__________________________________________________________________
PROGRAM PLANNING SERIES
Set Goals For Your Classroom Film Program.
It can be daunting to begin a classroom film project, when you don’t know where to start. This worksheet will help
you set manageable goals, and create a program that matches your teaching agenda and the skill level of your
students. You may use this worksheet collaboratively with your teaching team, or fill it out individually in advance
of a classroom film project.
Where to start?
The best way to approach media arts lesson plan design is actually to start at the end and work backwards.
Consider the following questions:
• What will students have produced by the end of the project?
All the projects relate to the PBL Recycling unit: They can be short fiction films, PSA (public
service announcement), documentaries. 3-5 minute films.
• What is the process by which they will reach this end goal?
Small lessons in October to introduce the genres, choose genre by Nov. 6, form groups of 4-5
students, checklist/packets to let students know what’s due when. Filming
• Ultimately, what will students learn?
Speaking and listening, collaboration, creativity: 21st century skills. Critical thinking (watching
and analyzing films, communication).
Film genres: documentary, narrative (fiction), PSA
Roles on a film production, visual storytelling, nonlinear editing, creating a compelling narrative
Inquiry Question(s)
It can be useful to structure your classroom film program goals around a “how can” question. Remember this can
be refined over time. For example:
• “How can we use a filmmaking project to enhance engagement in the ethnic studies curriculum?”
• “How can we use a filmmaking project to help students document their learning in our health and nutrition unit?”
Your Inquiry Question(s):
How can we use film to inform and educate our community about reducing waste?
Learning Standards:
Filmmaking lessons may provide an entry point to the Common Core’s framework of creativity, collaboration,
critical thinking, presentation and demonstration, problem solving, research and inquiry, and career readiness.
What specific common core and state learning standards are you addressing with this project?
Speaking and listening, collaboration, creativity: 21st century skills. Critical thinking (watching
and analyzing films, communication).
Program Goals:
How will you measure success in the program? What will a successful media program look like in your classroom?
List several realistic goals that you hope to achieve in your classroom film program. These may apply to student
learning and/or to professional development for both teachers and visiting artists.
Goals for Students:
• You may include concepts that students will master
Speaking and listening, collaboration, creativity: 21st century skills. Critical thinking (watching
and analyzing films, communication).
Film genres: documentary, narrative (fiction), PSA
Roles on a film production, visual storytelling, nonlinear editing, creating a compelling narrative
Peer review, critique, how to present work
• And art/artists they will examine and discuss
Green Streets
Short fiction films
PSAs on youtube
Another doc
Goals for Teacher(s):
Be able to use the lessons next year.
Learn filmmaking process.
Technical aspects of filmmaking.
Goals for Filmmaker(s):
Make the film form accessible to fifth graders
Present info in an engaging way, making learning visible
Make space for student presentation, growth, sharing
Art integration with common core, language of common core
Create student friendly outlines and learn rubrics
Assessment Strategies:
Will students be graded on their work? What criteria will be used to judge success? How can you make these
criteria transparent to the students?
Will create a grading rubric
Rough Timeline:
In order to shape the program, you’ll need to identify how much time you have and how filmmaking lessons will
interact with your other classroom activities and curricula.
• Agree on a weekly schedule
• Agree on a start and end date
You can further develop your timeline in the calendar worksheet.
Culminating Product and Events:
Make a list of what products (e.g., films, scripts, storyboards, etc.) will be created during the course of the
program, highlighting the program goals/creative skills acquired as well as the number of pieces created and
revised. Again, work from the final projects back through the students’ learning trajectories.
This list will help you to build your individual lessons and to link them to the larger architecture of your curriculum.
Film Screenings
List the films or film clips you intend to screen. You can continue to build this list as you go. If you can’t think of
specific films that you’d like to show, begin by identifying concepts, genres and styles that are important to your
curriculum. For instance, if you are making documentaries about environmental change around your school, you
will want to show students several documentaries that address environmental issues. You can find a list of
recommended films in the Appendices section of the FilmEd. Teaching Tools.
___________________________________________________________________
Additional Comments, Questions, Thoughts: