TECHNOCOMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGY PROJECT
| Media Literacy Lesson Plans |
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Teacher Guide - Student Workbook -
Resource Files
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In the
TechnoCommercial technology project, students become media
savvy by analyzing the manipulation techniques used
by advertisers and then using them to make their own
commercial using video equipment and Windows MovieMaker. |
With people today
viewing close to one million commercials in a
lifetime, it is essential that students are aware of
the powerful influence the media has on how they
think and act.
Media Literacy and Critical
Viewing
The emphasis in
the TechnoCommercial technology project is placed on media awareness, with
tasks that promote critical viewing of
advertisements. The technology project has media
literacy lesson plans that your students will enjoy.
The project begins with
critical thinking activities that have students:
- recognize different forms of
media
- calculate the amount of time
spent consuming media
- gain an understanding of the
purpose of commercials
- identify target audience and
describe their attributes
- pinpoint selling techniques
used by advertisers
- discern social values conveyed
within commercials
- identify stereotypes such as
gender and race
Sample Commercials INCLUDED
| Sample
commercials are included with the TechnoCommercial
technology project.
This makes it easy for students to be critical of the
advertisement because they can view it repeatedly. |
Watch the Commercial
Can you spot the stereotype? |
Introduction to
Windows MovieMaker
Once students are
familiar with techniques used by advertisers, they prepare for
the creation of their own ad. Using step-by-step
instructions, they learn how to use
the video editing software Windows MovieMaker.
Students import raw footage of a commercial and edit
the content by deleting clips, applying video
effects, adding transitions, inserting text
overlays, and importing music. The goal is to
discover the capabilities of the program.
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Storyboard in
Windows MovieMaker |
Introduction to
Video Production
Students learn how to operate camera equipment.
They study a commercial to notice the
types of shots, angles, and camera movement.
Once familiar with how a camera can be used to share
information with an audience, they experiment with
the program features in Windows MovieMaker. By
altering the microphone settings, color brightness,
frames per second, and camera position, they gain an
understanding of how to record quality video.
What is so exciting about this
project is that no high-tech devices are required.
If your school has a video camera, web cam, digital
camera, or even no video capture device at all, you can complete the
activities.
Plan and Organize
Ideas
Now students are ready
to team up to produce their own commercial using all
the persuasive and production techniques of the
professionals. As a group, students must determine
the target audience, selling technique, and messages
they would like to convey to the viewer, to convince
them to purchase a chosen product.
VIEW A SAMPLE OF A STORYBOARD
Using a storyboard,
students divide their idea into shots. For each shot
students outline:
-
action
-
characters
-
message
-
camera
settings
-
materials
Film Footage using
Basic Video Production Equipment
Once students have
all their ideas organized on a storyboard they film the
production.
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VIEW A SAMPLE COMMERCIAL
This sample was
produced by
Grade 7 students after completing the
TechnoCommercial technology project. |
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Edit the Footage to
Produce a Commercial
Each member of the
production team then takes their video footage and
individually edits the content. By applying their
knowledge of
Windows Movie
Maker, students produce a television advertisement
that gets the "right message" to the "right person".
When they are finished, their commercial is shown to
peers for critical analysis.
How Much Does TechnoCommercial Cost?
TechnoCommercial is great value
for your money. You will receive a teacher guide,
student workbook, and customizable resource files
for a price that is
affordable.
The work is done for you! With
TechnoCommercial instead of preparing media literacy
lesson plans, you can spend your time with
students having fun in the computer lab completing
meaningful activities.
Software: Windows MovieMaker
Version: Windows XP and
Vista
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