Context
This activity was created in Foundations 3850 at Appalachian State University in the spring of 2001 as a partner project.  The main objective of this project was to use media to educate students about healthy, balanced lives.  Netscape Composer and Netscape Navigator were the primary tools used to design this lesson plan web page.  The television, and the VCR were also used to record commercials which were added to the web page as captured pictures.  The internet was also used to locate other information including pictures, icons, and links to other helpful web sites for teachers. 

Impact
Teachers can access Health, Camera, Action! and use it in their own classrooms as an entire lesson or to enhance a lesson that they already have.  This activity encourages student interaction and an opportunity to engage in hands-on learning.  Students will cover a number of content areas such as english, drama, technology, art, and health.  They will not only analyze and discuss commercials that are targeted to them but will also create their own commercials that will promote a healthy product to their peers.  Students will be randomly divided into groups of approximately four or five members.  Each group will complete a dialog script, props, and acting roles.  The teacher will videotape each groups commercial and the class view and discuss the finished products.  Discussion will not only be held for the commercials taped off of the television but also for the student commercials.  Focus should be put on which products were better choices and how the others were not entirely bad but should not consumed in large amounts.  Furthermore, this lesson plan allows teachers to address many of the competencies in the North Carolina Course of Study.

Alignment
Technology is a large component of Health, Camera, Action! This project was compiled on a web page which teachers and others can easily access.  Research was done on the internet to provide further resources.  While online, search engines were used to access health related web sites that were used to determine if the material could be useful for teachers.  If so, the web sites were connected to the Health, Camera, Action! page as links.  Commercials were observed on the television and were recorded if they pertained to children.  The commercials were added to the page as captured pictures for teacher use.  The internet was also used to locate the North Carolina Course of Study Competencies and these were added if they applied. Also, this lesson is developed to support student involvement, inquiry and collaboration.  This lesson is designed to be a learning experience that covers competency goals that are relevant to the learners, based upon principles of effective teaching and learning by incorporating media and technology.  Media is incorporated into learning by having students analyze commercials.  These commercials are also connected to the web site, making it possible for student and teacher access.  Health, Camera, Action! allows the teacher to use creativity in presenting the material.  It also gives students the chance to create their own production using what they've learned, the computer and their imagination.  The success of this lesson will be based on informative lecture, instructional conversation among students and the completion of student produced commercials.  Students higher order thinking skills and creativity will be reflected in the students' commercial. (Technology Competency III. C) .  The teacher will present commercial clips, which are connected to the Health, Camera, Action! web page, and encourage students to analyze the intent of the commercials.  Students can hold varying viewpoints and will be encouraged to debate with one another to give further thought to media.  Students will also be divided into small groups to create a commercial on something healthy.  These varying aspects of the lesson will allow the teacher to assess student learning using a variety of techniques.  The commercial itself can be used to gauge student learning along with how well they work with their group to produce the commercial.  A check sheet could be used to rate student's participation and the commerical so that assessment is completed fairly.  (Technology Competency IV. A) Observing student interaction during the assignment and actually reviewing the final product allows the teacher opportunity to assess formally and informally. (INTASC Principle 8).  The group will write the script, cast actors, create props and produce the commercial which the teacher will videotape.  Each student will have a role that they will be responsible for, but every student will have equal access to a computer whether by going to the computer lab or by taking turns with the limited few in the classroom.  (Technology Competency VI. E) .  Sign-up sheets in for the classroom computers will help manage student use more effectively.  Each group's commercial will be shown to the entire class.  Furthermore, this lesson establishes classroom policies and procedures that ensure compliance with copyright law and child protection. (Technology Competency II. D) .