And Action!: Directing Documentaries in the Social Studies Classroom

And Action! Directing Documentaries in the Social Studies Classroom provides social studies educators with the background knowledge, conceptual understanding, and tools necessary to design and facilitate classroom documentary projects in the K-12 social studies classroom. The authors have spent more than ten years in classrooms working collaboratively with teachers to design and research classroom documentary projects. Recognizing the challenges of this kind of work, the authors partnered with filmmakers, historians, educational technologists, and classroom teachers with experience in leading documentary projects to refine a production process that more closely mirrors the work of filmmakers.

With this book, the authors draw on all of these experiences to assist social studies educators to efficiently and effectively structure and assess documentary projects. Educators will learn ways to transition student learning away from “digital encyclopedia entries” toward a more authentic documentary approach that focuses on disciplined inquiry and the use of evidenced-based arguments.

Kathy Swan is an associate professor of curriculum and instruction at the University of Kentucky whose research focuses on standards-based technology integration, authentic intellectual work, and documentary-making in the social studies classroom. Swan has been a four-time recipient of the National Technology Leadership Award in Social Studies Education, innovating with web-based interactive technology curricula.

Mark Hofer is an associate professor of educational technology in the School of Education at the College of William & Mary whose research focuses on curriculum-based technology integration, classroom documentary filmmaking, and educational technology professional development. He is the co-creator of the Historical Scene Investigation Project, the Digital Directors Guild and Digital Docs in a Box.