This document provides information about a multi-day lesson on special effects in film and television. It includes videos, readings, vocabulary exercises, and spelling activities. Each day focuses on a different aspect of special effects like miniatures, computer graphics, or movie-making techniques. Students learn terms like illusion, graphics, and simulation and analyze how they are used. Comprehension strategies like using context clues and prefixes are practiced.

1. SPECIAL EFFECTS IN
FILM AND TELEVISION
Reading Street 3.5

2. Day 1 – How do artists create special
effects to entertain us?
 Video –
https://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=V3ZiHE
QimwE
 scale in LOTR
 p. 448-449
 Where are the two
women, and what are
they doing?
 What animal is
scaring the people? Is
it real?
 The girl wearing the
red bug costume
could be part of a
play or exhibit. How
do you think the
costumes were

3. Concept Map
Read Aloud: “The Making
of The Lord of the Rings” p.
449b
Amazing Words:
gruesome, digital effects,
illusion, props
The word gruesome is
used in “The Making of The
Lord of the Rings.” Does
the author include any
context clues that can help
us determine or clarify the
meaning of gruesome?
Discuss with a partner:
Describe some things you
think are gruesome. Tell
why.
Special effects that entertain us
Movies Exhibits

4. Comprehension Skill:
Comprehension Strategy:

5. Computer Art and What It Takes

6. Vocabulary
 Use and online dictionary to define the words
below.
backgroun
d
landscape miniature

7. Vocabulary
 Check your vocabulary definitions with the
definitions above!

8. Spelling – Take your pretest on SpellingCity
Conventions – Finish WS 15 after reading
groups
Handwriting – Work on the next two pages in
your cursive packet

9. Day 2 – Content Knowledge
Oral Vocabulary
 How do artists create special effects to entertain us?
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZjvPSctI-I
 Special Effects in the new Star Wars
 “Since the actors weren’t as short as hobbits or as tall
as wizards, designers had to create the illusion of size
differences, making them look bigger or smaller than
they actually were.” – “The Making of The Lord of the
Rings.”
 What is the meaning of the word illusion?
 Why was illusion needed when filming hobbits and
wizards in the film?

10. Concept Map
Amazing Words: realistic,
three-dimensional
Do you think the word
realistic would apply to a
photo of a girl dressed as a
fairy? Why or why not?
What does realistic mean?
Discuss with a partner:
What would be in a realistic
painting?
Special effects that entertain us
Movies Exhibits

11. Vocabulary
prehistoric reassembl
ed

12. Vocabulary
 Check your vocabulary definitions with the
definitions above!

13. Word Analysis: Compound
Words
 A compound word is a word made up of two smaller
words.
 In your reading spiral, choose one word from the first
column below and find its match in the second column.

14. Vocabulary Skill: Affixes: Prefixes
pre-, re-
 When you
encounter an
unknown word, you
can use the strategy
of looking at a word
structure or parts to
figure out its
meaning. Latin
prefixes pre-and re-
change the
meanings of the root
words to which they
are attached.
 Determine the
meaning of
reassembled by
looking for a prefix.

15. Vocabulary Skill
 Read “Visiting the
Past” on page 453.
 Words to know:
landscape,
miniature,
prehistoric,
background,
reassembled
 When you are
finished think about
places you have
visited that used
special effects. Write
a paragraph about it
including the Words
to Know for the
week.

16. Main Story
 Expository text
provides information
about the real world or
explains an object or
idea.
 These text often
include graphic
sources and text
features.
 Preview the story and
look at the title, text
features, and
photographs to gain
an overview of the

17. Spelling – Practice your words on Spelling
City
Conventions – WS 225
Graphic Sources – WS 162

18. Day 3 – Content Knowledge
Oral Vocabulary
 How do artists create special effects to entertain us?
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgixhKfH1w4
 Jurassic Park Special Effects
 “These days, computers can create art that you find in
video games or on TV. This type of art is called
computer graphics.” -Specials Effects in Film and
Television
 What does the word graphics mean?
 Where do you see or use graphics?
 What does create mean?
 What are some synonyms for create?

19. Concept Map
Amazing Words: image,
re-create
An image used in a film
can be created on a
computer.
What does image mean?
What does the image on
page 454 show? How was
it made?
How else could this image
be made?
Discuss with a partner:
What animal image would
you chose to create?
Special effects that entertain us
Movies Exhibits

20. Literary Terms: Jargon
 Jargon is the language of a special group or job.
 Many groups have jargons, such as doctors,
sportscasters, and sailors.
 They use jargon to understand each other quickly.
 Let’s look back at “Computer Art and What It
Takes” on page 451. What jargon or language
about computers do we find?
 http://www.fastcompany.com/3055426/watch-
elmo-and-the-sesame-street-cast-turn-corporate-
jargon-cute

21. Main Story
 Expository text
provides information
about the real world or
explains an object or
idea.
 Where in the selection
would you locate
information about the
camera?
 Why do you think the
author gives all of the
steps to making a
miniature landscape?

22. Think Critically – Answer the think critically
questions on page 465
Conventions – WS 164
Type to Learn – Practice your typing for 15
minutes

23. Day 4 – Content Knowledge
Oral Vocabulary
 How do artists create special effects to entertain
us?
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8RCPTCa17
c
 A few Harry Potter special effects
 “The model-makers go to great lengths to make a
miniature look as realistic as possible. Here, they
are working on slight depression in the surface
that was carved out for a lake.” –Special Effects in
Film and Television
 What does the idiom go to great lengths mean?
 What are other ways the author could have said
that?

24. Concept Map
Amazing Words:
simulation, graphics
We read about how Steven
Spielberg used a model
landscape. How might the
word simulation be related
to the create of a model
landscape?
Discuss with a partner:
What synonyms for
simulation can you think
of?
Special effects that entertain us
Movies Exhibits

25. Vocab and Listening
 Prefixes pre-, re-
 A prefix is a word part
added to the beginning
of a word to change it’s
meaning. You can use
prefixes to determine the
meanings of words.
 Create and define a list
of words that begin with
the Latin prefixes pre- or
re- from the stories
you’ve read this year.
You can use a dictionary
• An advertisement is an
announcement that
promotes a product,
service, or event in order
to sell it to people.
• With a partner, create an
advertisement for the
movie described in
Special Effects. Give the
movie a title and choose
a cast. Then create an ad
to persuade people to go
to the movie. Present
your idea on seesaw!

26. Spelling – Practice your spelling words quietly
with a partner and a dry erase board
Conventions – WS 232
Vocabulary - WS

27. Extra videos
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqY5rmEQ
d4Q
 Monster’s University special effects (just
shows them working on it)
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-
gPD00ksxQ
 Inside Out special effects (again them working
on it)

28. Day 5 – Content Knowledge
Oral Vocabulary
Special effects that entertain us
Digital
Effects
Movies Exhibits
Gruesome
appearances
three-
dimensional
realistic
graphics props re-create
scenes
illusion simulation
magical
images
Amazing words: gruesome, digital
effects, illusion, props, realistic,
three-dimensional, image, re-
create, simulation, graphics
Use the concept map
and what you have
learned from this
week’s discussions and
reading selections to
form and
– a realization or
big idea about inventors
and artists.
In your spiral write
down a few sentences
about your
beginning with,

29. REVIEW: Graphic Sources
Comprehension Skill
 Graphic sources include illustrations, pictures,
diagrams, and charts. Many graphic sources
are created on computers.
 Find an example of a graphic sources in
Special Effects in Film and Television. Explain
to a partner how the graphic source helps
them locate information or gain an overview of
the text
 WS 166

30. REVIEW: Affixes: Prefixes pre-, re-
Vocabulary Skill
 Prefixes help you understand the meanings of
unknown words.
 Reassembled
 What is the base word in assembled? What is
the prefix?
 Work through the definitions for the words
prehistoric with a partner using your
knowledge about prefixes.

31. REVIEW: Compound Words
Word Analysis
 A compound word is a word made up of two
smaller words.
 What are the meanings of cameraman and
backbone? How can we break apart the words
to help us determine their meaning?
 Work in partners to determine the meaning of
the compound words below.
 riverbed, foreground, without, fiberglass,
cardboard

32. REVIEW: Jargon
Literary Terms
 Jargon is the special language of a group or
job.
 Read “Searching for Animation” On page 468-
471.
 While you are reading, write down different
words that would be computer jargon.