The BIG ONE

Your go to source for videos clips

We've all been there. It's the last five minutes of your 7th period class. Student are packing up. And then your Administrator walks in. What do we do with those orphan minutes? You could have them power up their Chromebooks, attempt some kind of writing, or even a team building activity. By the time you explain the directions, the bell rings. Even seasoned teachers have these moments. I've created the BIG ONE to help with those tricky minutes because after all, it's about getting our scholars to critically think all day every day. Most of my videos are embedded in my lessons but I never really had the time or energy to post them all to one location. Introducing The BIG ONE. This is a one-stop shop. I have included links to my best video clips with times. Disclaimer: please review the video first. AND check the links as sometimes they are taken down. I will continue to update the BIG ONE as a living document. Stay tuned.

One of my most recent obsessions is curating. I typically see things on Twitter or Facebook and save them based on my units of study. But I recently was playing with idea of Wonder Wednesdays where I would show students a video and have them discuss or write. Here are my favorites, video descriptions, and suggested activities.

TOP 5

1. The Scared is Scared- a riveting, awe-inspiring video of a young girl telling her story. Only the video does as she says, as she says it. This is a great way tool to analyze symbolism and of course, have a discussion about what The Scared is Scared means. It will no-doubt inspire your learners.

2. Majestic Octopus Kites- live footage of the kites flying. The air is water. The octopi soar like birds. I'm sure you can think of more similes.

3. Japan's School Lunches- I love having students read about other school cultures and comparing American society. Generally we are American-centric and it is always fascinating to observe other cultures. This could be a source for an informational writing piece or compare and contrast or even argument essay.

4. Commercials- offer a wealth of classroom content. The recent Lin Manuel Citi Bank commercial moved me. And it is a quick way to easily build your classroom culture. When your class is in need to check their empathy meter, show Kids Playing Basketball. It visually inspires and explicitly shows viewers how to be kind. I would have students reflect or apply this to school lunches or including others.

5. Combination Art- It's a mash-up between two unlikely objects. It oddly fascinating and disturbing, which lends itself nicely to sentence practice or creative writing. I love incorporating art into every unit. What if they created a combination art piece and a story? I'm going to leave that right here.

Honorable Mention- We love (ahem I Love) Arthur on PBS. I love the message and it is more substantial than an episode of Sponge Bob. If you ever wonder how bullying occurs, it does a nice job at illustrating the progression. If you have 12 minutes, it is worth your time.

We all have our go-to YouTube videos. Please share them with me! And remember: inspiration is everywhere. Make something every day.

The BIG ONE