My students need 2 Flip video camcorders to capture interviews with school community members in order to create a class project examining school communities.
This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
Lights, camera, action! Our class video will start with first graders narrating an introduction of their school tour. Beaming smiles and eager words will pour forth. The student tour guides will welcome the audience to the school where they attend first grade, a charter school in Harlem. The first graders are engaged, thoughtful learners who are excited to describe their school community and welcome you to their home away from home.
Throughout the school year, my students use their time in social studies to explore the characteristics of their school community and the larger community of Harlem. Students will begin their study by learning about their school community, including the various areas in our school building and the different jobs that people have in our school. As students learn about their school community, they will then identify the ways in which they can improve their school and be active citizens. The perfect and most meaningful way for my students to culminate this unit of study is to create a school tour video, which will be used to welcome parents, volunteers, and new students to our school. Each scholar will write his or her own interview questions and choose a member of the school community to interview. Students will then work collaboratively using Flip Camcorders to record their interviews and create a tour video. The video will reveal all the information that my students have learned about the people, places, and ideas that make our school unique. Students will not only learn about their own school community, but they will also become valued contributors to their own education through accountable talk, research, and hands-on exploration.
The only resources that my students need to make this project a reality are two small inexpensive video cameras (Flip cameras). Flip cameras are perfect for this project because they are extremely portable, easy to use, small enough for first graders to handle, and produce videos that can be uploaded onto our classroom computers in moments. This project will give our students a chance to be creative, a chance to explore and research their school community, and a chance to have fun! You can make it possible for my students to use technology to create enjoyable, informative, and age-appropriate videos. I hope you will take a moment to make a small donation so that my first graders can “flip” at this exciting opportunity.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Clark and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.