The Media Spot

Talking produce at PathMark Class 5-303 went on field trips to PathMark (a supermarket), the Park Slope Food Coop, and talked to Liz Carollo of Greenmarket, an organization that sets up farmer's markets in NYC, to find out where the food in their local grocery stores comes from, and to define the similarities and differences between them.

Using the same source video footage, the students created 6 different videos on themes ranging from the difference between organic and conventional farming, buying local vs. food flown in from all over the world, and how the food we produce and distribute effects our environment. The kids, as well as their teacher Mr. Flickinger were strongly affected by what we found out through the process.

Watch the video:

• 5-303's video series on where our food comes from

The Process:
The students brainstormed six different guiding themes related to the food industry and formed production teams based on those themes for the field trips. The groups took turns filming at each venue and asked questions on camera. They also shot "B roll" or shots of details in each location.

Students wrote narration that explained what they did, and what they learned using a "Video News Release" script organizer provided by TMS .

All of the footage was then loaded onto 6 classroom computers with iMovie video editing software. The students recorded their narration, and whittled it down the footage to illustrate the ideas described in their narration.

Students then added "titles" to help explain location and who was talking to the audience. Music was the final piece of the puzzle -- students focused on keeping the volume low enough to not interfere with what was being said in the video, and chose songs that they felt strengthened their messages.