Forrest Gump

In Forrest Gump, we get a glimpse of many different periods in history. You will select one and produce a posterboard. There must be ten pictures or images with a caption attached to each one. You may not print large pieces of text and attach them. Each must be hand-crafted.

Due Thursday!

Gandhi, Mississippi Burning, and Malcolm X

We finished Mississippi Burning and discussed the Civil Rights movement. This movie, while having excellent action, did not really give you an overview of the whole movement. This movie was based on the murder of three civil rights activists, Michael Schwerner, James Chaney, and Andrew Goodman. A link to the complete story is below:

http://www.abanet.org/irr/hr/spring00humanrights/chaney.html

In our Civil Rights Trio, traced the origin of the philosophy of passive nonresistance as used by Gandhi to help free India from British colonization. This philosophy, satyagraha, was used by Martin Luther King to organize boycotts and demonstrations that were instrumental in the American Civil Rights movement. The work of Gandhi inspired movements all over the world, from Africa, to Ireland, and the United States. However, there came a point in the American movement where nonviolence was not accepted by everyone. This point is generally considered to be 1965, where the Civil Rights movement splits into a violent direction.

The following link is footage of the Watts riots in Los Angeles. Damage occurring during these riots exceeded 200 million dollars.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?client=safari&rls=en&q=watts+riots&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title#

Because of racial tensions, violence in cities, and Klan violence in response to voter registration drives in the South, many people rejected the idea of peaceful noncooperation as promoted by Martin Luther King. The Montgomery Bus Boycott, Freedom Riders, and SNCC/CORE/COFO campaigns had not cured the system, and many people expected race riots.

A year later, in 1966, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale founded the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. This group used grass-roots organizing techniques and paramilitary features to organize blacks in the event that race relations continued to break down.

http://www.marxists.org/history/usa/workers/black-panthers/1966/10/15.htm

Malcom X began his reformation through the Nation of Islam, also a black separatist group. Throughout his life, he crusaded for separation of blacks and whites. After his hajj to Mecca, his philosophy changed abruptly. We have discussed this and will continue to discuss this philosophy.



Read more on the following issues and people:

Marcus Garvey:
http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/twenty/tkeyinfo/garvey.htm

W.E.B. Dubois:
http://www.duboislc.org/html/DuBoisBio.html

SNCC/CORE/COFO:
http://www.ibiblio.org/sncc/
http://www.core-online.org/History/history.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/C004391F/cofo.htm

Critical Questions:
1. How did Gandhi influence Civil Rights and decolonization throughout the world?
2. What two philosophies about Civil Rights existed in America post 1965? Which organizations and people aligned with non-violent philosophies, and which aligned with philosophies that permitted militarism and violence?
3. How did the evolution in Malcolm X's thinking about Civil Rights affect the United States? Explain his thinking about Islam both before and after his hajj?
4. What role did the student organizations play in Civil Rights? How prepared for the situation were these students? What actions did they take to help others secure rights?
5. Explain how the role of women in the Civil Rights movement affected the women's rights movements of the 1970's.

Civil Rights

We will discuss how Gandhi's freedom movement affected people in the United States by watching Mississippi Burning and Malcolm X. You will be asked to compare and contrast the movies and to decide which one better represents the issue in your mind.

After watching Mississippi Burning, you will research one person, issue, or organization pertaining to Civil Rights. You will hand in your research or present it to the class.

After Malcolm X, we will discuss the two branches of resistance that emerge in the mid to late 60s in response to the Vietnam War, riots, and the delay of civil rights. We will discuss Malcolm X's role in this resistance and watch how his philosophies change over time. We will then take a look at groups that promote peace as well as separatist groups.

For those of you looking to get ahead, research the Southern Poverty Law Center, which is a hatewatch group. They keep track of hate in the United States, expose it where possible, and lend legal services to those affected by hate crimes.

Gandhi projects

Of the Gandhi projects that were presented, most of them were good. Our presentations are moving in the right direction--facts, backed up, with notecards used. There were a few papers, that were also good.

We will be moving toward Civil Rights in the United States...

Gandhi, day 2

Today we saw Gandhi's return to India and his plans to be nonviolent but not passive in bringing about an end to colonialism.

We will not be watching the movie tomorrow, since I will be at a conference. I have provided a handout which includes many of Gandhi's inspirational sayings. You will be responsible to comment on at least 5 of them and provide examples of how these apply to a situation in your life or a situation today in society.

Some of you do not seem as excited about Gandhi as I am. In my mind, he is one of the most influential people ever to have walked the earth.

Reasons why Gandhi was a true revolutionary:
1. He lived in a society where there was prejudice from the outside (from Britain), from within Indian society (the caste system) and prejudice and hatred between religions (Christian, Hindu, Muslim). He did not discriminate against religions, social classes, or races.
2. He did not back down from a fight, but at the same time he did not fight using violence--he used his courage to organize and respond with nonviolence at all times.
3. When his followers wanted to resort to violence, he stopped them.
4. His writings and actions have been influential in freedom movements all over the world--Africa, the United States civil rights movement, Irish reconciliation, and all over the world.

Would any of us have the courage to stand up for something we believed in using nonviolence? Would we risk losing our entire way of life to do the right thing? We have seen two movies that showed people who used such unbelievable courage.

If you are interested in doing extra work that can either be applied to the first or second quarter (for first quarter, I must receive it by next Tuesday), you may do the following:

1. Write a compare/contrast essay about the courage shown by Gandhi and Schindler.
2. Discuss (essay/Power Point) how Gandhi influenced other people/freedom movements in the world.
3. Apply the situation in Gandhi's time (religious discrimination and discrimination as a result of the caste system) to another society (even America).
4. Research the caste system in India. Discuss the issue of "dalit's rights" in India today.

A well-researched paper of at least 3-4 pages in MLA format with citations complete will be able to replace a bad grade--credit will be related to the effort and quality of the work.

Projects/Papers due

Remember, you voted to take the extra day to prepare the papers and projects on worldwide genocide. The world community said "never again" after the horrors of the Jewish Holocaust became known. Our key question after watching "Schindler's List" is why have there been so many genocides since that time? Why is it that the world does not seem to have learned its lesson? What are the root causes of these horrors, and is it possible to stop them?

You were given a checklist and we discussed quality paper writing and effective strategies for presentations. Double check your project using your checklist.

This is our last major project of the quarter--Halloween marks the end of Quarter 1.

You will be responsible for taking notes during the presentations--a quiz will follow!

Presentations and Papers: Period 4 (Schindler's List)

We have been in the computer lab--we have one more day scheduled today. You will finish your papers or presentations, which are due Thursday. No late work will be accepted. We have agreed upon this date.

Period 2: Upperclassmen

We have finished Monty Python in class and discussed it. Alex turned in a nice paper, and everyone else gave me "that look." We decided to alter the due dates--the presentation will be due to day and the paper by the end of the week, which you may hand me or email. We will then move onto Schindler's List. Natalie requested Malcom X, which is on our list, but will be viewed later in the year alongside Gandhi.

End of Schindler

Today we will discuss the end of Schindler--we ran out of time and need to watch the final scenes. I will hear your reaction to the final scenes and what they meant to the Jews, and we will discuss and plan our research for the Assessment project. We will also read an article in class that is from the Sunday's Projo about a German baroness living in Providence and the court case surrounding a piece of art she inherited from her uncle who purchased the piece of art from a Jewish art gallery that was forced to liquidate.

Link to the projo story:
http://www.projo.com/news/content/nazi_painting_10-12-08_2RBSQ69_v74.39dc0c4.html

Some sites about genocide for your projects:
http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/index.html
http://www.scaruffi.com/politics/dictat.html
http://www.preventgenocide.org/edu/pastgenocides/
http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/DBG.CHAP3.HTM
http://www.google.com/Top/Society/History/By_Time_Period/Twentieth_Century/Genocide/

You may also look to see what the United Nations community is doing for relief and humanitarian aid:
http://www.un.org

Day 3, Schindler's List (and quiz)

Classwork: Notebook quiz. You were able to use your notebook if you wanted to complete the quiz, which was about the movie vocabulary we defined a couple of days ago.

Because there were grumblings from a few people who did not have their notebooks, I would like to restate the following: YOU NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR CLASS AND ON TIME FOR CLASS. You do have time to get here after lunch. If you feel you do not, get your materials before lunch—plan ahead.

Remember, you cannot receive a 100 for class if you have not completed 100% of the class—be on time.

Extra Credit:
1. Research an important person from World War II—it can be someone good or bad. Explain their role in the war in a paper or power point.
2. Watch another WWII movie, and write a review about it—tell what you liked or did not like, explain the plot, setting, and characters, and explain in your review whether it is a film that you recommend or not, and why. For even more credit research the perspective of the director/producer and comment on the time period in which the movie was made.
3. Read a book about this period in time or about a different genocide which has occurred since then.

Day 1, Schindler

We discussed some of the construction for the movie, and I gave you a timeline of some WWII events involving Oskar Schindler. You can find one such timeline here:

http://www.southerninstitute.info/holocaust_education/slguide.html#abriefchronology

We watched the first day, seeing Schindler meeting Nazi party officials by sending them drinks, paying for food, and having his picture taken with them. He partnered with an unwilling Itzhak Stern, a Jewish accountant. Schindler could legally own and buy a company with money Stern organized from Jewish investors, who would be paid in product that they could trade on the black market in the Polish ghetto. This is the best of a very bad situation for the Jews, who have lost their homes and businesses and have been forced to live in a space in Warsaw that was roughly 16 square blocks.

Schindler will be hiring Jews for the factory--he must pay the wages directly to the SS because the Jews themselves don't receive money. He will not hire Poles because they cost more to hire. The factory will produce enamelware for the German Army.

Stern recruits the workers. He recruits "nonessential" personnel and converts them to "essential" tradesmen using a forger to create documents for them. He then has them trained so they can do metal work in the factory.

Movie Vocabulary Notes

Movie Vocabulary: We will be analyzing the following elements of film and literature as we watch Schindler's List.

docudrama: a documentary-style drama
epic: a long story or movie
protagonist: main character
plot: storyline
rising action: the unfolding of a story--from the beginning to the climax
falling action: the resolution of the story--from the climax to the end
setting: where the story takes place
climax: the high point of the story--the turning point where the suspense is the greatest.
theme: the main topic of a story (for example: the triumph of man over adversity)
symbolism: elements of the story that represent other things
forshadowing: clues that predict futhre events (builds suspense)
parallel editing: weaving more than one storyline into one scene to show contrast or similarity.

Schindler's List

Oskar Schindler was credited with saving over 1,100 Jews from being killed in Krakow, Poland. Stephen Spielberg tells his story in Schindler's List. We will complete the following assignments during and after seeing this film. Deadlines will be listed as we progress through the film.

Schindler’s List
Director: Stephen Spielberg, 1993

I. Movie Vocabulary: For each word, please write the definition. Leave three or four spaces for an example from the movie. Complete the examples as you watch the movie.

Docudrama
Epic
Protagonist
Plot
Rising action
Falling action
Setting
Climax
Theme
Symbolism
Foreshadowing
Parallel editing

II. Write a summary of the movie. Analyze the following:

1) What was Spielberg’s purpose in making this film?
2) Was this a realistic portrayal of the subject matter? Did it seem historically accurate?
3) Who was the hero of the film? Who was the anti-hero?
4) Were there more or fewer mistakes in this film than some of the others we have seen? Can you explain this?

III. Assessment:

The statement that came out of the Jewish Holocaust in World War II was “never again.” However, there have been many genocides and holocausts in the world since then. You will research one such genocide and either write a paper or present your information to the class.
➢ Where did this genocide occur? You must show the location if your are presenting.
➢ What were the underlying causes of the genocide?
➢ Did anyone in the world community step in to try to stop the killing? Were the attempts, if any, successful?
➢ What has become of the area since the genocide (if it is over)?
➢ Has there been any measures taken in the region to help assure this will not happen again?
➢ Was there anything that might have prevented this violence before it began?

A successful paper will be typed, double spaced, and will completely answer all the questions listed above. It will list the locations where you found the information.

A successful presentation will contain all the information, and will show the class some pictures of the region or provide a display for the class to see. It will be well-rehearsed and use cue cards, not printed sheets of paper.

Period 4

Today we watched several more skits from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. You continued to log the scenes you watched and we discussed into your charts.

Hint: At the end of this movie, we will be doing some research on topics presented in the film. If there is a topic from the Middle Ages, or English history or literature, keep it in the back of your mind for further research.

Tomorrow, Sept 24, is reading period.

The Fall of Rome through the Middle Ages

Period 4: We discussed reasons for the fall of Rome. Your homework was to read through an article I gave you on the subject and highlight or underline the reasons for the fall of Rome and attach it to your notebook.

We are moving forward from the period of the sacking of Rome through to the Middle Ages, where we will examine a classic, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." You must have a special sense of humor to appreciate this one, but it is an excellent non-example of history. The costumes are terrible, and the humor is high level--you must understand the history to understand the jokes.

Assignment: Fill in the chart you were given in class. It has columns for you to label the scene, add a quick summary, and fill in the historical errors. This chart will serve instead of your daily summary. You may include analysis of the King Arthur themes from literature as well for our class discussion.

Gladiator assessment: per 4

Period 4 will be presenting the facts that were found in the movie, and we will then discuss how good this film was from the historical and entertainment perspectives.

Homework question: If you had been hired instead of Ridley Scott (the filmmaker) would you have portrayed events differently? Would you have focused on history, characterization, entertainment, sensationalism--how would you have made this film and what would the finished version look like?

Gladiator vocabulary

What would a movie about ancient Rome be without a bunch of vocabulary for your enrichment? These terms will most likely be on a quiz soon in the future (hint).

Republic: citizens who have the right to elect their leaders
Senate: the elected governing body of Rome during the age of the Republic
Consul: two men who lead the government to avoid one gaining too much power
Veto: the right to reject a law or bill
Dictator: an official with all the powers of the king who could only hold power in the name of the king for 6 months
province: an area with it's own government and army which was ruled by Rome
aqueducts: structure that carried water over long distances
anarchy: chaos resulting in lack of government rule
coliseum: large stadium used for entertainment, sports, and cultural events.
Pax Romana: The Roman peace that lasted from Caesar Augustus in 27BC to Marcus Aurelius in 180AD
Pater-familias: family structure. The oldest living male had nearly complete power over his family.
legion: basic unit of the Roman army, which consisted of about 5000 soldiers
plebian: a member of the Roman lower-class, which included artisans, merchants, and farmers.
patrician: the Roman upper-class from which senators were elected.
forum: main marketplace in Rome.
Ptolemy: astronomer who declared Rome the center of the universe.
Barbarians: non-Romans who were considered inferior
pagans: literally means "rustic." Romans considered non-Christians rustic (or hick) and the label became a religious term.

Period 4 Gladiator Assessment

Find five to ten things that you think are historically inaccurate OR that you think were portrayed exceptionally well in the movie “The Gladiator.”

You may use the internet, books or magazines. If you happen to be a Latin scholar or expert on Ancient Rome, all the better.

Hint: You may find the following website very helpful.
http://ablemedia.com/ctcweb/index.html

You will use the chart I have provided for you, or you will create one on your own.

On the due date, you will present one or two facts that you found.

Gladiator: Period 4

We have begun to watch and study about Gladiator.

In your notebook, you should have a cast of characters that represents different segments of Roman society from the Caesar to the gladiator/slaves. We are discussing aspects of Roman society throughout the film, and when it ends, we will debate the historical accuracy of the film as a whole as well as individual parts. We will also watch a documentary about gladiators in Rome.

Conclusion: Bobby

Homework: Watch Senator Kennedy's speeches on You tube. Be prepared to discuss the content of the speech and what your thoughts and feelings were about the speech. Take notes in your notebook.
Freshmen: Many of you missed the first homework assignment, which was to write one to three short paragraphs comparing what you have seen in the movie “Bobby” to the situation in America today.

Period 4: Expect a quiz in the next few days based on the movie and our discussions.

Themes we have seen and discussed so far:

The war in Vietnam: many people were being drafted to go to Vietnam. We see a young girl promising to marry her friend because if he is married he will be sent to Germany and not to the front lines in Vietnam. She does not agree with the war and feels that she can save a life.

The campaign workers—one pair is working really hard to get people to vote for Senator Kennedy, and the other pair is goofing off. The 1960’s had many elements of drug culture and people who were against “the establishment” and structure of the 1950’s.

The Hippie—Ashton Kutcher plays a great hippie. Hippies were famous for being part of the counter culture, the drug culture, for trying to save the environment, and for protesting the Vietnam war.

Marriage and family—Lindsay Lohan’s character, Diane, was in trouble with her family for marrying her boyfriend for political purposes. Her boyfriend wasn’t sure they should go through with the marriage because he felt that it was unfair to her—marriage is sacred and they should only get married once. The hairdresser and Mr. Fallon both stayed in unhappy marriages because society did not allow divorce.

The Senator—represented hope, a bridging of differences across racial and economic groups in American society, and the change that the country needed. People from many different groups were looking toward Bobby Kennedy as the great American hope to resolve the problems of society.

"Bobby"

The goal of this film is to compare and contrast the turbulent political and social environment of the 1968 election season with the conditions we are experiencing now.

1. Make note of the main characters in the film. What do they represent as either segments of society or as real people present at the Ambassador Hotel on the day of the Kennedy assassination?
2. What did Bobby Kennedy represent to the American people? How was he able to get the respect and support of otherwise different groups of Americans?
3. Why was Bobby Kennedy assassinated, and do you think that this is, in fact what happened?
4. Where did the movie portray historical events accurately, and where do you feel it strayed from history?
5. What do you think the filmmaker's outlook on this film was? What style did he use in making this film and did it help accomplish his objectives?
6. Based on what you have learned about Kennedy and this time in history, how would events have progressed differently had Kennedy been elected?

Period 4: Homework: You compared events from the beginning of this film to events in this election.

Reel to Real

Welcome!

This class was the idea and brainchild of Mr. Gorry, who knows about every movie known to man. It evolved over the space of two years, and we discussed the subject extensively.

I will be teaching two sections of this class, so please pay attention to the notes and posts, as we may end up discussing different movies or different periods in history.

The object of this class is to make you more critical of the movie industry, and for you to be able to learn to critically analyze the things you see, hear, and read. Movies are a great way for you to look at history. You will no longer go to the movies with your popcorn and watch things be blown up. You will now look for good acting, bad acting, analyze whether the portrayal of the events is historically accurate, criticize costumes and settings, look for the perspective of the filmmakers and directors and debate and discuss the subject of historiography pertaining to films.

You will need:
--a notebook and something to write with (yes, even seniors)
--a signed permission slip allowing you to watch all of the films selected for this class.
--the ability to do some work and research--if you do not have a computer, you will need to visit the library at times.

Your grades:
--Homework 20%
--Classwork 20%
--Assessments 40% (projects/tests/etc)
--notebook 20%

I look forward to both sections of this class.