Perspective: a film curriculum built from zero

The challenge

Film was not taught at Taha Hussein Elementary School, or at any school nearby. I wanted students to make real films, but the goal was bigger than camera skills: give children a way to express themselves, work as a team and understand someone else’s point of view.

What I designed

Perspective: self-expression through filmed creation is a complete project-based learning (PBL) program that I wrote from scratch.

• Learning goals: self-expression, teamwork and understanding the perspective of others, alongside media skills such as writing, working in front of the camera, producing and shooting.
• A session sequence that moves from icebreakers and discovering what students care about, through idea development and scripting, to production prep, shoot days and a final screening.
• Lesson plans, success criteria and a task system for every stage.

How it came together

The program ran as pilots over several years before its formal launch. I adapted it into two proposals by age group, one for elementary grades 3 to 6 and one for secondary school. Both were accepted into Gefen, the Ministry of Education’s catalog of programs that schools can choose from.

How I measure learning

In a project-based program, success is what students can actually do. Did they work together? Did they express something of their own? Did they finish a short film or a web episode and screen it for an audience?

What others can reuse

Teachers can run the program on their own. The values carry over well. The technical side depends on the teacher’s experience, so the program lets each teacher choose a final format that fits their own skills and their students.