362- SCHOOL CLASS METHODS THAT WORKED!...(PART III)...

The use of FILMS as a teaching method in sosh! and American government classes: we used it for years in our two classes, like some progressive college/university classes do now! The method included an indepth packet for them to create their own important points as they veiwed each film. They set up their questions...they made their deductions...they related American government facts we had studied to points in the film! Students, mostly seniors, appreciated the originality of the setup for the method. After their viewing of the film and completing their analysis of a film, we conducted that necessary confab, discussion, with each one having the opportunity to add whatever they wanted to say outloud! I set the tone by explaining that THEY were actrually in charge of the discussion, with manners! They could decide when to break into to talk. A college-style textbook, by the way, was their lesson plans quide!
Because of the societal nature of sosh!, the sosh! students often made suggestions for viewing, with the same "grading" packet method as the American government classes.

A) "The Notebook" in sosh!...they loved it...and acted like college students with it! Nicholas Sparks...2004.
B) "A Time To Kill" in A. government...lots of legal and courtroom material...book by John Grisham...1996.
C) "Rabbit Proof Fence" in sosh!....classes were mermermized and into the history of that time...and how Molly and friends endured!! Showed it to government once they heard about it, relating it to our own Native American history.
D) "Tasha Tudor" in sosh!...my introduction of this artist to my students was marvelous for them! The late Tasha Turdor once came to Colonial Williamsburg for a cultural visit!
E) "Cirque du Soleil"....everyone fell in like with this "new" circus concept without animals...the music...the humor...the dance!
F) "An Amish Family Life"....I added this and another Amish culture video for them to understand the Amish way of life, finding two excellent daily life films to explore!
G) "RiverDance!"...another excellent cultural video on music and dance for sosh!
H) American government....The Shawshank Redemption"...we viewed this film for a number of years, using the above indepth educational methods. Hmmm...funny how an administrator was asked by the students to talk with their class about a decision he had made about not allowing "Shawshank" in their SENIOR class. Afterwards, in the hall with no witnesses, he accused us of setting him up when he couldn't answer them. The funny part came when he, soon afterwards, refused my Senior government classes from viewing this film, suddenly....hmmmmm. That's called "leverage."
KARMA? This Philosophy major believes in the Far Eastern philosophical concept of KARMA...justice eventually prevailed here.
I) "The BAKA"...excellent National Geo film about the "small people" in an African nation...sosh! students, for their first time, were "exposed" to a culture far from our America! They loved it!
J) "The DREAMTIME"...another totally excellent national Geo film, on the original Aussie's (Aborigines) culture...sooo good!
K) "The RUSSIAN CIRCUS"...yes, National Geo...this sosh! class film gave my students yet another view of a different culture outside our American culture. As always, the soshers! have a special original 'packet' to, on their own, analyze this culture and score their own grade.
L) This educator would tape, for Gov't, segments from actual courtroom cases on TV...students viewed all of the case but the decision rendered by the judge...sudents then, like a judge, had to ponder and write down their decision for the case and their own reasonings, all in a special packet...for that all-important grade! - Those SOLs....(coming....)