High School Students Produce Video Documentaries
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- October 7, 2009
CONTACT: Scott Hirko, Public Relations Officer,
shirko [at] mihumanities.org, 517-372-0029 ext. 25
More than 40 community videos created with Picturing Your Community in America program
(LANSING)-----Over the past year, students from 11 high schools across Michigan worked with the Michigan Humanities Council to create video documentaries that interpret unique aspects of their community. Students in social studies and history classes teamed with film producers from Michigan Television to learn video production techniques, including skills such as interviewing and storyboarding. Students controlled the concept and artistic direction. By the end of the program, 42 videos were created by students from 11 high schools: Allegan, Bay City, Bear Lake, Bloomfield Hills International Academy, Burt Township (Grand Marais), Frankfort, Harper Woods, Hartland, Lansing Everett, Warren Mott, and Waterford Mott.
The project, Picturing Your Community in America, was conceived by the Michigan Humanities Council to complement the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Picturing America program, through which the schools received prints of famous American artworks as a context to understand American history.
“At a time when Michigan schools are facing economic challenges, we are grateful to be able to create this unique, creative learning program,” said Jan Fedewa, executive director of the Michigan Humanities Council. “The program demonstrates how students gain a better understanding of the humanities by connecting today’s technology with the history of their community.”
Some of the 42 short films created by students included:
- Allegan High School students’ documentary about the World War II prisoner of war camp in Allegan.
- Bay City High School students interviewing locals about the history of the Defoe Shipbuilding Company, which closed in Bay City in 1978.
- Bear Lake High School students’ documentary about the community’s reaction to a local adult theater.
- Bloomfield Hills International Academy students’ discussion about the impact on the community of the economic challenges affecting General Motors.
- Lansing Everett High School students’ documentary about the history of the Lansing Theatre District.
Teachers noted the learning impact of the project on their students: “The one thing that my students took away from this opportunity was that local history came alive to them in a way they had not noticed before,” said Lothar Konietzko, American history teacher at Lansing Everett High School. “Being able to connect a broad topic, like generalized U.S. History, to a local angle brings history home to a kid and it always makes the educational experience more relevant and interesting.”
“The class learned many stories about our small town and enjoyed digging for information,” said Michael Grahl, a teacher at Bear Lake High School. “Personally, it was a great experience to see excitement from students involved in a project in which they had very little past experience.”
“Not only did they learn the technical aspects of making a documentary; they also got to know our local community much better,” said Terri Cafcalas, a visual arts instructor at Bloomfield Hills International Academy. “The process of researching, writing, interviewing, editing, and taking pictures helped them form insightful conclusions and points of view about their topics.”
“This project was a great way to teach kids how to research their local history using primary sources and historical society resources,” said Dave Jackson, a teacher at Frankfort High School. “It was a fantastic hands-on learning experience to which the kids really responded.”
The public can watch each of the 42 videos available online at the Council’s media archive or on its YouTube site at www.youtube.com/michiganhumanities.
Picturing Your Community in America |
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Teacher Name |
School |
City |
||
Sarah |
Tiles |
Allegan Senior High School |
Allegan |
|
Craig |
Windt |
Bay City Central High School |
Bay City |
|
Michael |
Grahl |
Bear Lake High School |
Bear Lake |
|
Terri |
Cafcalas |
Bloomfield Hills Int’l Academy |
Bloomfield Hills |
|
Seth |
Hoopingarner |
Burt Township School |
Grand Marais |
|
Lothar |
Konietzko |
Everett High School |
Lansing |
|
Dave |
Jackson |
Frankfort High School |
Frankfort |
|
Monica |
Lenhard |
Harper Woods High School |
Harper Woods |
|
John |
Denzer |
Hartland High School |
Hartland |
|
Jim |
French |
Warren Mott High School |
Warren |
|
Andrew |
Dalian |
Waterford Mott High School |
Waterford |
|
The Michigan Humanities Council, founded in 1974, is a private, non-profit organization, funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. For additional information, please visit: www.michiganhumanities.org or call 517-372-7770.
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