1. What does the director/creator want me to KNOW?
2. What does the director/creator want me to FEEL?
3. What does the director/creator want me to THINK?
***and, of course, what "craft moves" are used to convey these things?
Here are some specific questions that will help you notice "craft moves" that can guide your viewing experience both now and whenever you are watching visual media.
Notice and write about how the creators use any or all of the following:
Images/imagery, in visual media, can be in the form of pictures or words
What images do you see?
What images do you hear described?
What feelings/thoughts do they elicit? How?
The words that are being spoken can add to the image you are seeing
The images are presented in a certain order; how are they organized?
Sounds are really important. What incidental sounds do you hear (from the real world) and what added sounds (music, sound effects, etc.)?
What is the tone of voice of the people who are speaking?
What are the elements of the video (interviews, clips, etc.?)
Who is represented? Whose perspective is missing? (Just like in written media!)
What emotional, opinion, or loaded words are used? (Also as in written media!)
1. A video that gives a bit of background on child soliders and talks about what UNICEF is doing to help former child soldiers heal: http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=232161 (almost 4 minutes)
2. A video that accompanies "Armed and Underaged" by Jeffrey Gettleman, one of the articles we read in class: http://vimeo.com/12563578 (3 minutes)
3. A video put out by Invisible Children that includes people of faith and in education and peace promotion asking for the world, and specifically the United States, to aid in the fight against Joseph Kony: http://vimeo.com/38406755 (3 minutes)
4. Invisible Children put out a video in 2006 when the topic of child soldiers was relatively new to much of the United States. How is this video similar to and different from the other videos we have watched? http://vimeo.com/3765452 (5 minutes)
Going Beyond the Our Classroom...for extra credit and for building those critical thinking muscles in your brain.
Follow the directions below that include watching a video and reading an article that responds to the video. Write a response that addresses the questions that follow. Minimally, write a paragraph on the video, a paragraph on the article and a concluding paragraph of your own thoughts. Each paragraph must be at least 5-7 sentences. Feel free to search for other video or textual resources and include links to them as well. This is worth 5-10 points onto a "major grade" assignment, depending on the quality of the post. Below explain in further detail the three parts of the extra credit assignment:
1. This is the full length "#Kony2012" video by Invisible Children, which went viral and started many conversations and controversies: http://vimeo.com/37119711 (29 minutes). Watch this video in light of what you have learned throughout this unit and be a critical thinker. Use these questions to guide your response.
- Is arresting Joseph Kony going to solve the problem of child soliders? How might this help?
- What other things, based on your research, might help solve the problem of child soliders?
- What techniques did the film makers use to appeal to your emotions (just like we studied in non fiction reading)? Are they effective? Does analyzing them critically impact what you think about the video?
- Is there anything you would add or take away from this video, based on our research?
3. After reading and watching so much about the issue of child soldiers, what are your thoughts, opinions and responses? Do you think there is value in considering lots of different sources?
Do we write the argument essay on our blog?
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