When I think back to “movie days” in school, I envision an unproductive classroom where the lights are switched off as students struggle to stay awake and the teacher occupies himself at the back of the class grading papers. I experienced these days firsthand when “movie-time” was more like “nap-time.” So it was interesting to see these two articles present the use of documentary films as a worthwhile learning opportunity in the Social Studies classroom.
The article by Marcus and Stoddard suggests that documentary films can be a useful way to fulfill “three goals for history education… promoting reasoned judgment, promoting an expanded view on humanity, and deliberating over the common good” (281). The authors then provide examples such as “Bowling for Columbine” and “When the Levees Broke” as meaningful films that can be viewed and analyzed to achieve those goals. I agree with them that the value in watching these films is not for the content- because even though it may seem objective, the filmmakers certainly do have a viewpoint to express- but in students analyzing the perspective. Much like students would do in an English class when reading a novel, students would pinpoint the “author’s” (filmmaker’s) intent and point of view, as well as those of the various “characters”. Subsequent assessments would have students selecting certain characters for further study.
But after reading both of the articles, I can’t help but ask why none of the authors pointed out how this is such a time-consuming process. To view a film in its entirety would take multiple class periods, followed by analysis such as Socratic Seminars, and assessments. In all, an entire week could be devoted to discussing a Michael Moore film. Is this really worth it? I agree that documentaries provide a unique look at controversial and often over-looked issues, but I don’t think it necessitates quite that much study. And how would a teacher incorporate a documentary on modern Navajo Indian pageants into the curriculum, as suggested by Hess? None of the documentaries showcase time periods older than the World Wars. It is so rare that teachers move beyond the 1970’s when teaching History. How do documentaries fit into the ancient world? Both of the articles mention modern and even current day events, but how can they be effectively integrated into a classroom where the focus is on events before the advent of film?
While I think there are some useful aspects of documentaries, they might be better served in a weekly after-school History club where interested students can watch and discuss the merit of the filmmaker’s stance without taking up valuable class time.
Jayme,
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right about the worthwhile use of class time when viewing documentaries. It’s a time-consuming process. I remember watching the entire "Eyes On the Prize" series, some 14 hours in length, when I was in the tenth grade. I would recommend the whole film as it is quite good, but honestly I don’t see that happening in very many social studies classrooms.
There are a lot of great films out there that we can learn a great deal from- documentary or otherwise. We need to treat these films as sources of evidence, just like we treat texts. We don’t overload our students with an entire text; we usually give them pieces to consider. The same can be true for film. A good filmmaker uses technique and content to communicate his or her idea- in every scene. If using film, select a clip that best represents the filmmaker’s message- it could be a short as a minute, and frame the lesson around questions that arise from that scene. Short scenes also have the advantage of being watched twice, or three times within the same lesson. This allows students not only to deconstruct the thesis of the scene, but also how the filmmaker communicates that message: how the filmmaker makes you feel the way you feel.