Kids today are growing up with televisions, movies, videos and DVDs, so it's logical to assume that this type of media could be motivating and used to great effect in the classroom. But at what point should film and other visual media be used? Are there times in the inquiry process when showing a film or incorporating other visual media is more effective? The author has tackled these questions by assessing video use among her upper-elementary students (grades 4 to 6) in the small rural Northeastern Missouri school district where she teaches. While her pool sample was tiny by many school's standards (there are just 81 students in these grades in her district), her discoveries will likely resonate with teachers in any size classroom or district. Her classes followed a modified constructivist approach, incorporating a four-step learning cycle (Explore, Engage, Consolidate, and Assess) to enable her students to learn about "big ideas" in science. After some experimenting with her classes and playing videotapes at the beginning, middle, and end of chapter units, it became clear to the author that somewhere near the end of the chapter--as the class began to consolidate their knowledge of a topic--is the time when the use of videos is most effective. It is at this point that students ask the most effective questions and strengthen their own understanding of the concepts being learned. Because students have some experience with the content already, they have the knowledge to respond to and question the video, furthering their learning. They better understand things that they did during the unit and make connections with the things that they hadn't. (Lists 1 resource and 3 online resources.)