Using Movies with Books

Hollywood has made many films from popular books and even some books have been written from popular movies. Using media to enhance or teach about a book is a positive reinforcement of the book, but it is vital to consider how well the film will help students meet the outcomes of the class. If the film is being viewed just for “fun” it will be a waste of opportune teaching time. A movie can easily be viewed for “fun” as well as to enhance the learning experience of the students.

In today’s culture, youth ages 8-18 spend about 6.5 hours every day using media – 3 hours 51 minutes watching television, 1 hour 44 minutes listening to music, 1 hour on the computer, 49 minutes playing video games, 43 minutes reading and 25 minutes watching movies. With this in mind, if the media is to be emphasized by the school, then the media content shown should enhance the academic progress of the child. (Rideout, Roberts & Foehr, Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year-old. 2005)

Some Do’s and Don’ts of using film in the classroom are:

• Do discuss the movie with students before, during and after viewing.
• Do provide students with a viewing guide – questions, list of characters, main plot points, etc.
• Do design a project or assignment that connects the film to course content.
• Do not feel obligated to show the entire film.

Martin, Amy. Some Dos and Don’ts for Teaching With Popular Films. Nov. 2009.

Tips for preparing a movie for class use:

1. Watch the movie, keeping the age, gender and racial make-up of your students in mind. While watching the movie, keep a notepad and pen handy. Take notes on the following aspects of the movie.
   • Examine the setting of the movie
   • Examine the main characters
2. After viewing, reflect on the overall storyline and characters. Take notes on any central themes that span the movie.
3. Select 3-5 central themes that are the most appropriate for your students.
4. Use these themes as the building blocks for discussion questions and activities.

Teaching with Movies: A Guide for Parents and Educators. Page 18. June 2010.

Tips for developing discussion questions:

1. Use the themes you established to instigate self- reflection and conversation.
2. Start off with asking questions that directly relate to characters in the movie.
3. Begin to make connections between the characters in the movie and experiences of the actual students.
4. Ask questions that focus on the students’ own experiences drawing on the specific theme.

Teaching with Movies: A Guide for Parents and Educators. Page 21. June 2010.

Suggestions for activities to accompany a movie:

• Character webs
• Cooking activity based on a specific food or culture from the movie
• Role-play using pieces of the movie script
• Write alternative ending s to scenes or the movie
• Write letters to particular characters addressing a specific topic area
• Word search or crossword using key terms from the movie
• Storyboard – draw alternative scenes from the movie
• Debate over controversial topics in the movie
• Timeline the movie

Teaching with Movies: A Guide for Parents and Educators. Page 22. June 2010.

Use the book to watch the movie:

Teachers can use movies as a springboard for literary analysis of characters, setting and plot. Watching a movie in conjunction with reading a book allows for a comparative analysis between the two medias. To assist in doing this with students, use sticky notes to take notes of places in the book that differ dramatically from the movie, scenes that are absent from the movie, or descriptions/quotes that would enhance the discussion. Some suggestions to help compare the book and movie are:

• Make a chart where the students can compare characters in each media.
• Write questions where students compare how they perceive the characters and setting of each media.
• Include descriptive quotes from the book. Have students illustrate versions of what they read, comparing them to the set and characters of the movie.
• Make a chart where students play detective and take notes of important distinctions between the medias, discuss why these changes were made.

Teaching with Movies: A Guide for Parents and Educators. Page 26. June 2010.