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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Making a Video Critique of an Information Source

After finishing their social issues research paper for their English class (or any other type of research paper), students will write and present orally a critique of one information source used in their research papers. Students will work in pairs to videotape each other, and they must also design appropriate backdrops for their oral presentations. Students will watch and evaluate all critiques.

This interdisciplinary assignment combines information skills and language arts skills, and requires collaboration between the media specialist and the English teacher.

A lesson plan for grades 9–12 English Language Arts and Information Skills

By Bonnie Snyder

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Learning outcomes

Goals:

  • To help students improve writing and speaking skills.
  • To encourage cooperative work by having students tape one another.
  • To encourage self-directed learning: students choose which information source they want to critique and students choose how to design their backdrops.
  • To encourage student creativity in designing backdrops.
  • To teach students how to evaluate and offer constructive criticism to others.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

8 Hours

Materials/resources

  • the information source that is being evaluated
  • poster board and markers
  • other supplies as needed for backdrops

Technology resources

two videocameras and two 120 min. videocassettes for all students to share; (tripod for optimal quality)

Attachment is in text format.

Pre-activities

The students must have written a research paper so that they will have an information source to critique.

Activities

Day One: Writing the Critique

  1. Explain what a critique is and give the students a sample literary critique, using Booklist or School Library Journal, or one out of any available newspaper.
  2. Be sure that students understand that a critique is not a summary of the work, but rather a highlighting of the work’s best and worst points. (The web site below contains an explanation of a critique.)
  3. Brainstorm a list of adjectives that might be helpful in describing their information source and write these on the board. (For example, “clear,” “riveting,” “concise,” “factual,” etc., not “good,” or “okay” or other words that are too general and lack distinctive meaning) Make sure students understand that this is just an example list and that they should come up with their own adjectives.
  4. If this is a recurring assignment, show the students a sample video critique from a previous class so that they may see firsthand what the teacher’s expectations are.
  5. With the class, develop criteria for a good critique.
  6. Give students time to write a draft of their critique.

Day Two

  1. In small groups or pairs, have students respond to group members’ drafts, using the rubric they developed as a guide.
  2. Give students time to revise their drafts.

Day Three: Videotaping Presentation

  1. The teacher will collaborate with the media specialist to schedule 3-4 days in the media center. (The first day is to learn how to operate the video camera, the second day is to design backdrops, and the third/fourth days are for actual videotaping).
  2. Students should be given 2 days to write their critiques. The first day in the media center should be the day after they have turned in their written critiques.
  3. The teacher will make comments on critiques and go over these comments on the first scheduled day in the media center, while the media specialist demonstrates videotaping techniques. The teacher should remind students to be familiar with critique content so that they don’t “read” their papers on camera, and to speak slowly and enunciate all words carefully. Students’ video presentations should last for 3-5 minutes; they must practice beforehand to achieve this.

Day Four

The media specialist will demonstrate the basics of videotaping, using small group instruction (6 students/3 pairs). This includes: how to start, stop, and pause video recording; how to insert tape and battery; how to plug camera into electrical outlet; how to charge battery if electricity is not being used; how to hold camera steady if tripod is not being used; how to zoom in/out; and how to place camera on tripod if tripod is being used.
Day 5
The next scheduled day in the media center will be for students to work on backdrops, using poster board, markers, the Internet for photos, etc. Backdrops should be imaginative and reflect the topic of the information source.
Day Six
On designated days, the students go to the media center to tape presentations (two pairs at a time since we have two video cameras and tripods). I would have them draw numbers out of a bowl for who goes first, second, etc. Otherwise too much time will be wasted deciding this.
Day Seven
When all students have been taped, students and teacher will view and evaluate one another’s presentations, using the attached evaluation instrument or one of the teacher’s choosing.

Assessment

The students will be graded on their video critiques only, both by peer evaluation and teacher evaluation. (There is no need to assign a separate grade for the written critique, as it only sets the stage for the video presentation.) The teacher will set aside one day in class for the class to watch everyone’s critique. The grade will be derived, using both teacher and student evaluations. (I use 50% teacher and 50% student but this is at the teacher’s discretion.) The teacher could use the “Total Impression” number assigned by students (on the attached evaluation)as an easy way to determine the composite student score. (The composite student score can be averaged, depending on the number of students in the class.)

Supplemental information

  • a sample critique (If teacher doesn’t have one handy, media specialist can give him/her one.)
  • critique checklist

Related websites

Writing a Good Critique from the English Language Institute at Oregon State University
http://ucs.orst.edu/~healeyd/162/162critiques.html
Video Guide from San Mateo County Office of Education
http://pblmm.k12.ca.us/TechHelp/VideoHelp/VideoGuide.html

Comments

This lesson is best used with a small class (approx. 20 students) that can work independently at times. It requires collaboration between the English teacher and media specialist and must be flexible enough to accommodate both of their scheduling needs.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Information Skills (2000)

Grades 9–12

  • Goal 2: The learner will IDENTIFY and USE criteria for excellence to evaluate information and formats.
    • Objective 2.01: Identify published criteria of excellence for resources.
    • Objective 2.02: Apply identified criteria to select resources.
    • Objective 2.04: Develop and articulate personal criteria for selecting resources for information needs and enjoyment.
    • Objective 2.05: Determine accuracy, relevance, and comprehensiveness of information resources.

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 10 — English II

  • Goal 1: The learner will react to and reflect upon print and non-print text and personal experiences by examining situations from both subjective and objective perspectives.
    • Objective 1.02: Respond reflectively (through small group discussion, class discussion, journal entry, essay, letter, dialogue) to written and visual texts by:
      • relating personal knowledge to textual information or class discussion.
      • showing an awareness of one's own culture as well as the cultures of others.
      • exhibiting an awareness of culture in which text is set or in which text was written.
      • explaining how culture affects personal responses.
      • demonstrating an understanding of media's impact on personal responses and cultural analyses.
  • Goal 4: The learner will critically interpret and evaluate experiences, literature, language, and ideas.
    • Objective 4.03: Analyze the ideas of others by identifying the ways in which writers:
      • introduce and develop a main idea.
      • choose and incorporate significant, supporting, relevant details.
      • relate the structure/organization to the ideas.
      • use effective word choice as a basis for coherence.
      • achieve a sense of completeness and closure.
    • Objective 4.04: Evaluate the information, explanations, or ideas of others by:
      • identifying clear, reasonable criteria for evaluation.
      • applying those criteria using reasoning and substantiation.