NASA Spotlites are videos developed by students for students to correct a common
science misconception. Let's take a closer look at several videos to
identify elements of what makes a great Spotlite video. We will use the
Spotlite video production rubric to help us zero in on important components.
The first two indicators focus on the science content and how to make it clear
to the audience what is wrong, the misconception, and what is correct
information. This Spotlite is addressing a misconception that there is a hole in
the ozone and that the hole is responsible for global warming.
Both of these misconceptions are wrong. Watch how the students in this video
clearly identify the science misconceptions.
Hello and welcome to ACCC Nightly News. I'm Roman DiCaprio. The time is 10
o'clock. And tonight we'll be taking a look at the hole in the ozone layer and
how it's growing at an alarming rate... Wait, wait, wait. Hold on a minute. What? We're live
right now. Go back. No. There's no actual hole in the ozone layer. That's a
misconception. So, this thinning of the ozone layer has
gotten worse and is continuing to worsen... No, no, no. What is it now, Alice?
The thinning is causing global warming, and it's not a hole right? No. That's a
misconception as well. Did you notice how the misconception was clearly stated as
being incorrect? The sound effects and graphics on the screen help point out
the misconception. Once the misconception has been identified it's
important to quickly replace the information with the correct science.
Demonstrations are a perfect way to do this. Watch how these producers
demonstrate the science. These beakers may look the same but one contains hot
water and the other contains cold water. The differences in water temperature
allow the molecules to behavior differently. Watch what happens when we add food coloring.
The food coloring in the hot water is moving faster. Why?
in addition to demonstrating the correct science, keywords and phrases on a screen will help communicate the
correct information. Let's look at another example. Pay attention to how the
producers engage the audience with a puppet. It's not that hard to wrap your
head around. The atmosphere is mostly nitrogen. Man, I really wish there's some
mythical creature that could explain this all to me. Whoa! It's the magical dragon of
knowledge. Well Tony, your friend, Alex, is correct.
The magical dragon caught your attention didn't it? Spotlite videos are most fun
when they are creative and innovative. As you watch this section from the NASA
Spotlite: Stars video, look for these elements: dialog and more than one voice;
keywords on the screen; demonstration, pictures, and animations;
clear and easy to read images; and clear audio.
...yellow- white. Blue and blue-white. Which color would you like to order? Pick blue. Pick blue. You know
that's my favorite color. Yeah. Okay. I guess I'll go it with blue.
Excellent choice. Although blue is the hottest star, it has
the shortest lifespan. So what's the coldest? You would think that red is
the hottest star, but it's actually the coldest. It has the longest lifespan.
The color of a star can determine its surface temperature as well as its mass
and position in its lifecycle. Writing and producing a great spotlight video
takes time and effort, but the rewards are worth it. The very best student
productions will be included here at the NASA eClips website. These videos will
also be included as part of a NASA Spotlite lesson used in science classrooms.
NASA spotlight videos must include in credit the massive disclaimer and
spotlight logos these elements help frame the video