In the Classroom with the Civil War

The Project

Cocklins Video was contracted by WETA, Public Television to create a 5-minute educational video describing how history teachers use the Ken Burns Civil War documentary series in the classroom. As series marks its 25th Anniversary the video confirms the contents of the film remain relevant and useful as a teaching tool.

The Content

We wanted the piece to resonate with teachers so we created a dynamic open representing the bustling life of students and the school with contemporary music. We filmed in the classroom as the students learned about slavery during the Civil War from the documentary. In today’s environment of Black Lives Matter, student discussion was lively as they exchanged their thoughts on slavery and the daily hardships endured by a slave.

The Theme

Typically, an educational video showcases the brightest students in AP or honors classes leaving out the accomplishments made by general education students. The students represented here are everyday kids on grade level who, through use of the documentary in the classroom, have become totally engaged in learning about the Civil War.

The Results

An organic, engaging flow in the interviews with teacher and students led to natural soundbites for the video. All the footage was shot with movement in mind to reflect the constant motion that makes up any school day. Deliverables included a Blu-Ray DVD, a compressed high resolution digital file for Web streaming and embedding on the Ken Burns website.