Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, students celebrate their learning by watching the completed book trailer videos.  Kids are usually extremely proud of their videos!  Give them the chance to reflect on and celebrate their achievements by hosting a red-carpet video premiere!  Add popcorn or healthy movie treats for an especially festive touch.

Lesson Plan:

Suggested Grades:

4-5

Objective:

To celebrate the children’s success in planning, filming, and producing a book video trailer.  (AASL 4.1.8, “Use creative and artistic formats to express personal learning.”)

Suggested Time:

45-50 minutes

Success Criteria:

Students will watch and respond to one another’s book trailer videos.

Lesson Outline:

1. Introduction:

Remind the students that they have written and recorded book trailer videos and that today is the day to watch and celebrate their success.

Explain that today the children are expected to do two things: 

• Be a respectful audience member.
• Listen and watch critically. Look for specific things that their classmates did well, or specific things that their classmates can improve on.  You may wish to use the “Two Stars and a Wish” framework if you and the children are familiar with it.

2. Main:

Show each of the completed book trailers.  Each video will be approximately a minute long.  After each video, give a round of applause.  Then, have the children point out two specific things that were well done and one suggestion for improvement for each of the videos.  Try to steer comments away generalized remarks such as “It was good” or “I liked it,” to more specific content.  Suggestions could include their peers’:

• Choice of subjects to photograph
• Composition of photographs
• Choice of background
• Choice of music
• Degree to which the video persuaded you to read the book
• Degree to which the video held your attention
• Use of text slides
• Use of title slides
• “Fit” between the target audience and the finished video

3. Conclusion:

Thank the students for their work and participation.  Encourage them to share the book trailer videos with their families.  Ask them to think about other projects they might like to tell about in a video trailer format.  Finally, request that they help tidy up the room before they go.

Resources:

1. Students’ recorded book trailers, ready for playback.
2. Video playback equipment with projection and audio capability.
3. Seating area for the class and any invited guests.
4. Room that you can darken during the video performances.
5. Popcorn or treats (optional)

Notes:

If you have the opportunity, post the book trailers to the class Weebly, web site, or the students’ digital portfolios.  Send the files to your AV team and ask them to put them on any large screens around the school.  Show off trailers, because they are an extraordinary culmination of the children’s study of advertising and effort at creating an original ad for a book.

I’ve done this project with great success. Teachers sometimes focus on having the children analyze or critique professional ads, but the book trailer is an easy-to-do project using the same concepts that pulls in EAL children, adds an element of fun, and results in an unforgettable learning experience.

Don’t be tempted to pass up the Book Trailer Premiere lesson!  If you and the children have gone to the effort to make these videos, it’s worth the time to celebrate them together.

Recommended books for this lesson:

None

Key Terms:

Trailers, Book Trailers, Videos, Animoto, Advertising, Ads, Media, Video Production

Lesson Overview: 

In this lesson, students learn about trailers as a form of advertising.  Using what they learned last week about how advertisements are made, students “deconstruct” four book trailers.

Lesson Plan:

Suggested Grades:

4-5

Objective:

To introduce students to the concept of Book Trailers as a way to advertise books.  (AASL 1.1.6, “Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format . . . in order to make inferences and gather meaning.”)

Suggested Time:

45-50 minutes

Success Criteria:

Each student will understand what a book trailer is (form), why they are made (purpose), and how they work (function).

Lesson Outline:

1. Introduction:

Introduce the idea of a “trailer” to preview coming material/attractions/events.  Book trailers introduce prospective readers to books without giving too much information and without disclosing the ending.

Ask the students to provide general characteristics of movie trailers.  They should be able to do this using what they already know.  Trailers are:

1. Short
2. Show highlights
3. Introduce basic elements of character and plot
4. Designed to build excitement, tension
5. Never reveal the ending
6. Purpose – get audience to watch the movie

Book trailers are usually similar videos, but their purpose is to entice the audience to purchase and read a book.

2. Main:

Show three to six book trailers.  I have provided some suggestions in the “Resources” section below.  Ask students key questions about the trailers such as:

• What are the elements of this trailer (images, music, sound effects, interviews, still photos, narratives, etc.)?
• Is the trailer convincing?  Does it make you want to read the book?  Why or why not?

3. Conclusions:

Trailers can be extremely convincing and very fun to watch!  Next, we’ll be learning to make our own trailers.

Resources: 

1. Student Handout (attached)
2. Book Trailer Links:

Use the following book trailers, or find trailers of your own that are appropriate:

1. Dinosaur Cove Series by Rex Stone. (Single narrator, music, one sound effect, still photos only, most in black and white.)  http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/asset/dinosaur-cove-attack-tyrannosaurus-book-trailer
2. Babymouse Series by Jennifer and Matt Holm. (No narration, only music.  Limited palette to match the look/feel of the books.  Basic character introduction.  Trailer looks like a comic.  Very short.)  http://www.randomhousekids.com/videos/lpwcnsuyfom-babymouse-book-trailer
3. Swindle by Gordon Korman. (Single narrator who is the author.  Extensive explanation of characters and plot.  Still photos as well as video.  Sound effects.    Computer graphics.  Relatively long.)  http://www.scholastic.com/teacher/videos/teacher-videos.htm – 3193873250001/1562781814
4. Taking Flight by Michaela and Elaine De Prince. (Double narrators, music, video only.  No still photos – why?  Very emotional.)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfh2AtBhZDM  Note:  This is a trailer for a work of nonfiction, a memoir.  The children are very young to encounter this kind of a story.  Watch the trailer beforehand so that you can explain the medical condition of vitiligo and prepare them for some of the desperate conditions Michaela De Prince mentions. 

Notes:

Students typically love this lesson.  I consistently have kids asking to read some of the books for which I show them the trailers!  Be sure that you only show trailers for books that you have in your library, or else you will have some disappointed students.

Publishers often produce many trailers.

• Go here to see Scholastic’s Book Trailers: http://www.scholastic.com/kids/stacks/videos/ – book-trailers
• Look here for trailers from Walker Books: https://www.youtube.com/user/WalkerBooksUK/featured

See how many more excellent trailers you can find.

Recommended books for this lesson:

None

Key Terms:

Advertising, Ads, Trailers, Book Trailers, Media

Student Handout, Book Trailers

 

Lesson Overview:

Building on what they learned last week about trailers, the students will make their own book trailers.  A fair bit of preparation is required to pull this off, but it’s a great integration of technology in the library, and the kids have a fabulous product to show their learning.

Lesson Plan:

Suggested Grades:

5-6

Objective:

To create an original book trailer that can be used to promote reading for pleasure.

Suggested Time:

50-60 minutes

Success Criteria:

Each group of two or three students will create an original book trailer.  The trailers will be shown to their peers in a “Book Trailer Premiere” event once they are complete.

Lesson Outline:

1. Introduction:

It’s hard to believe, but, in one period, you will make your own book trailer.  You’ll be working in small groups.  Please remember what you have learned about trailers.  (Review characteristics of trailers: They are very short, give a glimpse into the subject, build interest or excitement, and do not give away the ending.)   You will also be using an app called “Animoto.”  Follow the instructions on the handout very carefully and ask for help if you get stuck.  The general steps are:

1. Choose a genre, series, or book to highlight.
2. Take seven to ten photos that will represent your subject.
3. Go to the Animoto app on your device, or to animoto.com on a computer.
4. Create a new project.
5. Upload your photos.
6. Choose a style.
7. Choose the music.
8. Add text slides including your names at the end.
9. Edit as needed.
10. Preview then publish!

2. Main:

Distribute the student handouts.  Show kids the devices as well as the app.  Make sure that you have updated the log-in instructions to reflect the account(s) you have set up for your school.  Assign the students to small groups, two but no more than three.  Let them get to work.  Advise the students to keep the book/series/genre they are advertising very simple!!  The lesson here is the process of making a trailer, not the selection of a subject!

I also advise that you have a second teacher or teaching assistant on hand to troubleshoot devices and problems.  This is a “learn by doing” lesson, and the kids will need some hands-on help.

Keep a close eye on the picture taking effort.  Some kids will go crazy and want to take lots and lots of pictures.  I have since upgraded to a professional Animoto account, but the last time I used a free account, the videos were limited to 30 seconds.  Therefore, there really is no point in having more than 10 pictures because the video will be cut off at 30 seconds.

3. Conclusion:

Ask the students to share a “Preview” version of their video with another group.  Those groups that finished should send you a link.  Everyone else can continue editing next week (if necessary).  Tell the kids that, once every group has submitted a finished trailer, you’ll have a “Trailer Premiere” day and watch all the videos.

Resources:

1. Ability to take and transfer digital photos, about ten per group.
2. Access to Animoto software.
3. Student handout for Making a Book Trailer (attached).
4. Access to the library collection.

Notes:

1. I have written this lesson for one period, but it may take two periods if you run into technology glitches or if the students are not used to using the devices/apps. I strongly advise that you make a trailer first so that you have something to show the kids as a sample.
2. You can preview a sample student book trailer here. Be careful!  These kids chose to highlight the horror genre:  https://animoto.com/play/X6uThJSghR2Hok4JHkOEbQ
3. Before the lesson, apply for a free Animoto account for educators. You can do that here:  https://animoto.com/education/classroom  All projects have to be created within an account, so be sure to get this set up well in advance of the lesson.
4. There are certainly other simple photo-to-movie apps available. I also like to use Adobe Spark if you want the students to be able to record their voices.  Please pick the app that works the best for you, but be sure that the students have a chance to make their own trailers.  They will do a great job!  One year the kids were so enthusiastic that they formed an after-school Animoto Club so that they could keep making videos!

Recommended books for this lesson:

None.

Key Terms:

Book Trailers, Animoto, Advertising, Ads, Media, Video Production

Student Handout, Animoto Trailer Making FUN!

Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, students use a non-fiction text to learn how advertisements are made.  This is a Unit of Inquiry lesson with notetaking practice.

Lesson Plan:

Suggested Grades:

4-5 

Objective:

Practice notetaking using a Unit of Inquiry text on advertising.  (Information Literacy Skills.)  Students will be able to use their notes to explain the five steps involved in creating an ad.

Suggested Time:

45-50 minutes

Success Criteria:

Students will take simple notes from Advertising Attack Chapter 3, “How is an Advertisement Made?”  Their notes will be sufficient for them to explain, without the use of the text, how advertisements are developed for today’s markets.

Lesson Outline:

1. Introduction:

Introduce a series of lessons.  First students will learn how ads are made.  Next, students will look at the trailer as a specific form of advertising, deconstruct four trailers, and finally learn how to make their own trailers.

Today’s lesson is the first in a five-lesson series that supports a Unit of Inquiry on Advertising and Modern Media.

2. Main: 

Notetaking is a way of capturing information and making it our own.  When we take notes, we must:

• Read
• Think (Repeat as many times as necessary the “read”/”think” cycle until we can put the material in our own words.)
• Write (Never use full sentences in notes.  Use bullet points, outlines, grouping notations, and color coding.)

When taking notes, we:

• Never use a complete sentence
• Use outlines
• Use bullet points
• Color code
• Use key words
• Use symbols

Model notetaking for the students as you work through Advertising Attack, Chapter 3.  Ask them to make their own notes while you take notes on the whiteboard or a flip chart.  I don’t like to use an electronic document, because I want the kids to be able to draw simple graphics and easily use colors in their note taking.

If there is time, show the kids some classic TV ads so that they can apply the concepts they learn from the text.  Links to some suggested ads are provided below.

3. Conclusion:

Ads are generally made in five steps.  Also, note taking is a very important skill.  We will practice and use it often.

Resources: 

Advertising Attack by Laura Hensley.

Links to Four Classic TV ads.  Ask students to identify the target audience and the strategy used in creating the ad:

1. Oscar Mayer Wiener (Target audience: Children. Strategy: Bandwagon.)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNddW2xmZp8
2. Doublemint Gum (Target audience: General public. Strategy: Appeal to a desire to have fun and enjoy life.)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGQAAs5quf4
3. The Force Volkswagen (Target audience: General public. Strategy: Combining nostalgia of childhood with pop culture.)  Note:  This ad is thought to have fundamentally changed advertising strategy for SuperBowl commercials.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHqGgEvgv90
4. Levi’s Jeans (1970s): (Target audience: Teens or Young Adults.  Strategy: Appeal to Enjoyment and Carefree Adolescence.)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww6ofm2B_Cg

Use ads that fit your own students’ culture and language.  Be sure to preview each one before showing to make sure it is appropriate.

Notes:

If students cooperate and use their time well, you can accomplish all of this in one lesson.  However, if students drag through the notetaking section, you may need two 45-minute lessons to complete the work.  I’ve taught this lesson a couple of times, and I’ve had experiences with both kinds of timings.

I have found that kids can do a pretty good job of understanding the five steps of ad creation.  However, when it comes to analyzing the TV commercials, they lose their grounding.  No matter how fun or exciting the ads are, try to pull them back to asking about the target audience and general ad strategy.

Recommended books for this lesson:

Advertising Attack by Laura Hensley.

Key Terms:

Advertising, Ads, Ad Agencies, Commercials, Classic Commercials