# Teaching High-School Media Production From Scratch: teacher guide

## Delivery

Students complete the shared Production Readiness orientation first. Use the modules as a sequence of concepts, guided builds, crew sprints, checkpoints, and reflection. The final portfolio is assessed with the 100-point rubric; module checks are formative.

## Preparation

- General classroom experience and a school-approved safeguarding route.
- No production software experience is required.
- Local policy, permission, risk, publication, and retention decisions must be reviewed by the institution.
- Tier A: phone or tablet, headphones, basic computer, free editor, classroom space.
- Tier B: two cameras, tripods, portable recorder, microphones, basic lights, editing computers.
- Tier C: studio, switcher, intercom, graphics/playout, shared storage, and technical support.

## Access and safety

Use the school-approved safeguarding, consent, privacy, copyright, risk, publication, and retention processes. The course supports private or local delivery by default. Give students equivalent off-camera, non-speaking, technical, editorial, research, access, and archive roles.

## Pacing

### Module 1: Design learning before choosing equipment

**Workload:** 2.5 hours

**Checkpoint:** Retain a one-page unit concept, outcome map, minimum viable production, and list of decisions that require school approval.

**Teacher note:** Run the exercise with a low-risk fictional or rights-cleared scenario before students use their own stories or contributors.

### Module 2: Create a safe, ethical, inclusive production policy

**Workload:** 3 hours

**Checkpoint:** Retain the classroom agreement, decision tree, local escalation list, and three completed approval scenarios.

**Teacher note:** Run the exercise with a low-risk fictional or rights-cleared scenario before students use their own stories or contributors.

### Module 3: Build a dependable school media lab

**Workload:** 2.5 hours

**Checkpoint:** Retain inventory, room map, check-out sheet, preflight, end-of-day reset, and fallback plan.

**Teacher note:** Run the exercise with a low-risk fictional or rights-cleared scenario before students use their own stories or contributors.

### Module 4: Teach story, image, and sound fundamentals

**Workload:** 3.5 hours

**Checkpoint:** Retain the micro-production, teaching annotations, student-friendly vocabulary, and before/after review.

**Teacher note:** Run the exercise with a low-risk fictional or rights-cleared scenario before students use their own stories or contributors.

### Module 5: Organize crews and production days

**Workload:** 3 hours

**Checkpoint:** Retain role cards, schedule, communication protocol, accommodation plan, and absence/reassignment process.

**Teacher note:** Run the exercise with a low-risk fictional or rights-cleared scenario before students use their own stories or contributors.

### Module 6: Guide editing, review, accessibility, and delivery

**Workload:** 3.5 hours

**Checkpoint:** Retain the final media, captions or transcript, QC sheet, export specification, archive manifest, and revision notes.

**Teacher note:** Run the exercise with a low-risk fictional or rights-cleared scenario before students use their own stories or contributors.

### Module 7: Assess individuals fairly inside team projects

**Workload:** 2.5 hours

**Checkpoint:** Retain adapted rubric, three scored cases, feedback language, and a method for recognizing invisible technical or access work.

**Teacher note:** Run the exercise with a low-risk fictional or rights-cleared scenario before students use their own stories or contributors.

### Module 8: Rehearse and defend the complete unit

**Workload:** 3 hours

**Checkpoint:** Retain the completed unit, micro-production, fallback lesson, readiness review, and a list of changes required before the first class.

**Teacher note:** Run the exercise with a low-risk fictional or rights-cleared scenario before students use their own stories or contributors.

## Completion gate

The final package must be reviewable by a second student or teacher, accessible through the appropriate alternative, rights-aware, safe to retain, and explainable in a short walkthrough.