Here is the unit plan that I have designed centered around the Cuban Missile Crisis and the film Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Leared to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Throughout the unit, VoiceThread is used to employed to allow students to not only show their knowledge of the subject matter, but to do so in a way that enhances the normal written word. Students also blogged their responses online to show how their thoughts as the film progressed. Hopefully, this would keep students engaged throughout the movie.
For a final assessment, the students again used VoiceThread to answer a series of question in relation to film. The questions asked students to respond to the film in a variety of ways. They were asked to engage in some film analysis and place the film in relation to actual historical events. I have often heard that many teenagers "don't get" why this film is a comedy. With the proper treatment and instruction, possibly this view can be changed. The unit and the assessment can be seen in the link below.
Google Docs
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Film Adaptations
Dystopian themes are one of my personal favorites in both literature and film. 1984 has long been taught in English classes, but has clear connections to the social studies. Similar in nature is V for Vendetta, a graphic novel by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd that was recently adapted into a live action film. V for Vendetta creates a world in which England is run by a totalitarian government and America is in ruins due to a long term war. A masked hero named V rallies a resistance to the brutal government, exposes its crimes, and eventually brings about its destruction. Both the graphic novel and the film offer a rich resource for any social studies class. Here are a couple ideas on how this resource can be utilized.
Students could explore themes of resistance throughout American or world history. Using V as an example, they could create a VoiceThread that gives examples of resistance movements and the individuals that led them. One example could be the anti-war movement that formed in reaction to America's involvement in Vietnam. Showing images of protests and war, students could relate the events of the 60's and early 70's, to the images and ideas in V for Vendetta. Students should also reflect on the moral nature of resistance movements. When is acceptable or appropriate to form resistance movements? Are there any events or trends in society today that the students feel that strongly about. What is the role of violence in these movements? Students will be able to express a very strong opinion in the images that they choose to incorporate in their voice thread and the words they choose to go over them.
Using the graphic novel as springboard, students could also create a graphic novel or comic depicting an historical example of a resistance movement. This would require them to do research into an event that they are interested in exploring. Teachers could also require them to write a short defense of why they chose the to draw the images they did and how that effectively portrays the resistance movement. Just as in the previous exercise, students should be wrestling with the nature of these movements. They should give justifications for call to action that the characters felt.
Students could explore themes of resistance throughout American or world history. Using V as an example, they could create a VoiceThread that gives examples of resistance movements and the individuals that led them. One example could be the anti-war movement that formed in reaction to America's involvement in Vietnam. Showing images of protests and war, students could relate the events of the 60's and early 70's, to the images and ideas in V for Vendetta. Students should also reflect on the moral nature of resistance movements. When is acceptable or appropriate to form resistance movements? Are there any events or trends in society today that the students feel that strongly about. What is the role of violence in these movements? Students will be able to express a very strong opinion in the images that they choose to incorporate in their voice thread and the words they choose to go over them.
Using the graphic novel as springboard, students could also create a graphic novel or comic depicting an historical example of a resistance movement. This would require them to do research into an event that they are interested in exploring. Teachers could also require them to write a short defense of why they chose the to draw the images they did and how that effectively portrays the resistance movement. Just as in the previous exercise, students should be wrestling with the nature of these movements. They should give justifications for call to action that the characters felt.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Explosions in the Sky
The track "Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean" by Explosions in the Sky has long been one of my favorite songs. After having this band recommended to me by a friend, I did some exploring on YouTube and found a few videos of them performing life and was immediately hooked. I have since purchased all of their albums and seen them in concert.
Even though their songs have no vocals, they still manage to evoke emotions from the listener. This particular song features their signature guitar work and manages to portray as sense of melancholy throughout. After further investigation, I discovered that the song was inspired by the sinking of the Russian submarine Kursk, which was stranded at the bottom of the sea, before finally all of its crew succumbed to death.
While this gave the song an added depth, it is not what drew me to the song initially. The guitar work is so moving, that I don't ever notice that the song is absent of vocals. The instruments alone are so effective in portraying a mood that any attempt at vocalizing this song would ruin it completely. It is the type of song that is best listened to with headphones, eyes closed, and the light out.
Even though their songs have no vocals, they still manage to evoke emotions from the listener. This particular song features their signature guitar work and manages to portray as sense of melancholy throughout. After further investigation, I discovered that the song was inspired by the sinking of the Russian submarine Kursk, which was stranded at the bottom of the sea, before finally all of its crew succumbed to death.
While this gave the song an added depth, it is not what drew me to the song initially. The guitar work is so moving, that I don't ever notice that the song is absent of vocals. The instruments alone are so effective in portraying a mood that any attempt at vocalizing this song would ruin it completely. It is the type of song that is best listened to with headphones, eyes closed, and the light out.
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