Nature documentary | Primary science and English student learning resource
We are learning to plan, research, film and create short nature documentaries that communicate information about the environment, habitats and living things.
This resource guides students through a full documentary-making process: from research and scriptwriting, to filming (cinematography), editing and audio/video production. The nine structured activities include supporting videos, checklists, research tasks and editing sequences — ideal for classroom use or in preparation for a Documentary in a day incursion or excursion.
Lesson 1 - Great documentaries
Students explore what makes a nature documentary effective — focusing on content, visuals, sound and storytelling.
Lesson 2 - Script and research writing
Students research habitats, plants and animals, then write documentary scripts based on factual information and habitat observations.
Lesson 3 - Cinematography
Students learn camera techniques — angles, shots and movement — to capture engaging video for their documentary projects.
Lesson 4 - Documentary studio
Students practise editing, sequencing video clips and adding voiceover, music and titles to produce a polished nature documentary.
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Learning resources
Discover more primary learning resources from Field of Mars EEC.
Documentary in a day excursion
A full-day excursion where Stage 2 or 3 students plan, script, film and review a short documentary about nature or place in and around Field of Mars Reserve, building skills in planning, speaking, listening and multimodal texts linked to English outcomes.
Documentary in a day incursion
A full-day English incursion where Stage 2 or 3 students plan, script, film and review a short documentary about nature or place in their school grounds, building skills in planning, speaking, listening and multimodal storytelling.