select Next.
Type in a title and any further information that you would like to appear on the opening slide. This may include you and your partners name, or a quote that you feel is particularly pertinent to your event. Click Next.

Select a piece of music that will play throughout your presentation. Adjust the volume to ensure that the music adds to the feel of the documentary without drowning out the narration. Click Preview. Make any adjustments as necessary. Click Next and follow prompts for saving your presentation.

Now that you have completed your documentary its time for a viewing. Enjoy learning about world events that have shaped our world today and remember to both give and listen to constructive feedback!