Behind the scenes
Do you know what a music video is? Music videos showcase a song. They often focus on the song lyrics. Song lyrics can be the starting point and inspiration for the music video. The person who creates the music video is called a videographer.
Press the Definition button to learn more.
Lyrics: Lyrics are words in a song.
Check out the following music video to see how music and media can come together in interesting and unique ways. As you enjoy the video, think about what the message of the music video might be.
Press the Definition button to learn more.
Message: The message is what the creator of the video is trying to tell the audience. It is the “big idea” that the creator wants the audience to understand.
Student Success
Think
Think about the following questions:
- What do you think might be a message in this video?
- What did you like or not like about this music video and why?
- What is one question you have about the music video?
Record your thinking in a method of your choice.
Lights, camera, action!
Videographers think about different techniques to make their videos exciting and interesting for their audience.
Press the following tabs to learn more about video techniques.
Where is the video going to take place?
Think about:
- public or private spaces
- indoor or outdoor spaces
What kind of light will be used in the video?
Think about:
- bright or dark lights
- natural or artificial lights
Who will be represented in the video?
Think about:
- children
- adults
- teenagers
- animals
What emotions does the songwriter or videographers want you to feel?
Think about:
- happy
- joyful
- sad
- excited
Where is the camera going to be positioned?
Think about:
- centered view
- aerial view
- low view
- high view
Pause and Reflect
Pause and reflect
Explore the following video to learn more.
What are some techniques used in this music video?
How do you think the techniques used in the video have helped show the main message?
Record your answers in a method of choice.
Quotation marks!
Oliver shares, 'Quotation marks can be used for a lot of reasons. They can be used around song lyrics. They can also be used to show the exact words that were said or written.'
Explore the following video entitled Homework Zone to learn more about quotation marks.
Explore the following video entitled You Can Quote Me to learn more about quotation marks.
Who said that?
Select the sentence that uses quotation marks correctly, then press Check Answer to see how you did.
Select the correct answer, then press Check Answer to see how you did.
Select the correct answer, then press Check Answer to see how you did.
Select the correct answer, then press Check Answer to see how you did.
Select the correct answer, then press Check Answer to see how you did.
Writing a letter
Now that you have explored a music video and learned more about videographers, you are going to be writing a letter to share your thoughts about the music video. Your letter is going to be for the videographer of the music video “I Love It!”.
Parts of a letter
These are the parts of a letter, and they appear in the order listed:
- Date
- Greeting (includes the comma at the end)
- Body (introductory paragraph and paragraphs containing the message)
- Closing (includes the comma at the end)
- Signature (no period after your name, only your first name)
Student Tips
Student tips
- Each part of the letter is separated by at least 1 or 2 empty line spaces.
- Each paragraph has 1-2 empty line spaces in between.
- The paragraphs that contain the message are called the body of the letter.
- Your letter should have at least 2 paragraphs.
Explore the example of a letter.
A letter with the parts of a letter labelled. The parts are greeting, date,
body, closing, and signature.
(Date) April 27th 2022
(Greeting) Dear Videographer,
(Body) I just watched the music video for your song "I Love It" and I wanted to
share my thoughts with you. I thought the music video was amazing, and I was
blown away by the people and dancing in the video. I especially liked how the
video had such bright colors and showed people in different settings. l. It made
me feel happy and joyful to see everyone being themselves. They made dancing
look like a piece of cake. I also liked how the music video showed so many kids
dancing and having a great time.
One thing I might change about the video is to have more people dancing outside
in public places like a park or a mall. I also wonder what this music video
might look like in a different country. I'm thinking about making a music video
of my own. Is there anything that you really liked or didn't like about this
music video? Do you have any advice you can share with me?
I am excited to see more music videos just like this one.
(Closing) Your fan,
(Signature in cursive) Sunil
Complete the fillable and printable Labelling a Letter in your notebook or using the following document. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts.
Social Emotional Learning
Take a break!
Sam takes a deep breath. She imagines she is smelling a flower by taking a deep breath through her nose, then she imagines blowing out her deep breath from her mouth with enough strength to turn a pinwheel.
Take a moment to focus on your breathing to relax your body and mind. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, then slowly exhale.
Writing with expression
What do you wish to share in your letter to the videographer? Think about the following:
- What are your thoughts and feelings about the music video?
- What is a specific section of the video that you liked or disliked?
- Try to use adjectives, a dictionary, or a thesaurus to help you with your writing.
Student Tips
Idioms
One way to make your writing more expressive is to use idioms. An idiom is a type of figurative language. It is a phrase or expression that has a special meaning that is different from the actual words that are used.
For example, the idiom, “hang in there” means don’t give up.
Six examples of idioms.
'Break the ice' means to start a conversation.
'Piece of cake' means something is very easy.
'Spill the beans' means to reveal a secret.
'Feeling blue' means a feeling of sadness.
'Out of line' means acting inappropriately.
'Draw a blank' means unable to remember something.
Explore examples of idioms.
Notice how the words in the idiom are not connected to the literal meaning of the phrase.
Let’s practice our skills!
For each idiom, select the corresponding meaning.
Planning
It’s time to organize your thoughts and plan your letter!
Complete the fillable and printable Letter Planner in your notebook or using the following document to organize what you want to write in your letter. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts.
Cursive practice
Arthur says, 'Cursive is a style of writing. It helps build muscles in our hands and gives us another option when we are writing messages, taking notes, or creating a final copy of our work. Let's practice writing a few words in cursive.'
You might have noticed that parts of a letter also include a signature after the closing. A signature is a special way that you write your name. It is written in cursive letters, and it is unique to you. This means that no one else writes your name in that way. A signature can also be a way to show that something is yours.
For example, when you sign (put your signature) on a letter, you are showing that you wrote that letter.
Next, you are going to practice writing your name in cursive letters. This can help you explore what you would like your signature to look like. Be as creative as you like, and have fun creating your own signature!
Tips for cursive letters
- When we write in lowercase, we always begin at the bottom
- When we write in uppercase we can start from the top or the bottom
- Try to keep the pencil on the page until you are done the word
- Create a finger space before you continue to the next word
- Try to press gently as you write so that your hand can move easily across the page
- Take your time to make sure that you are writing clearly and evenly
Drafting and revising
Now that you have planned what you would like to share and the questions you would like to ask, you are ready to draft a copy of your letter. As you write your draft, you might think of things that you would like to add that were not in your planner. That is okay! Your planner is just a guide.
Student Tips
Closing a text
The closing is the word or words that come right before the signature. The closing you choose will depend on who you are writing to. The closing always ends with a comma.
Here are some examples of closing greetings:
November 1, 2020
Dear Ella,
I hope you are having a great time at your
new school. I was thinking of you today when I
went outside to the playground. Do you remember when you
and I used to hang from the bars for as long as we could? Every
time I hang from the bars, I think of you. Do you have bars
at your new school?
We have been getting ready for the school
food drive. I was in charge of putting signs around the
neighbourhood and calling all of the people who live on my
street. Next weekend we will be walking around the
neighbourhood and collecting food off of people's porches. I
hope we collect a lot of food.
Please write back if you have
time, Ella! I promise to write you back and tell
you everything that is happening here. All of the other
kids say, "hi"!
(Closing greeting followed by a comma)
Your friend,
Zoe
- Sincerely,
- Yours truly,
- Your friend,
- Love,
- From,
Self and peer-editing
Have you finished drafting your letter? If so, you are ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work! All good writers read their writing over and over to try to find places where they can make their writing even better.
Use the following checklist to help you.
Self-editing checklist
Writing a final draft
Wow, what a lot of hard work you have put into your letter! You are ready to write your final draft. You can choose to handwrite, type, or use an audio clip for your letter.
Reflection
How do you feel about what you have learned in this activity? Which of the next four sentences best matches how you are feeling about your learning? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel...
Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.