Use C-SPAN's StudentCam Competition to Incorporate Video Into Civics

If you're into using video in the classroom and you're looking to incorporate more civics into your social studies class, you should check out C-SPAN's StudentCam competition. In this competition, students create a short (5-7 minute) documentary about the year's theme. This year, the theme is what does one part of the Constitution mean to you. In past years, it's been things like "What's one thing you want Congress to focus on?" and "What's one thing you think the Presidential candidates should focus on?"

As part of the project, students need to combine a) knowledge of civics, b) information form the C-SPAN video archive, and c) original interviews and film making into a coherent documentary. It's a pretty high level project, and when I watch the winners I'm always impressed that these were created by middle and high school kids.

Oh, and there are cash prizes. Just an added bonus and reason you should check it out and share it with your kids.