A Top 10 video is a fun way for students to show what they know in a way that's fun to watch! Here are step-by-step instructions with tips and tricks.
David Letterman was the one who put the Top 10 list on my radar. During his show, "Late Night with David Letterman," he would share his top 10 examples for a given topic. Sometimes, a guest or guests would deliver the Top 10 list of the night. Some examples:
- Actor Ricky Gervais shared "Top Ten Stupid Things Americans Say To Brits"
- The cast of the TV show The Sopranos shared "Top Ten Things Never Before Said on 'The Sopranos'"
- Actor John Malkovich shared "Ten Things That Sound Creepy When Said by John Malkovich"
U.S. Army soldiers present a Top 10 List on the Late Show in June 2013. (Public domain image)
Often the lists were kooky, off-beat and irreverent. Many times, some of the entries didn't make any sense at all. (That could be because I was a teenager when I watched them the most!) But they were always a part of the show that people looked forward to.
Bringing Top 10 list videos to the classroom
The Top 10 list is a video genre that can be transferred to the classroom! It's a great academic task.
- It's retrieval practice. To list 10 items (or five, or any number), students must recall those items from memory or read about them off a script. Retrieval practice can help students learn for the long term.
- It's curation. Not everything can fit on the list. When certain items make the list, others do not. Justifying why something makes the list and why something else doesn't can be great critical thinking.
- It's creation. Students are making something with what they've learned.
- It requires brevity. They must summarize each item in few words. This requires them to boil key concepts down to their most important points.
Plus, these activities have a favorite feature for teachers. They're low prep! Assigning them doesn't require a lot of front-end work by the teacher.
Here's a quick Top 5 video I did on my 5 favorite coffee mugs!
Note: This video was made on Microsoft Flip but the idea is still the same.
Planning a Top 10 list video
To start, let's be clear. These don't have to be Top 10 lists. A Top 3 list or a Top 5 list will do very well, too. Depending on the content, a Top 20 list might be appropriate.
For students to plan a Top 10 list, they should think through a few things ...
- The topic. What's the subject of the list? Where should the Top 10 things come from?
- The audience. Who is this video for?
- The selections. Pick the Top 10. What makes the list?
- The introduction. The student should set the context of the video with a short introduction. Why is this an important topic? What does the viewer need to know about the subject before seeing the list to fully appreciate it?
- The criteria. What criteria will the students use to select what makes the list -- and how to rank them?
- The justification. As the student goes through the selections for the list, he/she should justify selections. Why does this one make the list? Why is it above or below other selections?
- The visuals & audio. Will the student use props, images, etc. to show the viewer the selections?
- The hook. How will the student make this video special? Funny? Interesting? Visually stimulating?
- Optional: The missing selections. What didn't make the list? Why didn't it make the list?
Students can use this brainstorming worksheet to plan their video.
How to record a Top 10 video in Google Slides
If you have Google Workspace for Education or Google Workspace Business Standard/Plus, Enterprise Essentials/Standard/Plus you can record your presentation right inside of Google Slides
Note: If you don't have a Workspace for Edu or Plus account scroll down for directions on how to make a top 10 video with other apps and tools.
1. Make a copy of the Top 10 template.
Save it to your Google Drive and edit as needed to fit your class.
2. Share the Top 10 presentation template with your students.
Assign this template as you would through your LMS or Google Classroom. You can copy the share link and distribute it to your students in your learning management system (LMS).
3. Students plan the Top 10 video.
Students can use the planning sheet in the section above. Or feel free to copy/paste the bullet points into the instructions of the assignment.
4. Students record the video.
They click the link you shared and will record their presentation right inside of Google Slides. Be sure to remind them to delete the directions slides or they will end up in their video!
Here are the step-by-step directions for recording a video in Google Slides:
- Click the record icon in Google Slides to begin recording. Click Record a new video to get started
- You may need to click Allow to record your slides presentation. Be sure the Also allow tab audio is toggled on too.
- Use the controls below the slide and above the time bar to edit your preferences. You can change the size and placement of your video. If you don't want to be on camera you can turn the video off all together. Click around and see what the tools do!
- Hit record then pause! The pause button is the hidden HERO in any video! Set up your video just the way you want and record a clip. Then hit the pause button. You can turn your video off or back on, move the video around or change the size. Hit the record button again and record your next clip.
Pro tip: You can also open up speaker notes after you start recording (the little comment icon to the left of the slides number). Just be sure to use the arrows to move between slides. Once you click the record button the speaker notes will be hidden. Just hit pause and click the speaker icon to bring them back!
5. Students finish their videos and save to drive. When they're done, they hit the stop button to finish recording. The Save to Drive button will appear in the upper right corner. They can click the button to save their video. Or if they want they can re-record and try it again.
6. Students finish their videos and share it with your or the class.
When they're done, they can click on the three dots to copy the link to the video. They will need to open the video up in a new tab and share the file with you. The can also change the sharing settings to "Anyone with link" and add their video to a Wakelet collection, Padlet, shared Google Slides presentation or whatever tool you want to use to showcase their work.
Other ways to record your Top 10 video
If you have a standard workspace account you may not have access to the presentation slides recording feature. However, there are lots of other great options for recording your slides to create and share your top 10 video.
Create and record in Canva
After brainstorming student can use this template to make their top 10 video inside of Canva. All of the directions are embedded inside of the template so your students can follow the steps to edit the presentation and record their video all inside of Canva.
The video to the right walks you through how to record yourself in Canva.
Create and record your Top 10 video in Adobe Express
After brainstorming student can use Adobe Express to create and record their Top 10 video. Here's how.
- Create a presentation in Adobe Express counting down your top 10 items. Be creative!
- Inside your design in the Adobe Express editor, and in the left panel, select Add content > Media > Videos.
- Select the Record yourself button, and if prompted, give Adobe Express access to your mic and camera.
- In the Record yourself window, use the icon to select a different connected camera or microphone.
- Select Start recording to begin, and when you're done, select Stop recording.
- Press the play button to preview the recording and select Reset to delete the current recording or Save recording to return to the editor.
Record your Slides presentation in Screencastify
After creating their presentation in Google Slides students can record their Top 10 video using the screen record option in Screencastify.
The video to the right walks you through how to record your screen in Screencastify.
Types of Top 10 videos
There are lots of ways these videos can fit in a classroom! (Again, remember the number can be easily adjusted to fit the activity.) Here are some ideas.
Science, Math & Nature
- Top 10 Deadliest Apex Predators: Research food chains and explain the biological "why" behind each animal's rank.
- Top 10 Greatest Scientific Discoveries: Rank inventions (like the printing press or penicillin) based on their historical impact.
- Top 10 Key Takeaways: Have students recall and rank the most important facts or concepts they remember from a lesson they just studied.
History & Social Studies
- Top 10 Most Influential Historical Figures: Defend a #1 pick by recording a video explaining that person's specific contribution to society.
- Top 10 Turning Points of a War: Rank battles or treaties and use the "Honorable Mention" section for events that almost changed the outcome.
- Top 10 Local Landmarks: A geography project where students rank must-see spots in their own town or state.
Literacy & English Language Arts
- Top 10 Best Book-to-Movie Adaptations: Compare a novel to its film version, using screen recordings as visual assets.
- Top 10 Most Relatable Literary Characters: Practice empathy and character analysis by ranking protagonists from a reading list.
- Top 10 Book Moments: Summarize and rank the most impactful scenes or plot twists from a book just finished.
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Reflection
- Top 10 Personal Heroes: Name top people in order and record a video explaining the logic behind the ranking.
- Top 10 Tips for Success: Give advice to others in a similar situation (e.g., "Top 10 Tips for Surviving Middle School").
- Top 10 Classroom Highlights: Record a countdown of the favorite moments from the school year so far.
- Top 10 Shout-Outs: A kindness exercise where students list their favorite things about a classmate.
Health, Electives & More
- Top 10 Power Foods: Pick favorite healthy foods and rank them based on taste and nutritional benefits.
- Top 10 Reasons "Why": A persuasive exercise giving reasons why a classmate should or shouldn’t do something.
- Top 10 Career Paths: Research jobs in a specific field and record a video explaining which one is the top choice and why.
- Top 10 Portfolio Pieces: Curate a "Best of" reel of schoolwork from the semester and record a reflection for each.
- Top 10 Classroom Rule "Hacks": Rank the best ways to stay organized and succeed in the classroom environment.
The possibilities are endless! This fun video genre can give students an ENGAGING way to show what they know so their classmates will want to watch.
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