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Based on Ken Kesey's novel "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," this lesson plan presents activities designed to help students understand that all works of art lend themselves to critical reviews; critical reviews consist of opinions and support for the opinions; and a critical review may compare and contrast a work in one medium to the same work in another medium. The main activity of the lesson involves students writing a critical review of the film based on the novel using the compare/contrast format. It includes objectives, materials, procedures, adaptations, discussion questions, evaluation methods, extension activities, annotations of suggested readings and web links, vocabulary, and related academic standards and benchmarks addressed in the lesson plan. The lesson plan also contains a description of a video clip related to the lesson, comprehension questions related to the video clip, and answers to those comprehension questions. (RS)

This paper outlines the fourth-year film appreciation course at Rand College of Education in Johannesburg, South Africa, designed to develop a greater critical awareness in students so they are able to distinguish between good and mediocre film and video material. Some attempt is made to establish what qualifies material to be regarded as "art." The paper discusses soap operas; television films based on a Barbara Cartland novel and on Sydney Sheldon's "Memories of Midnight"; and the films "Lethal Weapon 2,""Lorenzo's Oil,""Baghdad Cafe,""Howards End," and "The Remains of the Day." (RS)

Developed by classroom teachers during the development phase of Minnesota's Graduation Standards, this performance package is made up of locally designed assignments that, taken together, show whether a student has learned and can apply the knowledge and skills related to interpreting and evaluating complex works of music, dance, theater, visual arts, literature, or media arts applying specific criteria that represent an informed opinion or response. It begins with reference to the particular content standard addressed in the package, the educational level of the package (high school); and a summary statement of the content standard. It then describes the tasks associated with the student performances: (1) select a film or video to interpret/analyze; view and reflect on the work; (2) select focus for in-depth interpretation/analysis, formulate research questions, and prepare a project plan; and (3) research the questions, present an interpretation/analysis of the film or video. It then offers specific statements from the standard regarding what students should know and should do, the products, task description, special notes, and feedback checklists for each task enumerated in the package. (RS)

Developed by classroom teachers during the development phase of Minnesota's Graduation Standards, this performance package is made up of locally designed assignments that, taken together, show whether a student has learned and can apply the knowledge and skills related to writing in the English language for a variety of academic purposes and situations. It begins with reference to the particular content standard addressed in the package, the educational level of the package (high school), and a summary statement of the content standard. It then describes the tasks associated with the student performances: (1) write a personal narrative; (2) write a literary analysis paper or a field study report; (3) write a persuasive paper; (4) write a film review; and (5) collaboratively produce an academic journal or magazine. It then offers specific statements from the standard regarding what students should know and should do, the products, task description, special notes, and feedback checklists for each task enumerated in the package. (RS)

To raise the consciousness of adults regarding their mental and social processing of popular media, specifically movies, a course was implemented through a Colorado Episcopal parish's adult education program. The course was designed to show students how to better understand the ways in which their presuppositions create meaning in what they view as well as how they allow what they view to alter their own ideas. By course end, participants had a better grasp of how the divine encounters people in their seemingly most mundane moments--that is, watching movies. Films included in the course were: "Star Wars"; "The Graduate"; "Crimes & Misdemeanors"; "Priest"; and "Unforgiven." Objectives for the course were for students to: (1) attune to media messages, especially in film, more accurately than before the course began; (2) recognize and read the rudimentary language of movies, the visual and aural tools used by filmmakers to communicate their messages; (3) understand and state the arguments made by filmmakers about religious topics, whether or not they are presented overtly; and (4) make informed judgments about the content of such films. The course, which was team taught by a film student and a Bible scholar, was evaluated as successful based on the achievement of the stated objectives in the unique culture of the church. (Author/NKA)

This curriculum module offers concrete and specific examples for instructors who wish to integrate the films of Yasujiro Ozu of Japan and Zhang Yimou from China into film studies courses. Through this module, students should learn to compare and contrast conventional screen space, color, and editing to alternative forms. By becoming more familiar with Asian examples of film making, students should be able to articulate, discuss critically, and demonstrate the differences between Hollywood and alternative Asian styles. Included in this module is a list for audiovisual support and resources, step by step instructions for time allocation, goals and student objectives and content and teaching strategies. Pre-test and post-test assessments are provided along with discussion questions and additional activities. A detailed annotated bibliography provides a rich review of books on Asian film and cultural negotiation. Two appendices include comparative information and illustrations contrasting traditional film making to Asian models. (Contains 32 references.) (AF)

An undergraduate course at the University of South Florida called "Relationships on Film" treats movies as relationship texts to be "read" by active viewers. Through the semester, students engage film in two ways. First, they interpret films as response papers. Each week, students watch the assigned film outside of class. Then they select the relational issues they want to address, and write about what they find most evocative, interesting, or questionable. Second, students turn a reflexive eye onto themselves and ask what values and assumptions they use to interpret relationship experience. In other words, after students write about issues they select, they examine their analyses and consider such questions as, "How am I positioned as a viewer of this film?" or "What does my selection of these issues say about me?" These questions call students to examine critically their own structures of interpretation--their memories, their family traditions, their cultural Cairo," two films that affirm that people today live in what N. Denzin Cairo," 2 films that affirm that people today live in what N. Denzin calls "a cinematic society." These "movies about movies" suggest that film mediates identity and relationships in several ways. Ingmar Bergman's "Persona" and Woody Allen's "Zelig" engage students in questions of identity. "The Virginian,""Shane," and "Red River" raise questions about what Westerns value. And "Annie Hall" and "When Harry Met Sally" help students to look at romantic relationships. (TB)

Proposes the use of film theory to help students analyze literary texts. Finds that film theory concepts appeal to highly visual students and provide a framework for discussing images. Suggests that central themes, primary symbols, and character development are underscored by the images constructed by the author. (Contains 13 references.) (CAK)

Considers how screening Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" in a sophomore film class shows modern community-college students that millennial anxiety existed well before late 1999, the time of "Y2K" fears. Presents an assignment that examines "2001: A Space Odyssey" in the context of its time and in 2001. (SG)

Suggests students will view film adaptations of Shakespeare plays more critically by carefully analyzing the same scene from several different film versions. Discusses relevant scenes from "Romeo and Juliet" for classroom interpretation. Suggests that by providing students the vocabulary to discuss the film, educators can encourage them to look for detail and to analyze film as they never have before. (SG)

Pursues a rhetoric of visual fragments by considering the disjunctive packaging of two particular fictional films: Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 classic "Vertigo" and Christopher Reeve's 1997 adaptation of Alice Elliott Dark's short story, "In the Gloaming." Considers how "Vertigo" offers conflicting stories about the possibility of technologically resurrecting the past. Notes that contrasts between the film and its adjacent documentary segments point to tension between current civil rights agendas. (SG)

Challenges two assumptions: that children are naturally disposed toward the animated cartoon, and that translating Shakespeare's plays into this medium automatically simplifies and gives them child appeal. Examines the confusions and cross-purposes that surrounded the making of the "Animated Tales" videos, and argues that there are dangers in their uncritical use in schools. (SG)

Describes a week-long multidisciplinary program (in association with a theatre history survey course) called "Roman Holiday: Classical Comedy/Contemporary Commentary" which featured guest lectures; a student-directed production; a video screening; and the presentation of Hollywood films. Notes that the program addresses the disparity between the central position of Roman culture in the western academy and its plays' marginal position in the university theatre world. Advocates this kind of programming. (PM)

Three components seem central to the definition of a documentary film: (1) the filmmaker should seek to provide as valid a record as possible of the facts, (2) the filmmaker must not neglect artistry in the portrayal of reality, and (3) a persuasive purpose is inherent to the form. Thus, documentary film provides for the artistic portrayal of reality for purposes of influencing public thought. Given the rhetorical bent of this definition, one is surprised to find that very few film critics have examined the documentary from a rhetorical standpoint. To remedy this lack of attention, Humboldt State University, California, has developed a course in rhetorical theory to study the documentary as a rhetorical phenomenon. Throughout the course, the instructor lectures on a particular theorist, shows a documentary film to illustrate the ideas brought out in the lecture, then leads a discussion exploring the links between the theorist and the film. Some of the films used are, "Sixteen in Webster Groves,""Webster Groves Revisited,""The Strange Case of the English Language," and "The KKK: The Invisible Empire." The classical rhetorical canons as used in a particular film are also discussed. (A syllabus and text suggestions are included.) (HTH)

This project seeks to bring an immediacy and interest to historical events through the use of Hollywood feature films. Some of the films used to promote interest in history are "Inherit the Wind,""All the President's Men,""The Birth of a Nation," and "Reds." Films used in the class should be available on videocassettes because they are less expensive to buy or rent than the reel-to-reel format. The instructor may show short scenes from several films, to allow students to choose one film to view at their leisure. After viewing the film, the student reads a teacher-prepared essay on the film, critiques the content, and suggests parallels with other historical events. From a list provided by the instructor, the student selects a report topic. Papers may be rewritten until two weeks before the end of the semester, as the student continually refines research and writing skills. The project may be adapted for use in other subjects. (SM)