History Alive, Famous Americans VODcast

In this project, students from Jamestown Elementary School in Arlington, VA research a historical person who has made an impact on society and future generations. Students create a historical documentary by adding student voice and authentic illustrations in a movie format that can be shared in a video podcast format onine. Using iMovie allows students to experience all learning styles, including auditory, visual, kinesthetic, and

Second Grade students learn about famous Americans and their contributions to the society and the impact on future generations. They select and study a famous American thought web research and printed resources. The groups create a storyboard with the information that outlines the picture order, the text to add and the voice over to record. The student created drawings that explain the life and achievement of their selected person and add relevant details to each picture. Students create their own drawings using KidPix, adding text to slides that require text. Student created drawings are imported to iMovie HD and student voice over recorded with a microphone and assembled in the movie timeline. The completed movie will be exported and compressed into a podcast format that will be available in the iTunes Library. Students assemble the video podcast sessions for publishing online to a wider audience using iWeb. Students select one of the iWeb templates that fit the theme of the project and create a set of podcast episodes by dropping the created video podcast into iWeb and add text to explain the project. The iWeb podcast episodes to the Internet for other students to access and learn from. The final webpage with podcast episodes can also be submitted to the iTunes podcast directory for distribution by iTunes.

After completing this project, students will be able to:

• Understand how to effectively research a topic using web resources and printed materials.
  
• Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will help them manage and use information.
• Use technology to create a multimedia project that communicates what they have learned.
  
• Work as a part of a team to complete the project.
  
• Share aspects of historical figures and their contribution to society.
  
• Share created media with diverse audiences through the creation of podcast episodes.

Civics
This unit will address the following objectives:

SOL 2.10 The student will explain the responsibilities of a good citizen, with emphasis on
a) respecting and protecting the rights and property of others;
b) taking part in the voting process when making classroom decisions;
c) describing actions that can improve the school and community;
d) demonstrating self-discipline and self-reliance;
e) practicing honesty and trustworthiness.
SOL 2.11 The student will identify George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, Helen Keller, Jackie Robinson, and Martin Luther King, Jr. as Americans whose contributions improved the lives of other Americans.
SOL 2.12 The student will understand that the United States is a land of people who have diverse ethnic origins, customs, and traditions, who make contributions to their communities, and who are united as Americans by common principles.

Is America a place where people from different origins can come together and share the same ideas?

A good citizen has a variety of responsibilities.
Individuals in the past have worked successfully to improve the lives of other Americans in the United States.

What are some responsibilities of a good citizen?
How did George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, Helen Keller, Jackie Robinson, and Martin Luther King, Jr. help to improve the lives of other Americans?

• Famous Americans and their contributions
  
• George Washington: He led the fight for freedom from England and helped establish a new country.
  
• Abraham Lincoln: He was the President of the United States who helped free African American slaves.
  
• Susan B. Anthony: She led the struggle to give women equal rights, including the right to vote.
  
• Helen Keller: She overcame disabilities and worked to help others who were blind and deaf.
  
• Jackie Robinson: He was the first African American player in the major leagues of baseball. His actions helped to bring about other opportunities for African Americans.
  
• Martin Luther King, Jr.: He was an African American minister who worked so that all people would be treated fairly. He led peaceful marches and gave speeches.
  

• Collect, organize, and record information.
  
• Gather, classify, and interpret information.
  
• Compare and contrast different personalities and behaviors.
  
• Explain cause and effect relationships.
  
• Present information in a compelling format

Use the Internet to research a topic and to locate information.
Create and save drawings with KidPix
Import music into iTunes.
Use iMovie to import and edit video, including adding narration.
Arrange media to make a persuasive presentation.
Scan images and import them into iPhoto (optional).

Student work can be assessed using the following criteria:
Historical Facts
Story Board (clear, organized)
Presentation (visual impact, correctly uses sound, text, visuals)

Internet
iLife How-To Guides - http://www.apple.com/support/imovie/
Student guide to creating podcast made by Jamestown 3rd Grade students (attached file).

Tools
Macintosh computers, microphone, Internet connection, iMovie, iPhoto, iTunes, iWeb, web account for posting

Podcast site made my Jamestown's Second Grade classes April 2006 at http://web.mac.com/jamestownelementary/iWeb/FamousAmericans/Podcast/Podcast.html
or find it in iTunes Store.