See and hear : the journal on audio-visual learning (1945)

• Aeronautics, social studies, art, civics, geography and general science. WE MAKE A FILMSTRIP By Kingsley Trenholme Portland, Oregon Public Schools RECENTLY 1 was askcd to experi- ment with a unique assign- ment by the Editors of See & Hear— to find out what I could do about documenting a field trip into the community. More than this, I was interested in discovering the actual cost of producing a filmstrip. recording or document of a well- organized field trip. I wanted to dis- cover if it could be done easily, and with comparatively little expense. For many years I have been taking children out into our community, and have been encouraging my leachers to utilize the splendid com- munity resources that lie all about us. We want to establish the feeling that the classroom extends beyond the four walls that too often confine our activities. We want to take them out into our environment and to see things as they actually exist, as they actually operate, and as they really influence our living. The problem, f>f course, is to get the children ready to take the field-trip—to give them a g(KKl idea of what they are to see, what they arc to look for, how they ;iic to behave, how they arc to <livide ihemselves up into small connuitt.(X's so that they can go about their busi- ness of discovering information as small groups rather than as large. milling crowds. Always, of course, we are confronted with the problem of bringing back evidence of what we have seen, and it is here that I have experimented with the pictorial record taken right during the prog- ress of the field trip. What could be more effective than to produce a filmstrip of the things we have seen and studied while taking the field trip, and then bring this whole back into the classroom for our further detailed and leisurely study? It should be noted that this discussion will be largely on how it is possible to make such a filmstrip record, taken on the spot during the field trip, and developed during the fol- lowing evening so that the children can see and study this record the next day. It should be noted that the whole process of making the filmstrip took less than a day, and the cost was low. It would be quite possible to make a filmstrip or a set of slides within an hour after the pictures have been obtained. The preparation of film- strip is an easy affair, well within the abilities of any competent ama- teur, whether student or teacher. The equipment needed can be narrowed down to a 35mm camera, a lens shade, a tripod, a table and a supplementary lens. Ordinary dark- room equipment consisting of a 35mm developing tank and a water supply would complete the needed materials. This outfit would cost approxi- mately as follows: 35mm camera.. . .$60.00 and up Tripod 5.95 and up Portra lens #3... 1.75 Lens shade 2.25 35mm tank 2.50 .S72.45 and up A very desirable addition would be a lighimeter at about $25.00. A copying stand is quite helpful and is easy to make, consisting of an upright siq^port on which the camera can be moved vertically and a base upon which to place the material to be copied. The simplest method of making a filmstrip (and there are several) consists of taking the pictures on direct positive film ($1.35 a roll of 36) and developing the roll with a direct positive kit ($2.50). After this is developed the teacher has a film- strip ready to project. Variations in exposure is a problem here, however. In the particular filmstrip under discussion, the recording of a field trip, two techniques were used. I n 0 SEE AND HEAR