Student-led STEM filmmaking at the Australian Museum
Explore a new approach to STEM by encouraging your students to engage with your local museum or community organisation to film a student review. The self-directed learning fosters creative and technical skills as students collaborate on a short video production. Students feel empowered as they co-create a film review, developing their interview and presentation skills as they give their summary and recommendations.
A student team from Elderslie High School recently took up the challenge to film a student review on location at the newly renovated Australian Museum using the skills taught in The Student Filmmaker online course. Elderslie High students shared that the project made them feel challenged and excited as they discovered new places and learned about paleontology from Australian Museum experts. The students also demonstrated outstanding teamwork as they came together to plan, film and edit their short film review.
You can also watch the Elderslie High student film review on Student Voices which is the department’s online channel for students to showcase their work, opinions, news and creativity. It’s the place to see what issues matter most to young people in NSW public schools. The platform gives students the opportunity to have a say and be heard by education leaders and key decision-makers. Students can submit their own work and see what others have to say, vote in monthly polls and get advice on how to promote student voice and participation in their school.
Could one of your students be the next David Attenborough? Find out by filming a review at your local institution
Inspire and challenge your students by encouraging them to film their own student review at your local museum or community organisation. You can help by identifying the institution and contacting the organisation to arrange for the students to visit and film on their premises.
To get you started, watch the "Behind the Scenes/Making of" the student filmmaking journey at the Australian Museum.
Learn student filmmaking with easy step-by-step online resources
The Student Filmmaker online course was produced by the stem.T4L team to make it easy to teach your class everything they need to know to produce a short film. The course takes them through all the essential skills and techniques required for filming, recording audio and editing. It’s relevant for all ages and stages, and for this project, we recommend Stages 3-4.
Visit The Student Filmmaker online course
Simple steps to get started with your own local student film review
Follow these guidelines to get started:
- Watch the Elderslie High School student review of the Australian Museum and the behind-the-scenes videos.
- Watch the immersive SITU360 tour for another inspiring perspective of the Museum.
- Take your class through The Student Filmmaker online course to learn essential skills and techniques.
- Identify an appropriate local institution and contact them to obtain permission and arrange times for your students to visit. We recommend at minimum two visits: the first to walk through and talk with the organisation experts to plan the review, the second to film the production.
- All students and local organisation experts involved must have permission to be filmed and published.
- Your school should have access to its own filming equipment, camera, lights, microphone. You can book the stem.T4L filming kit or simply use any mobile phones that are available and use natural lighting.
- A supervising teacher must accompany the student team to the local institution for their interview and review production.
- Support your students to self-direct their short film review production. We'd love to see the results so please share them with us!
- Any questions? Please feel free to ask the T4L team at t4linnovations@det.nsw.edu.au. We’re here to help!
