Movies Kids Can Make to Learn Comprehension Skills

This will be my fourth time teaching an Ancient Civilizations unit.  I have been brainstorming how to give it a makeover.  Animation!  Kids can summarize, analyze characters, determine the main idea, and integrate technology by creating their own animations based on what they have read and learned. 


The video on the right of your screen is a 13 second video I created using FREE software from a website I just discovered called goanimate.com.  There is an upgraded package that I will probably purchase for use with my students. There are characters for them to choose from on GoAnimate.  Students type in their own lines the want the computer voice to read for them or they can record their voices.  The characters read the lines the students have created for them..  They can even select an emotion so that the gestures and animated voice can show how the characters feel.


On Monday, they will begin creating their videos.

How to Use for Comprehension


Students will begin by reading books.  They will then demonstrate their understanding by completing the following tasks.
1.  There are a variety of settings that can be chosen from.  Students can select the setting that depicts what they are reading.
2.  For fluency practice, students can think about how the characters  in the text or author may feel.  Students can demonstrate this understanding by the words they choose their animations to say and by how their animations feel.
3.  Students can show their understanding of the main idea about what they have read by creating a movie script revolving around this main idea.