Animoto-Science

Animoto is a fun website that you can use to create videos.  This was not my absolute favorite tool to use.  It seemed a little time consuming.  I originally tried to make just a slide show and it seemed to take forever just to make it up to 30 seconds.  I actually left  the project, but came back to it later and used the video section instead.  that seemed to be a much better option and a lot easier to use.  This would be great to use in your lessons or to have on your website where your students can access information that you are wanting them to learn.  The video format is more interesting then the typical slide show that it somewhat over used.  It would be a great resource for you to have your students to learn so that they can make presentations for their various assignments.  Students love to create different media ans this is a great one for them.  You could use this for book reports, slide shows, or any type of mini presentation that you would like to bring into the classroom.  The Animoto series that I created fulfills the following fourth grade standards:

UEN Standard:

Standard 3 
Students will understand the basic properties of rocks, the processes involved in the formation of soils, and the needs of plants provided by soil.

Objective 1 
Identify basic properties of minerals and rocks.Classify common rocks found in Utah as sedimentary (i.e., sandstone, conglomerate, shale), igneous (i.e., basalt, granite, obsidian, pumice) and metamorphic (i.e., marble, gneiss, schist).

EdTech Standard: (if used in grades 3-5)

Standard 5 

Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (3, 4)

ISTE Standard:

Creative Communicator

I communicate effectively and express myself creatively using different tools, styles, formats, and digital media.