Lesson 2
Script and research writing
Learning intention
We are learning how to research and compose a script for a nature documentary.
Success criteria
We can identify examples of habitats.
We can conduct research to identify facts about habitats and the animals that live there.
We can write short factual sentences to describe habitats.
Activity 1 - Identifying habitats
A habitat makes an interesting topic for a nature documentary.
Habitats provide homes for animals and plants. They come in all sorts of sizes, can be found just about everywhere and best of all are easy to film.
Tasks
- View the habitat images. What different habitats can you identify?
- Go for a walk around your school or outside your home looking for animal habitats. What habitats did you find? What animals do you think use them? Did you find any habitats in unexpected locations?
Activity 2 - Researching habitat facts
A great nature documentary is based on facts.
Documentary makers need to conduct research to locate these facts.
Tasks
- Select a habitat observed in your school or near your home.
- Locate the habitat fact sheet for your selected habitat.
- Read the fact sheet. Write notes or create a mind map of the habitat and animal facts you could use in a nature documentary.
Habitat mind map
Activity 3 - Compose a script
The facts in a nature documentary can be communicated by a presenter or a voiceover. A voiceover is heard when viewing the videos.
A spoken voiceover is created by developing a written script.
The script should include an introduction to the topic and location, interesting facts about the topic and a conclusion.
Tasks
- Refer to your habitat notes and mind map for factual information.
- Download and use the nature documentary script scaffold to develop a script for your documentary.
- Use short sentences to communicate your facts.
- Practise reading your script aloud. Your script should be a maximum of 1 minute in duration.
- If your script is too long, edit and refine your script.
- Exchange your script with your peers. Provide feedback on your peers' script in the form of two stars and a wish.
A sample nature documentary script
Habitats
Environments contain lots of different habitats
Water habitat – creeks
- temporary
- permanent
- animals drink
- animals live in water
Turtles feed in creeks. They lay eggs in the ground away from the creek.
Ducks feed on plants in water habitats.
Ponds are used by animals that like still water.
Frogs live in water habitats and hide in grasses.
Red bellied black snakes hunt the frogs.
End transcript.
Water habitats
Scene 2 – Opening statement (the name of the site and your topic)
Welcome to the Field of Mars Reserve located on Wallumedegal Country in East Ryde. Today we are going to explore some of the water habitats that make up this amazing ecosystem.
Scene 3 – Describe your first fact
Creeks provide food, water and shelter to a range of species including ducks and turtles.
Scene 4 - Describe your second fact
Natural and built ponds are the perfect habitat for amphibians like frogs.
Scene 5 – Describe your third fact
Water sustains life. Even a bird bath found in the reserve provides water to lots of different bush birds.