Documentary+-+Important+Notes+for+Teachers+&+Students

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 * ==**Documentary Project Info and General Rubric**==
 * [[file:Fall 2010 Econ Documentary Project Info.doc]]
 * ==**Advice for Teachers**==
 * Make sure the formulating a research question part is done well before the rest of it happens. See the suggestions below on what students should consider. Have them come up with multiple questions, choose a favorite, meet with you to discuss them, revise it, and get final approval before they start getting interviews.
 * The 1st 5 minutes of "Super Size Me" can be a great way to emphasize key points of the rubric ("hook," research questions, statistics, visuals, soundtrack, personalizing, etc.) Watch it in class and have students analyze it with teacher guidance.
 * Assignments along the way
 * Assignments such as making a calendar and turning in 1 draft well before the project is due is helpful for the students in trying to organize this project.
 * Rough Draft
 * The rough draft is due 5-7 days early. I tell students that it should be fairly polished with a clear beginning, middle, and end with only minor changes to make. Many students do not do well here (and they get a HW grade to show for it) but it really helps them with the final.
 * Final Draft
 * When the final draft is due, each student turns it in via USB 1 by 1 (I call them up to my desk) and I put them all into a folder on one (my) computer. The USB turn in makes it much easier w/ fewer problems than requiring it posted on the internet for day 1. (I learned that the hard way!) The day that it is due the students work on other Econ assignments instead of watching the documentaries for two reasons:
 * The students are usually too tired to enjoy/watch the other documentaries...they need to be active.
 * It is too chaotic trying to collect and show them in the same day.
 * The following day by 8am the documentary is due posted (via Vimeo, etc) on the Wiki. Tell them they should start trying to upload it immediately when they get home.
 * Watching the documentary
 * Students give short previews to the documentary and then the other students ask questions to the presenters and give general feedback after each video.
 * I also have students fill out a notes sheet that just asks for a few lessons learned as well as some brief notes on the overall documentary itself and the Oscar categories
 * Maybe make the movie watching process more of an event:
 * Suggestions: have in a theater? Food? Invite community leaders/teachers? Have students write a short research paper to go w/it?)
 * Because of the scale of the project, please consider the following:
 * Students should have multiple classes to plan and (especially) edit their documentary.
 * Despite much in-class time, much out of class time is required. Because so much time is necessary, perhaps significantly ease the homework load for some other parts of the semester.
 * I have typically made this early in the semester as later in the semester gets far busier with other activities.
 * It almost always takes the students much longer than the teacher thinks it does.
 * The post-documentary reflection paper at the end is perhaps the most valuable part of the assignment. Be sure that they do it!
 * It takes a long time to grade the documentaries and the reflection papers. Be prepared for this!
 * Some teachers prefer much shorter movies as there is less time for "fat" and because it requires less time in and out of class.
 * ==**Some Points of Emphasis to Help Students**==
 * Students should consider the following when developing their research questions:
 * 1. Make it open-ended
 * 2. Make it specific
 * 3. Make it of interest to them (they will be spending so much time
 * 4. Make it possible to be answered (many great questions they come up with cannot be answered because getting the interviews would be impossible or too difficult)
 * As they formulate their research question, be sure to help them make it quality but also feasible (some students have great Qs...but I have to keep asking them "Where are you going to get that information?" "Who can you interview for that?"
 * Remind them frequently that every part of the project will take longer than they anticipate.
 * Be aware that many people, but perhaps even more so in Korea, do not like to be interviewed.
 * Let them plan on research taking them to unexpected places!