Big Huge Labs: Write, Present or Make a Podcast Using a Poster as a Visual Aide

Details

Activity Description

As an alternative to an autobiography assignments, students can imagine the commercial to the movie, if their lives were the basis of a film. Students make movie posters using the Web site and write, present, or make a podcast (as in example) using the visual aide (movie poster).

Preparation

• Make sure the site is not blocked at your site.
• Have students select the images they plan to use and save on a USB or on the desktop.

How-To

Review biography words and past tense. Students decide which actors would play them in a bio-pic about their lives. Students write short paragraphs or scripts for the commercial for their bio-pics. Students can use photos of themselves, avatars, or other images for the movie posters. Teacher gives students feedback for editing/revision of their writing. Then have students use the site to make movie posters:

1. Go to the Web site and select Movie Poster.
2. Select Browse to upload an image (or choose an image from a Flickr or Facebook account).
3. Choose image cropping and effects, text colors, and font.
4. Enter movie title, tag lines, credits.
5. Choose rating and release date.
6. Select Create.
7. Select Edit to change the image, Save to save the movie poster to the desktop, or Share to post to a Flickr or Facebook account, or to e-mail the movie poster.

Teacher Tips

After creating the movie poster with the site, select Back to make changes.

The site does have ads. No registration required.

More Ways

The types of projects both instructors and students can do using the site are numerous. The following are just a few project ideas:

• Badge Maker
  Make one’s own name card to help the instructor and classmates remember one’s name
• Billboard
  Make billboard signs for the classroom listing class rules, providing information about upcoming events, giving reminders
• Calendar
  Make a monthly themed calendar or make a class calendar with class or school photos to inform students about holidays, students’ birthdays, assignment due dates and test dates
• Captioner
  Add speech call-outs and thought bubbles to a photo; students can make comic strips, illustrate dialogs, give advice
• CD Cover
  Make a CD cover for a favorite song or favorite musical group or to make a DVD cover for a favorite movie and make a class presentation, sharing song lyrics or giving a summary of a movie
• Magazine Cover
  Make a visual aide to accompany a writing assignment or presentation based on news stories or “if you could be famous”
• Motivator
  Create motivational posters with images and famous quotes or proverbs for the classroom
• Slideshow
  Make an end-of-term slideshow featuring photos of students
• Trading Card Maker
  “Honor and immortalize someone”; students can upload their own photos and add their own biographical information or gather biographical information to make trading cards for their heroes, their family members, favorite singers, movie stars, artists, athletes

Program Areas

• ESL: English as a Second Language

Levels

• Beginning High
• Intermediate Low
• Intermediate High
• Advanced

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