Storytelling with Drone Footage

Elementary School (Basics)

7. Storytelling with Drone Footage

Picture This: Drones Tell Amazing Tales!

Imagine you have a magic camera that can fly high above everything. What kinds of pictures would it take? Drones often carry cameras that capture amazing views from the sky, called aerial photos or drone footage. These pictures and videos can be so interesting that they can even help us tell brand new stories!

Think about it: A picture taken from high up might show a winding river, a busy town, or a vast forest. Each of these views can be the beginning of a fantastic adventure!

Here's how drone footage can help us tell stories:

• See the Whole Picture: From high up, you can see how everything fits together – like seeing a whole neighborhood at once, or how a tiny car drives along a long road. This helps us imagine where characters in our story might go.

• New Perspectives: A drone picture might show a big, green park. What if a mischievous squirrel is hiding in one of the trees? Or what if a secret message is written on the ground that only a drone could see? The high-up view can give us ideas we wouldn't think of from the ground.

• Inspiring Adventures: An aerial photo of a faraway island could spark a story about hidden treasure! A drone video of a snowy mountain could lead to a tale about a brave explorer. The unusual view makes our imaginations soar!

Even grown-ups who make movies or news reports use drone footage to tell their stories, showing us beautiful landscapes or what's happening far away.

So, the next time you see a picture or video taken by a drone, let your imagination take flight! What story does it want to tell you?

Teacher's Corner: Picture This: Drones Tell Amazing Tales!

Learning Objectives: Students will understand that drone footage provides unique perspectives that can inspire creative storytelling and identify elements in aerial photos that can be used in narratives.

Engagement Ideas:

1. "Picture Prompt Story Starters": Display several diverse aerial photos (easily found online: landscapes, cities, farms, natural formations). Give each student or group a photo and ask them to brainstorm: "What's happening here?" "Who lives here?" "What adventure could start here?"

2. "Before & After" Story: Show an aerial photo and ask students to imagine what happened before the picture was taken, and what might happen after.

3. Draw Your Aerial Story: Have students draw a simple aerial view of a place, then write a short story about what's happening in that place from a bird's-eye perspective.

4. "Caption This!" Game: Display drone photos and have students come up with creative captions or a single sentence that hints at a story.

5. Connect to Mapping: Briefly discuss how aerial photos are like real-life maps and how maps can sometimes inspire journeys and stories.

Key Takeaway Reinforcement: "Drone pictures are like magical storybooks from the sky, showing us amazing views that can spark endless adventures and tales!"