Each year, my goal is to encourage my students to read a bit more. However, it is often challenging to help children select what to read as it is such a personal choice! One way I like to build a classroom community of readers is by making book trailer videos to “advertise” what the students have read. I typically link up final creations in a Wakelet board which is posted on Schoology, our learning management system. Kids can refer to it whenever they need an authentic review from a peer.
Using Adobe Express, a free web-based program, makes creating book trailers incredibly easy. Students simply choose to create a video from scratch, and the program guides them from there. They can select a theme which includes various fonts, colors, and transitions. Then they use the safe content search feature to add pictures and text. Music and narration adds a personal touch and brings the stories to life!
However, most projects work better when students have done a bit of planning. I’ve created a detailed resources to help guide you through the process. It contains:
- a specific overview of Adobe Creative Cloud Express
- directions on how to make a book trailer video including screenshots
- a sample book trailer
- printable planning pages
- a scoring rubric
- tips and tricks for easily creating a sharing final products
You can grab this valuable resource by clicking on the image below. Have fun! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
