Resources Needed

Each student should have access to a computer that allows on-line access to the Internet.

The Internet resources such as the Library of Congress American Memory Brady Collection and Selected Civil War Photographs  will provide students with a rich selection of historical photographs of soldiers, battle camps, preparations for battle and battle after-effects. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwphome.html

Students will view the Civil War through the eyes of Civil War photographers, such as Matthew Brady.  They will incorporate these resources into their own digital story, providing their own unique insights and interpretations of the material.

The webquest format can be used on the classroom webpage, allowing the students to proceed with the project as an independent learning experience.

Materials Used:

Students can produce their digital story using a variety of available multimedia software.  By Fifth Grade, students are usually familiar with PowerPoint presentations, and should be challenged other digital editing programs such as Movie Maker, iMovie, and Photo Story.  Digital stories can also be created using web page editors such as Front Page and Dreamweaver.

It is possible to create a digital story without the use of peripherals such as scanners, digital video recorders and digital cameras.  Students can simple download images available sources (subject to acceptable use and copyright restrictions).  Digital video recorders and digital cameras, however, allow students to incorporate more of their own creative intrepretations into their project.