At any level within K-12 schools analyzing and/or making Public Service Announcement (PSA) is a fantastic way to engage students in real-world issues, argumentative writing, and civic action.
Suggested Process for Producing Issue-driven Student PSAs
Identify a problem, and research solutions
- What is the issue you want to change?
- Who is the audience that can help you make that change?
- What do you want that audience to do?
- What tone will you create with the elements of video (images, sounds & words) that will move your audience to take action?
- How will you reach your audience?
Deconstruct and discuss examples of PSAs to understand choices (media & tone)
Decide as a class what you want to say, and how you’ll say it
- Decide on tone
- Roughly outline beginning/middle/end
- Establish roles: actors, writers, directors, camera operators, video editors…
Develop a Script and Storyboards
- Write persuasive essays or poems and adapt into scripts, AND/OR
- Write the PSA using storyboards along as a form of writing
Production: Shoot, search for and make the video, photos, graphics, and sounds you need
Post Production: Editing
- One or many small groups mix together media based on the storyboards
- Option: divide up the media onto different computers then put them back together into one final production or upload separate parts to the internet to assemble
- Option: collaborate with teachers/professionals as needed; be sure that students are making critical decisions about how meaning is made
Activate the videos to impact real audiences!
- Share widely with classes, assemblies, or publishing parties
- Post to the school website
- Submit to social action video contests and campaigns
- Poll and hold discussions with real audiences
Guide to planning a PSA project with your students
Links to PSA examples, and a guide for in-class deconstruction of PSAs as a path to making your own
The Media Spot 