Social Issues Documentaries via Movie Maker

Eighth grade students participated in a classroom assignment involving Microsoft Movie Maker to make movies [slide shows] re: social issues. The students were asked to do research on their specific issues via the Internet, then use the information with visuals to enhance their movie editing skills [sequencing, timing, transitions, titling (typography)] to tell their stories.

Movie editing is part of the post-production process of movie making. It involves the selection and combining of shots into sequences, and ultimately creating a finished motion picture. It is an art of storytelling. Movie editing is the only art that is unique to cinema, separating movie making from other art forms that preceded it (such as photography, theater, dance, writing, and directing), although there are close parallels to the editing process in other art forms like poetry or novel writing. Movie editing is often referred to as the "invisible art" because when it is well-practiced, the viewer can become so engaged that he or she is not even aware of the editor's work. On its most fundamental level, movie editing is the art, technique, and practice of assembling shots into a coherent whole. A movie editor is a person who practices movie editing by assembling the footage (images) [Wikipedia].

It was mentioned to the students that they were involved with a process that is practiced worldwide in various industries that require movie editing.

Please scroll and click on the players below to view a selection of documentaries [Disclaimer: Images downloaded from the Internet strictly for educational purposes.] [Allow downloading time.].

"Children's Rights" by Aleza Cruz

"Animal Rights" by Brenda Alvarez

"Parenting" by Manuel Ambriz

"Civil Rights" by Vidal Arce

"Capital Punishment" by Jocelyne Arredondo

"Gender" by Julio Arredondo

"Runaways" by Adrian Bahena

"Abortion" by Jessica Bravo

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