How often does the school hold movie-lessons? How often do teachers prefer them to other forms of the lesson? How often are movie-lessons held truly effective? Of course, we all understand that movie-lesson means watching the actual movie and subsequent analysis. This in itself is not bad, but it is worth more creative and serious attitude to the development of such activities. Why? Because it’s the requirement of time. Remember the famous refrain that you need to eat fruits and vegetables from your region, and then the benefits will be greater. This refers to the organic matter of human and nature vital activity. This view can be refracted under our subject, that is, if a modern student lives in the age of the Internet, television, movie and information flow, tools and training methods must take into account this features. Our children watch all kinds of movies, relying on the taste, fashion and the machinations of advertisers. A huge amount of footage passes them by. But one movie can be not only a particular history, but also a mirror of the era, the textbook of morality and encyclopedia of human souls.
Where is a movie-lesson appropriate?
Of course, the humanities and the aesthetic subjects are the best suited for movie-lessons. Most of all it is history and literature. Do not, however, replace the notions: it is foolish to begin the study of “Wuthering Heights” with a view of the same movie, but the end – you can.
Movie-lesson should fit into the program and not to violate its integrity. Therefore, its time is provided even in preparing the plan.
Basically, the lesson may be held outside the program as extracurricular activities. Then it will be indicated in the class teacher’s plan and conducted jointly. But it is not as important as the lesson is recorded and what status it carries, the main thing is the result. To have a positive one, the following points should be conducted:
– Demonstrated movie you could watch by yourself, and perhaps more than once;
– You do not have any questions about the movie and other “white spots”;
– The movie is suitable for watching by this audience;
– You are sure that the majority of students did not see it before;
– You are willing and want to work on collecting more information about the movie;
– You are assured of playback quality of the movie and technically prepared.
Movie-lesson plan
In order not to speak in the abstract, we are presenting a rough plan of movie-lesson. In principle, this is a standard framework, which can fit to movie-lessons on films of different genres and subjects.
- Introduction. Here, we “lure” of our audience into an improvised cinema. You can pick up an interesting epigraph to the lesson, to tell an amusive story about the film, emotionally to sensitize students. This is the kind of advertising. You can call (and even write on the board) five reasons why this film should being watched carefully. To make an intrigue among the students is a half the battle. You can look for viewers’ comments about movie left on the Internet, select the most interesting and competent. Personal experience is also relevant: tell about the trip that appeared when you first watched this movie. Tell the events of this film, but without repeating the plot, and denoting its conditional themes (“this film is about a man who believes …”, “the movie is about love to neighbor …”, “the story of a man who realized the truth too late …”). Be sure to ask the students to explain your words after seeing the movie.
- Setting goals and objectives of the lesson. Yes, without this traditional stage you can’t go anywhere. You need to explain to students why you have chosen this form as “movie-lesson”, why on this topic and now. Explain to students the desired outcome of the lesson that you see. For example: “I wish that each of you was in the same era, felt its spirit and morals and answered the same questions asked by the characters in the film”.
- Prospective disposition. The students are ready to watch, so wish them a good time and set to the inner workings. Sit yourself in the “front of noise” and find yourself with the students in one role. Watch as at the first time, this will bring you to the same emotional state.
- Watch the movie. You have agreed about the advance paired lessons and discussed with the students the need for “intermission”. Most likely, the cinema screen will be the common today multimedia installation. Adjust the sound, make sure that all students can clearly see and run is comfort for all.
- Feedback. The most important stage of the lesson comes on. You have to help the students to understand their impressions, feelings and respond to questions. Immediately after the run learn about the overall impressions (likes / dislikes). Ask them to argue their answers.
Then you just line up a conversation with the class, ask important questions through which disclose the movie’s plot and its message, parses its issue. Teach students to watch movies. Tell that movies do not have (or at least should not have) random scenes and episodes. Teach students to notice the details and context, teach just to empathize a hero.
As a result, each student in the class must make some conclusions from this lesson. This means that he must not only realize what and for what the movie is, but understand that he/she personally discovered (uderstood, realized and concluded) from the lesson.
At the end of the lesson you mark the work of the students and the overall impression of the event. The small task for them may be the following: ask for their next, watched at home or in the cinema movie, subjected to a similar analysis. Necessarily find the time on the following lesoons for students’ answers. This will definitely make them more literate viewers and provide fertile ground for movie-lessons later.
