An Uncommon Common Craft Adventure!

Students rehearse before filming their video.

The 8th grade trip to Washington, D.C. is just around the corner, and this year the 8th grade teachers have decided to embark on an adventure before we even leave for our nation's capitol. After spring break, students worked in their Social Studies classes to become experts on one of our destinations in DC. Students conducted research, determined the most important and interesting information, and wrote informative travelogue brochures. Then, in their Language Arts classes, students worked in small groups with classmates who studied the same site to create a "Common Craft" style video about the destination. A Common Craft video features a voice over that corresponds with images that are moved in and out of the frame manually.

Working with other teachers, I then linked these videos to a Map of DC. In the week leading up to our trip, we will watch the videos as a class to that students can learn a little bit about each site before we visit. Students were told that these videos were intended to inform the viewer and generate interest in the site. As a result, students will be informed visitors to each location, and students who are not going on the trip are able to take a virtual field trip to the major destinations.

Students were asked to include the following information in their videos:

Students add color and detail to the images that will be featured in their videos.

An introduction, three features to note about the site, an explanation of how the site tells our nation's story, and a closing. 

A few groups are still finishing up their videos in the next few days, but I wanted to share what has been accomplished so far! I will update this project as students submit their videos. Click on this link to see the DC map. Once the video begins, roll your mouse over the map. Click on any site that interests you to see a student video. Not all sites have been updated; check back in a few days to see all of the final products!