MultiMedia Tools

Iliana Bettis Alderfer

Lesson Idea Name: Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
Content Area: Social Studies
Grade Level(s): 4th Grade
Content Standard Addressed: SS4H4
Examine the main ideas of the abolitionist and suffrage movement.
a) Discuss contributions of and challenges faced by Susan B. Anthony; Frederick Douglass; Elizabeth
Cady Stanton; Sojourner Truth; and, Harriet Tubman.
Technology Standard Addressed: Creative Communicator – Students communicate clearly and express
themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media
appropriate to their goals.
Selected Technology Tool:
☒ Movie (list application):
☐ Audio (list application):
☐ Other: (list)
URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):
DiscoveryEducation.com and iMovie
Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):
☒ Remembering ☒ Understanding ☒ Applying ☒ Analyzing ☒ Evaluating ☒ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☐ Level 4: Integration
☒ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement
Universal Design for Learning (UDL):
• For the UDL principle of Representation, or the ‘WHAT’ of the final content product was used as a
‘HOOK’ to gain the students’ interest. I was able to section out a portion of the video that shared just
enough information to pique the students’ interest about ‘WHAT’ would happen next to the character
in the video. In this case, the character was Harriet Tubman.
• The second principle of Action and Expression, or the ‘HOW’ of this technological lesson was through
the use of Discovery Education (to find a video addressing a particular content standard). ‘HOW’ this
transpired, was by the video then being downloaded onto iMovie, using a school iPad. Through the
use of the iMovie tools, I was able to cut the video to the desired segment; split the video and delete
portions that were not necessary for creating my ‘hook’; and then adding music, titles and additional
images, thereby creating a professional and slick looking movie, worthy and gathering any student’s
attention!
• The principle of Engagement, or the ‘WHY’ was accomplished in the actual making on the iMovie. By
creating this iMovie, students were allowed to learn in a student directed manner and were given a
voice to the learning of the content material. Using Blooms Taxonomy as a determinant, through the
function of the cognitive domain, the students were able to synthesize a final product whereby they
extricated information from a generic video and analyzed the different parts of this video in
determining what would ultimately work best and then applying same in creating their final content
product.
o Using the affective domain (emotion-based), students were able to reach a higher level of
‘value’ learning by ‘organizing’. This is particularly important, as the affective domain targets
and measures growth and attentiveness through their attitudes and feelings towards the

Spring 2018_SJB
 MultiMedia Tools
learning project. Here, the value is in wanting to learn and enjoying the learning process.
Without even the lowest level of emotion based learning (paying attention) no learning would
take place.
o And finally, through the psychomotor domain (action-based) the student physically
manipulates the software tools to complete the steps necessary to obtain the final product.
Basically, through motivated exploration, (trial and error) the student learns to perceive and
then differentiate which actions (mindset) will create the superior quality product.
• This type of technological tool (iMovie) is well suited for the typical and gifted learner, as well as the
ELL learners and hearing impaired learners. Depending on their individual abilities, students can add
as little to this project (simply downloading and/or shortening the video) or as much (cutting, splicing,
adding captions, fading in and out of music, and adding themes) as they are capable to accomplishing.
The videos on Discovery Education are not only tied to content standards, by are available in Spanish
as well. This is a wonderful tool for the ELL who can reinforce the lesson by hearing it in Spanish and
then comparing and contrasting that to the same video in English. The hearing impaired learning will
not feel at a loss, as all of the videos have the capabilities of closed captioning.
Lesson idea implementation:
For this lesson idea, the iMovie would be the ‘HOOK’ for the 4th grade Social Studies content standard
addressing the contributions and challenges faced by key individuals that addressed areas of dissention
(slavery) that would eventually play a part in leading up to the Civil War and the suffrage movement. The
iMovie clip shows a young Harriet Tubman having to deal with the unwanted attention and advancements of
a cruel slave handler. After receiving thinly veiled threats, promising of impending beatings, Tubman decides
that she cannot take it anymore and is going to run away. She tells her father that her means of escape will
be on something she has heard people whisper about called an “underground railroad”. Her father tries to
make her understand that the underground railroad is not real and that the idea of this evolved only through
the desperation of the mistreated negro slaves. Tubman decrees that she no longer cares and is running
away that very night – as her father looks on in agonized worry…

This is where the “HOOK” ends. Students should be left with curiosity and possibly even concern as to what
will happen to poor Harriet Tubman. At this point, the students are advised that their assignment will be for
each group to take one of the individuals listed in this standard. Their group will then divide up the
assignment, with each student conducting a search for information pertaining to their individual, using
different technological software tools. Once the students regroup the following day, the students will spend
the period collaborating and analyzing the different pieces of information as they attempt evaluate the worth
of each piece. After assessing their array of information, the students will then create an iMovie pertaining to
their group’s assigned individual. Each student will be supplied with a rubric (detailing specifically what
information should be obtained in order to complete the assignment with the best grade possible and what
grade they should expect for lesser amounts of quality work.

Upon completion, the students will then share their iMovie (by groups) with the rest of the class and
participate in a question and answer session. While other groups are sharing their iMovies, students will be
responsible for taking notes on the different individuals of the assignment and will be expected to ask
questions during the Q & A session after each iMovie. During this time, the teacher will be conducting
formative assessments on each group of students. The teacher will supplement with any questions that she
feels were not thoroughly covered during the Q & A period of each iMovie. Students too, will have a good
idea of how well the know the information following the Q & A session.

Once the Q & A sessions have been completed, all iMovies will be uploaded onto the class’s blog site
(Edublogs) where the students and their parents can pull them up for review as often as they feel is necessary
prior to having a summative assessment at the end of this content standard assignment.

Spring 2018_SJB
 MultiMedia Tools
Students will receive a total grade that will be broken down by participation; knowledge; creativity; and,
accuracy.
Importance of technology:
This project’s entire concept is based off of using technological multimedia. While the project could be
learned without using this technology, it is only through the use of said technology that the project gains
enrichment, taking it to a higher order of learning. What’s more, by adding the technological concept to this
lesson, it adds a degree of differentiation that caters to multiple levels of intelligence. Overall the digital
technology used was: Discovery Education; iMovie; the computer; varying UDL tools such as BrainPop;
BrainPop Jr.; Edublog; Edutopia; Read, Write, Think; netTrekker; Google search; and, Quizlet.

Inspiration (optional):
https://app.discoveryeducation.com/learn/player/1b1523cd-0dd4-4cde-a06b-1301419efbce (initial Harriet
Tubman video)
Google Search – Images: various images related to: abolition, slavery, Harriet Tubman, and Underground
Railroad.
Internet Safety and Student Privacy:
The sites that the students could use are allowed as per the school district’s restrictions. The students have
all received training on proper online etiquette and safety. All students that have access to the online
programs have letters on file, signed by their parents, granting approval for online use. The students are only
able to enter the specific websites through our school’s home page and then by clicking on the specific link(s)
to each approved technological tool’s site.
Reflective Practice:
As I mentioned before, I feel that the technological activities definitely enhance the student learning and take
it to a higher order of thinking. The specific avenues to extending the lesson via technology tools were:
Discovery Education; iMovie; BrainPop; BrainPop Jr.; Edutopia; Edublog; Read, Write, Think; net Trekker;
Quizlet; Google search; and, the computer.

Spring 2018_SJB