MultiMedia Tools

Lesson Idea Name: Intro to Environmental Sustainability

Content Area: Social Studies
Grade Level(s): 6th
Content Standard Addressed:
SS6G3: Explain the impact of environmental issues in Latin America
a. Explain the causes and effects of air pollution in Mexico City, Mexico.
b. Explain the environmental issue of destruction of the rain forest in Brazil.

Technology Standard Addressed: 1.6: Creative Communicator: Students use digital tools to broaden their
perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally
and globally.

Selected Technology Tool:

☒ Movie (list application): iMovie
☐ Audio (list application):
☐ Other: (list)

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☐ Remembering ☐ Understanding ☐ Applying ☐ Analyzing ☒ Evaluating ☒ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☐ Level 4: Integration

☒ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Visual learners will benefit from this assignment because it offers a way of putting their ideas into a visual
form. When creating an iMovie video, you can incorporate music, fonts, colors, pictures, and videos which are
both visually and auditorily stimulating. This assignment is an alternative to the traditional research paper
format that we often see in many Social Studies classes. This offers a different creative outlet for students to
utilize after conducting research on Latin America. With iMovie, you can also increase font size as well as add
captions on every slide for students who many have trouble hearing. Overall, this lesson supports multiple
means of engagement because iMovie allows for students to optimize their individual choice as well as
increasing relevance, value, and authenticity in their works.
Lesson idea implementation:
This assignment addresses a Social Studies standard that asks students to explain the causes and effects of air
pollution in Mexico City and the environmental impact of deforestation in Brazil. Students will create their
own video, using the teacher model video that was provided. Before they start on this video, they will collect
more information on individual notes pages. Students will be able to choose between the topic of either air
pollution or deforestation. Students will be encouraged to share with the class so that everyone is exposed to
the content. Student learning will be assessed through both the video presentation as well as the students
turning in their notes pages they used for research. This will take a few days to complete from initial
instruction to presentation and reflection.
The final products will be uploaded (with permission) to a class Google Drive or something of that nature so

Spring 2018_SJB
 MultiMedia Tools
that all students can use the videos as review tools for the end of unit assessments. This differentiates
learning because it presents the content in a unique way where it is truly a product of the student’s
imagination. This will hopefully make the information more appealing to students as they begin to work with
this standard. Student learning can be extended to a higher level through an additional extra credit
assignment where other students offer comments or additional information that they could have put in their
video. This will encourage students to look further into these pressing environmental issues. This lesson will
be concluded with a potential documentary or virtual field trip that can involve more scientific concepts as a
reasoning to why we see these issues occur in Latin America. Students will be provided with feedback both
when they start work on their video and after their presentations.
Importance of technology:
Using iMovie is critical to this assignment because it truly provides such a degree of creativity and freedom for
the students. By using this tool, they can organize their research in a way that is stimulating to them. They can
choose from so many things to add in such as transitions, fonts, sound effects, music, pictures, and videos.
This is also a great way to incorporate the principles of the Universal Design for Learning that deal with
student engagement. If students were to do this project another way, they would have to make story boards
or presentations on tri-fold boards. While this can sometimes be effective, with this project, multimedia tools
make it so much more effective and allow for greater creativity. Adding audio will also be a part of this
project. Students can choose to find a royalty free track online or they can do a voiceover.

Inspiration (optional):
Internet Safety and Student Privacy:
One of the great things about iMovie that makes it a safe tool to use is the fact that you do not need to enter
any type of log in, account, or identifying information to use it. Parents will still be notified that students in
the class will be uploading their projects to a class folder. But it will also be clear that the only people who will
be able to view these projects will be those in the class. Administrators will also be alerted of this lesson and
will receive the same disclaimer as students begin their work on this assignment. In order to educate
students, before this lesson is assigned, I will make and hand out sheets of paper that outline Internet Safety
Policies, so they are also informed.

Reflective Practice:
I think this project will be impactful for student learning. By using iMovie, students will be able to create
artifacts that are unique to them. This tool truly allows them to oversee their own learning. I think another
interesting technology tool that would interest them is to let them do audio podcasts to relay their
information if they don’t feel confident with their editing skills.

Spring 2018_SJB