Computer and projector, Mobile devices for students, Computer, Speakers, Microphone, Students may use the Adobe Spark Video app https://apps.apple.com/us/app/adobe-spark-video/id852555131 (available for iphones and ipads only)
Activity Description
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Students work alone or with a classmate or small group of students to create a digital film about a holiday or celebration in their native country.
Preparation
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Read through the lesson plan.
Print and make copies of any handouts.
Note: With Adobe Spark for Education, your agency manages and controls Spark access and data, and students and teachers use existing logins. No additional accounts or passwords need to be created. To use Adobe Spark for Education, your school’s IT administrator will need to deploy Spark to your school. If the school already has Adobe products, Spark is available from the “Adobe Admin Console.” The Deployment Guide External Link Icon opens in a new window or tab that helps school districts get started. You can also see the Adobe Spark Guide for Educators and Classrooms.
Teacher Tips
Practice using the site yourself first before demonstrating it to students. See the print instructions included with this lesson plan.
More Ways
Introductions: This is an example of a simple teacher introduction, in which students viewed and subsequently created their own introduction videos as an ice-breaker activity in a recent class. Teachers can email their students an introduction and explain about the class and expectations before a class begins or during the first week.
Another activity is to have students use target vocabulary or grammar and create a video talking about themselves. For instance, in this example, students in an ESL class followed a teacher's model to practice using gerunds and infinitives. This was the prompt:
Introduce yourself to the class first by writing your name and where you are from originally. Then answer some questions using gerunds or infinitives, as required by the verb. Here are the questions (choose any 4 - 5 to answer in complete sentences):
What do you like doing?
What do you dislike doing?
What are you happy or enthusiastic about?
What are you worried about?
What are you proud of?
What is something you know how to do well?
What is something you believe in?
What is something you always forget to do?
What is something you would like to do in the future? If you were famous, what would you be famous for?
4. Videos about class topics: In this example, a student made an informational video about the need to recycle plastic in a unit about the environment.
5. Personal narrative digital stories: Students can brainstorm topics from prompts. Have them think about their interesting life experiences. Have them write a few words for each of the following:
The funniest thing that ever happened to me
My most unusual or strangest experience
An experience that was dangerous, adventurous, or exciting
An experience that made me feel proud or happy
A scary experience
An inspirational experience
An embarrassing experience
A sad or disappointing experience
A special first-time experience (e.g., first date, first job, etc.)
An experience moving from one place to another
Any other significant, memorable, or important experience in your life
Other ideas for using Adobe Spark Video are the following:
Book report or review
Class reports
Class welcome
Field trip
Foreign country tourism videos
How-to videos
Photo essays
Spoken-word poetry assignments
Tutorials
The possibilities for Adobe Spark Video are endless, and best of all, it’s easy for students to use.
Program Areas
ESL: English as a Second Language
Levels
Intermediate Low
Intermediate High
Advanced
View Lesson Plan
Warm-up
Engagement
Tell students with images, personal photos, a slideshow, or online video aoout your favorite holiday or celebration in the USA. Explain why it is celebrated, when, where, by whom, what food is eaten, special clothes worn, etc. Tell why it is your favorite.
Ask students what American holidays or celebrations they observe and celebrate, which are their favorites and why.
Introduction
Engagement
Have students discuss holidays and celebrations with conversation questions. Select and modify questions from sites such as the following and add your own:
Tell students to select a favorite holiday or celebration from their native countries and to be prepared to say why it's their favorite.
On a Word or Google document. Have students survey or interview each other, asking questions:
Name
Native country
Favorite holiday or celebration
Why I like it
3. Reconvene the students and ask volunteers to share with the class what they learned from one or two classmates.
4. Tell students that they will write about this favorite holiday or celebration and create a digital film about it to share with their classmates and others in the school. You may create your own digital film about your favorite holiday or celebration to share as an example or you may share this student's work about a celebration in her native country, Taiwan, the Sky Lantern celebration.
Practice
Engagement
Have students write complete sentences to answer these questions:
What is your favorite holiday or celebration from your native country? What is its name in your native language? When, where, and by whom is it celebrated?
What or who does it celebrate, commemorate, or honor? Why do people celebrate it?
Are there any particular rituals that people do as part of this holiday or celebration? If so, how do they apply to the reason for this holiday or celebration?
Food – what are the typical food and beverages cooked, served, and eaten at the festival? What is the significance of the foods?
Are there any special decorations or clothing/costumes associated with this holiday or celebration? If so, explain the symbolism, colors, etc., as they relate to the holiday or celebration.
Music, dance, costumes – What are other art forms associated with this holiday or celebration? What do people do?
Is there anything else special about this holiday that you want everyone to know?
Why did you choose this topic?
Practice
Enhancement
Collect students' sentences and provide feedback on content, grammar, and mechanics.
Teach a mini-lesson on common errors in grammar/mechanics (word order, subject-verb agreement, punctuation, etc.) as needed.
Have students revise their writing based on feedback.
Then have students read aloud the answers to the questions they have written in pairs or small groups. Circulate to provide feedback on pronunciation. You may also choose to have students record their voices reading their scripts and provide written or audio feedback on their pronunciation.
Practice
Enhancement
The next step before starting their Spark Video project is to storyboard their narratives.
In this step, students list keywords for photo searches and titles.
Have students create a storyboard by writing words or sketching images or images they would like to appear with each sentence of their script.
If they have original photos they would like to use, tell students to bring digital or scanned versions to class when students work on Adobe Spark Video to create their digital films. Adobe Spark Video allows for the upload of images but also has built-in stock photos for use.
Practice
Engagement
Demonstrate how to use the Adobe Express Video website or the app (available in the Apple Store and on Google Play). Print instructions are included with this lesson. Students' work is automatically saved if they do not finish the film in one sitting.
Evaluation
Enhancement
Use a rubric to evaluate students' work and a self-reflection piece for students.You can also have students vote on the best digital film with different categories:
most interesting
best English
best technical
Application
Extension
Have students share their digital films with Q&A time during class time or invite another class. You could even plan a program-wide or school-wide diversity day in which students could share their work. Students will share about their cultures and learn about others, thus creating community in the class and helping students develop cultural awareness and appreciation of differences.
Students will have gained visual and digital literacy skills, will have used their English to communicate in meaningful ways, and will be able to use Adobe Spark Video for a variety of educational and personal purposes.
CCR Anchor 2 - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
CCR Anchor 4 - Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCR Anchor 5 - Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
CCR Anchor 6 - Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
Speaking and Listening
CCR Anchor 4 - Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCR Anchor 5 - Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.
CCR Anchor 6 - Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
Language
CCR Anchor 1 - Demonstrate command of the conventions of English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
CCR Anchor 3 - Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
