Lesson Starters
Many teachers have discovered that using a selected video clip at the start of a class period can
be an effective and stimulating way to start a discussion, review a concept covered in a previous
class, or create a transition to a new unit of study. Since most of the clips in the
unitedstreaming™ video library are less than seven minutes in length, they are an ideal
resource for this teaching strategy.
This document contains some sample “lesson starters” representing several areas of study and
grade levels. It has been prepared to demonstrate some of the ways that individual video clips
can be used at the beginning of a class period or incorporated into a quick, thought-provoking
activity that can be inserted at any appropriate time during the class schedule.
Language Arts/Reading
1. “FUN WITH FOLK TALES” (GRADES 1-5) Folk tales can be enjoyed by students of all ages,
and they are often effective ways to help students to learn about other cultures and ways of
life. The video clip used in this activity is titled “How Anansi Obtained the Sky God’s Stories,”
the first story in a video collection titled African and African-American Folktales.
A. Set the Stage:
Before you show the video clip to the class, begin with a brief discussion of the notion of
folk tales and some of the reasons why such stories were created. You might use an
example from the American folk tradition such as a story about Paul Bunyan or Pecos Bill
to give students a model with which to work. To prepare students for this particular tale,
you should tell them that the main character is a “spider-trickster” named Anansi, a
recurring character in many African folk tales.
B. Focus Questions:
What clever methods did Anansi use to fulfill the demands of the sky god named Nyami?
Why do you think that Nyami stuffed too many stories in the bag that he gave to Anansi?
C. Follow-up Ideas:
The first follow-up question will likely deal with the main idea or the point of the story. You
might choose to follow that discussion with other stories that are included in the same
program, African and African-American Folktales. Students might be asked to illustrate a
scene from the story or to write a short folk tale of their own to explain some aspect of
their own lives. Additional ideas and background information for this program are
contained in the Teacher’s Guide available on the unitedstreaming™ web site.
2. “GATSBY AND THE AMERICAN DREAM” (GRADES 10-12) F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel,
The Great Gatsby, is a compelling study of American society after World War I and the
concept of the American Dream in a new land. This activity is best used as a part of a more
comprehensive study of the novel, but with some preparation, students might be able to
complete his activity even if they have not read the novel. The video clip for this activity is
titled “Lost Innocence: The Myth of the American Dream,” and it is taken from a full length
program titled Great Books: The Great Gatsby.
A. Set the Stage:
The words in this video clip come from the final chapter in the novel in which the narrator,
Nick Carraway, reflects on the tragic life of his friend Jay Gatsby and his failed efforts to
obtain the love and the life of which he had always dreamed.
B. Focus Questions:
What vision of the new world do you think the first English explorers held when they first
set foot in Virginia and Massachusetts? What possibilities do you think the Dutch settlers
envisioned when they began a new life in what is now New York? If they were able to
view American society today, do you think that the reality of our culture would match the
dreams that they held when they created our first settlements?
C. Follow-up Ideas:
The final passage in the video clip is an observation that Fitzgerald makes on the final
page of his novel and a line that he chose for his own tombstone: “So we beat on, boats
against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” Ask students who have read
the novel to support this statement with evidence taken from the novel and the life of the
protagonist, Jay Gatsby. As a more general discussion question, ask students to explore
the notion of “lost innocence” in our American culture and the ways in which our present
society may vary from the dreams of the early settlers who forged our nation and its
values.
Mathematics
1. “THANKS A MILLION” (GRADES K-4) This short activity is an effective way to help young
students to grasp the concept of a million. The video clip titled “How Much is a Million
Dollars?” comes from a full-length film produced by Weston Woods titled If You Made a
Million is done in an entertaining animated format
A. Set the Stage:
Start by writing the number 1,000,000 on the board so that students can begin to
compare the number of decimals with the smaller numbers with which they are more
likely to be familiar. Ask students what they think they might do with a million dollars if
they were to win such a large amount of money.
B. Focus Question:
If you were to win one million dollars, how big an object do you think you would need to
hold your cash if the payment was made in nickels? If you received your money in $1
bills, how high do you think the stack of bills would be if you piled them all up in one
stack?
C. Follow-up Ideas:
Using the examples from the video clip as models, ask students to make similar
estimates as to the space or volume that would be required to house a million units of
other familiar objects. Students could also be asked to calculate the buying power of a
million dollars based on the cost of favorite toys, current books, or popular snacks. More
advanced students might be asked to estimate the savings potential if they were to
deposit the money in a bank at a specified rate of interest.
2. “CIRCULAR REASONING” (GRADES 4-9) In this case, “circular reasoning” refers to the many
practical applications for measurements based on the unique relationship that exists between
the radius of a circle and the value of the constant pi. The clip is titled “Solving Problems with
Circles,” part of a full program titled Mathematical Eye: Circles.
A. Set the Stage:
Begin by posing a simple mathematical problem that involves the calculation of the
circumference of a circle. Be sure that all students understand that relationship that exists
between the radius of a circle and the circumference of that same circle.
B. Focus Question:
Imagine an enterprising young scientist who tried to stretch a single piece of string
completely around the earth at the equator. She made sure that the string was precisely 1
meter above the ground the entire way around the globe, but when she approached her
starting point, she was disappointed to find that her string was 10 meters too short to
complete the circle. If she had stretched the string along the surface of the earth instead
of keeping it at the 1 meter height, do you think that she would have had enough string to
complete her circle?
C. Follow-up Ideas:
The answer to this question and several other thinking problems are all contained in this
video clip. The details of the problems could be set out on a worksheet page so that
students could complete the calculations as they watch the clip. You could also ask
students to devise problems of their own based on objects or situations that they observe
in their lives.
Science
1. “WHY THE DIMPLES?” (GRADES 7-12) This is an interesting discussion prompt for any upper
level science class, but particularly for a class studying the dynamics of flight. The video clip
for this activity is titled “Fore!” which is one segment of a program in the unitedstreaming™
library titled Inquiring Minds: The Sporting Life.
A. Set the Stage:
Start by asking students why a standard golf ball is covered with “dimples.” Students
might eventually theorize that the design has something to do with the distance or
accuracy of the ball’s flight. At this point, challenge them to explain the scientific principle
that might account for such behavior in the flight of a golf ball.
B. Focus Question:
If a dimpled golf ball and a comparable ball with a completely smooth skin were struck
with the same force, which ball would travel further? In approximate terms, how much
further do you think the selected ball would fly?
C. Follow-up Ideas:
After students view the video clip, they might be asked to consider the balls or objects
used in other sports. Are these objects also affected in some way by the forces of nature
that affect the flight of a golf ball? This lesson may also be a stepping stone to an inquiry
into Bernoulli’s Principle and the applications that this scientific concept has in our lives.
2. “TIME PASSES” (GRADES 1-3) This short lesson may be a good way to introduce the concept
of time and the variety of methods that have been used to tell time before clocks were
invented. The clip used in this lesson starter is titled “How Did We Tell Time Before We Had
Clocks?” and it comes from a film titled Tick Tock: All About the Clock.
A. Set the Stage:
Start by asking students to think back to a time before mechanical clocks had been
invented and have them discuss whether people in these earlier times had any way of
knowing what time it was.
B. Focus Questions:
What other ways are there to tell time? Do you think that these methods are as accurate
as the clocks we use today? What problems might you face if you tried to tell time with
these other devices?
C. Follow-up Ideas:
After students have had a chance to view the video clip and discuss the focus questions
above, ask them to think of other devices that people might use to tell time. For a related
activity, ask students to look around their homes and count the number of clocks and
electronic devices that display the time. Ask them why modern homes often have many
more clocks than the homes in which their parents or grandparents lived.
Social Studies
1. “THE AMAZING PYRAMIDS” (GRADES 1-3) The pyramids built in Ancient Egypt have been a
source of wonder and mystery from the time they were first discovered by explorers from
other nations. This lesson starter is based on a short video clip titled “Pyramids of Egypt” and
it comes from a film titled Ancient Times. It may be used as a stand-alone project or a
supplemental activity to be included as a part of an existing unit of study devoted to the
history of Egyptian civilization.
A. Set the Stage:
Begin this activity by showing students a picture or a small model of an Egyptian pyramid
and discussing some of the fundamental details of the materials used to build these
structures. If this lesson is to be used in conjunction with a larger unit on the civilization
of Ancient Egypt, you may want to take time to review related concepts before showing
the selected video clip.
B. Focus Questions:
Why do you think the ancient Egyptians went to such efforts to build the monumental
pyramids? What was the purpose of the pyramids? Why do you think the builders chose
the pyramid shape for their monuments?
C. Follow-up Ideas:
The video clip covers a number of topics pertaining to the design and purpose of the
pyramids, but it also leaves many questions open to further exploration or discussion.
After you have shown the clip, ask students to research the details relating to the
discovery and exploration of the specific pyramids shown in the video clip. As a related
research or presentation topic, have students examine the various theories that
archaeologists have raised to explain the construction methods used by these ancient
builders of the Egyptian pyramids.
2. “MORAL DECISIONS” (GRADES 9-12) The issue of personal responsibility is often raised
when students examine the actions and decisions of the individuals who wage war against
the people of other nations. The video clip for this activity is titled “Moral Liability” which is
one segment of a program in the unitedstreaming™ library titled Joseph Schultz.
A. Set the Stage:
On July 19, 1941, the German 714th Vermacht Division rounded up several citizens of a
town called Orahovica in Yugoslavia in order to execute them. One soldier in the German
army, a man named Joseph Schultz, refused to carry out the order that had been given
by his superior officer. The scenes re-enacted in this video are based on actual events
that took place on this date during World War II.
B. Focus Question:
In the midst of war, what personal responsibility should an individual assume if he or she
disagrees with a direct order for moral or ethical reasons? Is an individual justified in
refusing to follow such an order?
C. Follow-up Ideas:
The video clip titled “Moral Liability” portrays the initial refusal by Joseph Schultz and
concludes when the commanding officer indicates that he either follow the given order or
join the prisoners who are about to be executed. At this point, students might be asked to
discuss the options that are open to Schultz at this moment and the consequences of
each choice that he might make. Following the discussion, show the final segment of the
film, “Finding His Own Answers,” and then continue the analysis of the issue of personal
responsibility in a written or oral format. This video can also be an effective bridge to
events like the Nuremberg Trials that examined the issues of moral responsibility
following World War II.
Sources
African and African-American Folktales. United Learning, 1993. 19 Jan. 2004
<http://www.unitedstreaming.com>
Great Books: The Great Gatsby. Discovery Channel School, 1997. 19 Jan. 2004
<http://www.unitedstreaming.com>
If You Made a Million. Weston Woods, 2002. 19 Jan. 2004
<http://www.unitedstreaming.com>
Mathematical Eye: Circles. United Learning, 1990. 19 Jan. 2004
<http://www.unitedstreaming.com>
Inquiring Minds: The Sporting Life. TV Ontario, 2000. 19 Jan. 2004
<http://www.unitedstreaming.com>
Tick Tock: All About The Clock. Rainbow Educational Media, 1992. 19 Jan. 2004
<http://www.unitedstreaming.com>
Ancient Times. Discovery Channel School, 1996. 19 Jan. 2004
<http://www.unitedstreaming.com>
Joseph Schultz. United Learning, 1973. 19 Jan. 2004
<http://www.unitedstreaming.com>