Video Software
The software programs listed here are just a few of many available video software programs that are designed to help you create, capture, edit and share digital movies.
Software |
Description |
License |
Platform |
| iMovie | Import, edit & share movies | Commercial | Mac |
| Movie Maker2 | Create, edit & share home movies | Free | PC |
| Quicktime | Movie viewer application | Free | Mac, PC |
| iDVD | DVD authoring program | Commercial | Mac |
| Avid Free DV | Digital video editing | Free | Mac, PC |
| Apple Final Cut Pro | Editing, compositing & special effects | Commercial | Mac |
| Adobe Premier | Capture & edit video for digital filmmaking | Commercial/Trial | PC |
The varied capabilities of a video software tool include, but are not limited to the following: capture or import digital movies, rearrange or delete scenes, create transitions such as cut, dissolve, cross-fade, include titles, special effects, background scenes, drag and drop movie clips and photos, record your own sound or import a sound file, publish video to websites, blogs and DVDs, and create video podcasts (vodcast) with chapter markers. The video software tools can be used across the curriculum and in varied grade levels.
- Applied Technology: Video software in applied technology is a tool to help students create digital movies that communicate their understanding of labor, industry, community and professional conduct issues. The movies can be used to demonstrate their understanding of marketing and promotional techniques through short video advertising.
- Art: Video software in the arts is a tool for students to record and present their artwork, music and plays. Students express their ideas through the use of transitions, music, and special effects. Short videos can be used as trailers to advertise for school plays.
- Foreign Language: Video software in foreign language education can help students communicate in the target language and bring to life their research of a foreign country and culture through creating movies. The students writing, reading, listening and speaking skills are developed through script writing, speaking, and role-playing while making a movie.
- Health and Physical Education: Video software tools in health and physical education can help students demonstrate how to do something such as how to make healthy diet choices and how to exercise properly. Students can also communicate and advocate for issues regarding community health and fitness.
- Language Arts: Video software in language arts can help students bring to life their written words through video depictions of their story or poetry. Students can build their listening and reading skills as they follow reading along with a movie or vodcast. They can include text and voiceovers to their images. Choosing screen transitions with effects can add meaning to their stories.
- Mathematics: Video software in math can help students understand geometric shapes and patterns as well as abstract concepts such as slope through linking the concepts to real life situations and depicting them in a movie.
- Science: Video software in science is a tool for students to demonstrate a scientific process or document the process of change in an experiment. Students can create movies of the environment or animals being studied and can use the movies to advocate for an environmental cause.
- Social Studies: Video software in social studies can help students communicate their knowledge of the topic studied whether a historical time period or an important person in history. Students can make movies that reflect their ideas regarding a current event or social issue.
Sample Lesson Plans
The following sample lesson plans provide a general idea on how the video software tool can be integrated in a content area and grade level. Although there may not be an example for every content area or at every grade level, the lessons from one content area or grade level can often be adapted to another due to its open-ended approach.
Grade Level K-2
Arts: Theatre
- Habitat Movies: Students will produce a piece of writing that describes an animal and its habitat.
- Water Conservation: Students will understand how scarcity affects the choices people make about water in everyday situations.
Arts: Visual
- A Day in the Life: Students will use knowledge and experience to tell about events.
- Habitat Movies: Students will produce a piece of writing that describes an animal and its habitat.
- Interactive Journeys: Students will use technology to enhance their field trip.
- Sensory Details: Students will use Kidspiration as a tool to help them make observations and use sensory details in their writing.
- Water Conservation: Students will understand how scarcity affects the choices people make about water in everyday situations.
Language Arts
- A Day in the Life: Students will use knowledge and experience to tell about events.
- Habitat Movies: Students will produce a piece of writing that describes an animal and its habitat.
- Nike Transitions: Student will develop a definition of transitions by watching a movie and making their own.
- Sensory Details: Students use Kidspiration as a tool to help them make observations and use sensory details in their writing.
- Talking Books: Student will develop their reading skills by reading along with the movie.
- Water Conservation: Students will understand how scarcity affects the choices people make about water in everyday situations.
Science
- Habitat Movies: Students will demonstrate knowledge that there are many different plants and animals living in different kinds of environments.
- Water Conservation: Students will understand how scarcity affects the choices people make about water in everyday situations.
Grade Level 3-5
Arts: Theater
- A Day in the Life: Students will use knowledge and experience to tell about events.
- Airport: Students will create a movie on how to know if you are connected to the Airport.
- AppleWorks: Students will create a movie on how to open word processing in AppleWorks.
- Caring for Your iBook: Students will create a movie on how to care for their iBook.
- Clay Animations: Students will create and film clay animations using knowledge of structures and functions of visual arts.
- Connecting the AlphaSmart: Students will create a movie on how to connect the AlphaSmart to a computer.
- Connecting the Digital Camera: Students will create a movie on how to connect a digital camera to a computer.
- Designing and Filming Commercials: Students understand and apply media, techniques and processes when creating a commercial.
- Digital Camera Basics: Students will create a movie on the basics of using a digital camera.
- Don't Burn Up Your Computer: Students will create a movie on how to determine the number of programs open at one time.
- Filing Cabinet: Students will create a movie on how to place data in a "filing cabinet" system on the teacher's computer.
- Gettysburg Movie: Students will know the causes and important events of the Civil War by reading and depicting the Gettysburg Address.
- Images from the Internet: Students will create a movie on how to get images from the Internet.
- Kidspiration: Students will create a movie on how to start a new document in Kidspiration.
- Procedure Movies: Students will use details to describe classroom procedures.
- Scanning Basics: Students will create a movie on how to scan objects into the computer.
- Trackpad: Students will create a movie on how to use the trackpad on the iBook.
Arts: Visual
- A Day in the Life: Students will use knowledge and experience to tell about events.
- Animated Cartoons: Students will create an animated iMovie out of pictures created in art class.
- Camera for a Day: Students will observe appropriate behavior in their classmates.
- Clay Animations: Students will create and film clay animations using knowledge of structures and functions of visual arts.
- Designing and Filming Commercials: Students understand and apply media, techniques and processes when creating a commercial.
- Gettysburg Movie: Students will know the causes and important events of the Civil War by reading and depicting the Gettysburg Address.
- Interactive Journeys: Students will use technology to enhance their field trip.
- Poem Movies: Students will develop a sense of imagery by choosing appropriate pictures to go with the poem.
- Procedure Movies: Students will use details to describe classroom procedures.
- Summary Movie: Students will summarize a reading selection by creating an iMovie.
Language Arts
- A Day in the Life: Students will use knowledge and experience to tell about events.
- Animated Cartoons: Students will create an animated iMovie out of pictures created in art class.
- Camera for a Day: Students will observe appropriate behavior in their classmates.
- Gettysburg Movie: Students will know the causes and important events of the Civil War by reading and depicting the Gettysburg Address.
- Making Books: Students will make their own personal books using iPhoto.
- Nike Transitions: Students view a Nike commercial for examples of transitions as used in movies and writing.
- Poem Movies: Students will develop a sense of imagery by choosing appropriate pictures to go with the poem.
- Procedure Movies: Students will use details to describe classroom procedures.
- Summary Movie: Students will summarize a reading selection by creating an iMovie.
Social Studies
- Gettysburg Movie: Students will know the causes and important events of the Civil War by reading and depicting the Gettysburg Address.
Grade Level 6-8
Arts: Music
- Learning Abstract Concepts: Students will create a movie with photos, graphics and music that depicts an abstract concept.
Arts: Theatre
- Weather Newscast: Students will learn about weather patterns and television production while creating a mock weather report.
Arts: Visual
- Creating a Movie: Students will learn how to use multimedia tools to create and share a movie.
- Learning Abstract Concepts: Students will create a movie depicting an abstract concept.
Language Arts
- Creating a Movie: Students will learn how to use multimedia tools to create and share a movie.
- Learning Abstract Concepts: Students will create a movie depicting an abstract concept.
- Virtual Vacation: Students will learn about the culture and geography of a foreign city by creating a virtual vacation.
Science
- Weather Newscast: Students will learn about weather patterns and television production while creating a mock weather report.
Social Studies
- Virtual Vacation: Students will learn about the culture and geography of a foreign city by creating a virtual vacation.
Grade Levels 9-12
Arts: Theatre
- Creating an Animated Film: Students will develop an understanding of the animation process by working collaboratively to create an animated film.
Arts: Visual
- Creating An Animated Film: Students will develop an understanding of the animation process by working collaboratively to create an animated film.
- Developing Cartoon Characters: Students will learn how to develop cartoon characters through online cartooning exercises.
- Veterans of Past American Wars Project: Students will understand the impact of war by interviewing a war veteran.
Subject
- Poetry Movies: Students will use a variety of technology applications to learn about the origin of selected poems including the poet, the poem's poetic devices, and analyze/describe poem's meaning.
- Veterans of Past American Wars Project: Students will understand the impact of war by interviewing a war veteran.
Subject
- Veterans of Past American Wars Project: Students will understand the impact of war by interviewing a war veteran.