Learning card

“Play” a book and “read” a movie

Description

In this activity, students gathered in groups are invited to choose a book in order to read with a task in mind: adapt an excerpt from the book into a short video about one of the following topics: Why do we like this book? How would we persuade a friend to read this book? Who’s the author and what’s his/her biography? In other words, to make a video review.

Tag
  • Book
  • Fan Fiction
  • Video
  • Youtube
Skills

PRODUCTION

  • To create/modify audiovisual productions
  • To use filming and editing tools

SOCIAL MANAGEMENT

  • To collaborate
  • To teach about narrative and aesthetic issues

NARRATIVE AND AESTHETICS

  • To interpret
  • To compare
  • To evaluate and reflect
  • To take action and apply
Learning areas
  • Foreign Languages
  • Language
  • Religion and Ethics
Card language
  • English
  • Spanish
  • Portuguese
  • Italian

Structure

Sessions
Homework task with a 30’ in-class introduction (it is also adaptable to 2 class sessions as seen below)
Duration
Duration of the activity depends on deadlines set up by the teacher or two class sessions in which students produce their video reviews (120’) and present them to their classmates (55’), respectively.
Number of participants
10-30 participants
Age
  • 10-13
  • 14-16
  • 17-18
Materials
  • Books
  • Video camera, tablet or smartphone
  • Video editing programme

Process

Key questions
  • What book did you choose and why?
  • Can you categorize the genre of the book you read?
  • What part of the book caught your attention the most?
  • Do you identify with any of the characters?
  • Can you imagine a particular scene of the book in a different context?
  • Would you write any part of the story in a completely different way?
  • How could the story be adapted to another format: play (theatre), videogame, comic, movie?
  • Think in transmedia narratives: how is the story told in different formats? Is it similar or are there changes?
  • What do you think about the adaptation of books into movies?
Development

In the class, the teacher explains the different literary genres and listen to students: their reading habits, their preferences regarding books, their experience as readers, why they like/dislike reading.  (30’)

Students should get into in groups of 2 or 3 people according to their literary affinities. Their work will be to choose a book they like (if students choose one not listed in the assignment standards, the teacher can bring it to school or they can get it from the library), read it at home and produce a video review of 4 minutes maximum inspired in one of the following topics: Why do we like this book?, How would we persuade a friend to read this book? Who’s the author and what’s his/her biography?
Students can record the video using their smartphones or a video camera and find online free software to edit them. 

Students should have about one month to read the book and make the video. Then they present it in class, and answer the teacher’s and their classmates’ questions.

Alternatively, after one month, students can make their videos in a 120’ class and then discuss their video in another 55’ class.

Evaluation

Evaluation is made simultaneously with the presentation of the videos/works. Possible criteria for evaluation are the quality of the review (critical thinking, sinthesis, use of the language); the quality of the video. Also the participation and interaction in class could be part of the evaluation.

References for professors
Author

Sara Pereira. Universidade do Minho (Portugal), sara.pereira@ics.uminho.pt
Joana Fillol. Universidade do Minho (Portugal), joanafillol@gmail.com
Pedro Moura. Universidade do Minho (Portugal), pedromourarsp@gmail.com

  • Book
  • Fan Fiction
  • Video
  • Youtube