Critical Film Analysis: Module Plan
Author informationLilly Buchwitz |
 |
 |
 |
Overview
This module is designed to take place over six 90-minute classroom sessions as follows:
- Lesson 1: How to write a movie review (download PPT file). A discussion and examination of the form and content of professional movie reviews.
- Watch movie, Brokeback Mountain (runtime 134 minutes)
- Lesson 2: The role of movies in society – Brokeback Mountain (download PPT file). Discuss the movie and its effect on contemporary society, focusing on students' own experiences and responses.
- Watch movie, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (runtime 68 minutes)
- Lesson 3: The social climate of the 1960s and 70s (download PPT file). An overview of key events in the 1960s and 1970s that provide the context for the movies Guess Who's Coming To Dinner and Kramer vs. Kramer
- Watch movie, Kramer vs. Kramer (runtime 105 minutes)
Using the Powerpoint files (lesson plans)
There are three Powerpoint files, one for each of the three classroom sessions in between movie viewings. Each file contains links to websites. (Note: links only work when you run the presentation — they don't work when you are in editing mode.)
I recommend making the Powerpoint files available to the students in advance, and encouraging them to visit the referenced websites before the class. Or, a different approach, if you are teaching in a computer-enabled classroom, is to give the students time in class to browse the referenced sites, working either in small groups or individually, depending on class size.
The content, information, and links contained on the Powerpoint files are not meant to be a detailed, step-by-step plan for what to do in the classroom. They are intended, rather, as starting points for in-class discussion or small group activities. The instructor will need to review the slides and the links before class, in order to become familiar with the subject matter; and should adapt the particulars of classroom activities to what is appropriate for his or her classroom.
Using the rubric
The grading rubric for the students' assignment (the movie reviews) is available as a Word document. Click here to download it.
I recommend giving students a copy of the rubric at the beginning of the module, so that they know how their assignments will be graded.
Instructions for use:
- Print copies, one for each assignment.
- Circle the name of the movie, or, before printing, edit out the other two movie titles.
- Read the student's assignment and make judgements about each of the criteria: form, style, spelling & grammar, links, and opinion. Circle the level of performance (A, B, C, or D) for each criteria.
- Based on the number of circles under each level, make a determination of the student's final grade for the review. For example, if you gave them a B-level grade for three of the five criteria, and a C-level for the other two, their final grade might be a B-.
- Write the student's name and their final grade on the rubric and give it to the student.