Going green in the classroom is just SO easy! No, I’m not talking about recycling, or global warming (although those are easy too), I’m talking about Green Screen technology! I’ve been using green screen technology in my classrooms for over 5 years now. Students love it, and if you can press “record” on an app, you can do it too!
It fits well within the Four C’s no problem! Students need to be Critical thinkers because they need to analyze what background is needed for the project to best communicate the outcome. Students need to Collaborate with one another because one will be using the camera who needs to ‘direct’ the actor. Students need to Communicate with one another as to where to stand, what to say, etc… And finally, Creativity is perfect for this type of project, because the outcomes are unlimited! You will receive many completely different videos based off the same project instructions!
You don’t need fancy technology or expensive equipment. Some easy options (in order of expense) can be as follows:
- Grab some dollar store green plastic table covers!
- Pros: Super Cheap, easy to put up anywhere.
- Cons: Some of the plastic covers are very transparent, so you might be able to see things behind them. Also, they’re hard to “reuse” so you might waste plastic.
- Paint a Green Wall in your classroom!
- Pros: You don’t have to worry about folds in the fabric creating shadows.
- Cons: Paint can range between $25 – $50. Finding an “unused” wall in a classroom can be a challenge – use a hallway?
- Purchase a Green Screen kit online!
- Pros: The fabric is heavy-duty and can block things behind them (like other students. Comes with stands where you can set up anywhere.
- Cons: Some kits can cost between $40 – $100. Some stands can be cheaply made, and the bolts can snap easily.
What app should you use? I recommend one of two apps: DoInk or Touchcast Studio. Both cost approximately $2.99 in the iOS store – WELL worth the cost!
DoInk is my favorite of these. It is simple to use, and students love it. Students layer the video from the “bottom-up.” The bottom layer will be your background, and the upper layers will be either imported videos, or a camera.
Normal Green Screen Projects:
Pre-Processing
Post-Processing
Above is a Side-by-Side comparison of two videos using Green Screen technology. The video on the left shows the students filming their scene with a green screen cloth behind them. The video on the right shows the same video with the green screen removed. The commercial was never fully finished because of the COVID-19 epidemic shutting down schools. The final piece would be to do an audio voice-over to remove the background audio. I recommend this with loud classrooms!
Another example is for students to recite poetry in front of a green screen. This is an example of a fourth grade student who had to memorize a baseball poem and recite it both in front of her class, and be published on YouTube.
Take it up a notch!
You don’t even need a giant screen! Even a small green folder can turn itself into a green screen!
Pre-Processing
Post-Processing
The above videos showcase 5th grade students creating a video based off a Digital Citizenship lesson they learned in class about sharing personal information online. the video on the left shows the student-created characters on Popsicle sticks in front of a green folder and green paper on a table. The video on the right shows the same footage post-processing. Students used a Green Screen app on an iPad to add the background, and iMovie to add voice-over audio.
Taking it up a BIGGER Notch!
Pre-Processing
Post-Processing
The videos above showcase students creating a Book Trailer for the Harry Potter book series. In this video, we added the green cloth over a table, which the girls sat on the table to make it appear as if they were ‘floating’ in the Great Hall in Hogwarts! Slightly tilting the iPad up and down slowly helps sell the floating feeling in the post-processing video on the right. Another student is hiding under the table ready to ‘raise’ the white Styrofoam ball once the ‘Wingardium Leviosa’ spell is unleashed!
But wait, there’s more!
You can even layer a video on top of another video! In this example, students recorded themselves first as the “angel” and “devil.” This was recorded in front of a green screen.
The second video was taken in a “normal” location in the classroom and this was the bottom layer. The student acting in the video had to time her lines to correspond with the angel & devil. This took some time and practice, but she did a fantastic job!
All-in-all, there are many different ways you can incorporate green screen in your classroom. It is very simple to use, and can be applied to ANY subject area. I recommend following DoInk on Twitter, as they are always posting amazing lessons on how their app is being used online, and are great a re-tweeting your posts as well!
ISTE Standards
2. Digital CitizenStudents recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical.
3c Students curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools and methods to create collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections or conclusions.
3d Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and theories and pursuing answers and solutions.
6a Students choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives of their creation or communication.
6b Students create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations.
6d Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.
Building Up STEAM 