Documentary Filmmaking in the Classroom
Turn students into documentary filmmakers
Teachers have discovered a new way to bring excitement into their classrooms and help students make meaningful connections to research topics. By introducing documentary filmmaking into their curriculum, they create an environment where all students are successful and motivated to do their best work.
Apple’s Classroom Documentary Filmmaking solution makes it easy to get started. The solution includes all of the needed equipment as well as materials written by expert teachers. Whatever the curriculum area, students can become experts on a topic, creatively demonstrate their knowledge, and easily share that knowledge with others.
Give students a voice
Documentaries give students the opportunity to express themselves using the tools of their generation. At the same time, they master basic skills — such as researching, reading, writing, and speaking. They also build critical 21st century skills including problem solving, collaboration, and gathering and analyzing data.
A solution for any skill level
To design a documentary solution to best meet their students’ needs, educators can use our simple online tool to choose from a variety of software and equipment. A PDF proposal is instantly created that can be shared with colleagues or used for purchasing purposes.
For editing, educators can choose from iMovie (part of the iLife ’08 digital authoring suite) for simple movie creation, Final Cut Express for more advanced editing, or Final Cut Pro, the same tool that professionals use. Then they can choose from a variety of cameras, scanners, storage devices, and other accessories to complete their solution.
To make it easy for teachers to get started, there’s also the Documentary Resource Kit, which includes the National History Day DVD “Using iMovie to Create a Documentary,” “Stories Worth Telling: A Guide to Creating Student-Led Documentaries,” and a Documentary Resource CD.
Build Your Own Solution
Educator-Created Lesson Plans
Visit the Apple Learning Interchange to view educator-created documentary lesson plans, including:
Century High School
“We found that documentaries appeal to all levels of students. Documentaries give students a purpose to write — they see a mission, a goal, and an authenticity that they didn’t see before, and then they blossom.”
— Mary Palmer, English Teacher, Century High School, Bismarck, North Dakota
