And Action Directing Documentaries in the Social Studies Classroom [Hardcover]

And Action! offers a road map to guide a teacher in the production of students' documentary projects. Swan and Hofer very competently outline the particular steps involved in designing a documentary in order to help teachers either avoid some of the most commonly encountered problems or at least mitigate some of the effects to create a more seamless process. Potential problems that teachers may encounter are addressed. One teacher comments, 'If I had only known then what I know now about the documentary film process, I would have . . .' It should be noted that the authors do not get too detailed in the technical aspects of video production because of the wide range of hardware and software products in schools. However, of particular value is the information regarding copyrighted material and the Fair Use Act along with the compendium of informative template appendixes. A rubric template is also provided to use as a tool to assess students' projects and how the design of the projects line up with common core standards. This book is a great resource for teachers who want to add documentary filmmaking to their practice. Summing Up: Recommended. Professional collections.Swan and Hofer move beyond advocacy and do the hard work of teaching us how we equip students with the knowledge and skills to do documentary making well. As students creatively build evidence-based arguments and interpretations on important social issues and events, they are developing civic skills necessary to sustaining a vibrant democracy. If you are an ambitious teacher looking for powerful ways to engage your students in the kind of authentic intellectual work that should be a part of any learning experience, And Action! Directing Documentaries in the Social Studies Classroom is an essential resource to help move you along on your professional journey.As a former social studies teacher myself, I know that the power of this discipline is activated when we engage students in projects that help them ilw