A February 18, 2015 Edutopia article by Matt Davis including a great video of director Martin Scorsese talking about the importance of visual literacy. Davis also provides recommendations on a number of excellent resources that are available. I particularly like the link to “Ideas For Using Film In the Classroom.”
Posted By Ian Jukes
The Academy Awards are just around the corner, and there are a number of nominated films that can be great teaching tools for educators this year.
With the abundance of media messages in our society, it’s important to ensure students are media literate. The Oscars provide a great opportunity to use the year’s best films to teach students about media and film literacy. Not to mention, films can also be an engaging teaching tool for piquing interest in a variety of subjects and issues. In this compilation, you’ll find classroom resources from around the web that cover many of this year’s nominated films, as well as general resources for using film as a teaching tool.
Martin Scorsese on the importance of visual literacy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I90ZluYvHic …
First, we’ll start with an Edutopia classic, acclaimed director Martin Scorsese discussing the importance of visual literacy and the power of film as a teaching tool.
- Teaching for Visual Literacy: 50 Great Young Adult Films: Authors Alan B. Teasley and Ann Wilder share tips for using film as a classroom tool and include an extensive list of films that are perfect for young adults, focusing on lesser-known flicks, classic films, and movies that students have not likely seen.
- Film Lesson Plans and Interactive Activities: Into Film is a U.K.-based film education non-profit that features tons of great resources on their website. Educators can browse their long list of free film-related lessons plans and activities, which are designed to enhance movie watching and cultivate future filmmakers. The lessons cover a diverse range of subjects, from World War I to science in film.
- Oscar-Nominated Flicks for Families: Common Sense Media produced a list of great reviews for this year’s Oscar-nominated films. Each review features an age-appropriate rating, as well as an overview of subjects covered in the movie and possible discussion questions families and educators can use following each film.
- Ideas for Using Film in the Classroom: The Learning Network’s “Film in the Classroom” page from The New York Times features tips, activities, and Times content for teaching students about motion picture-related topics. Also, be sure to check out “Teaching History With Film” and “Ten Ways to Teach the Oscars” for even more useful ideas for incorporating film into your lesson plans.
- Teachers Guide Series: These guides, produced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Young Minds Inspired, can help you dive into the art and science of film with students. There are guides for animation, media literacy, and screenwriting, and they include lessons that encourage students to write creatively, think critically, and explore visual literacy.
- Learning About Media Literacy From the Oscars: Media-literacy expert Frank W. Baker wrote this article for MiddleWeb, offering teachers practical ideas for teaching visual literacy. Baker also hosts a Teacher’s Guide to the Academy Awards on his personal website, which features links to other useful resources, ideas for teachable Oscar moments, and links to some great film-related lesson plans.
7 More Film and Media Literacy Resources for Teachers
There are many other great film-literacy lesson plans, how-to articles, and other useful education resources on the web, too many to list. But here are a few more quick links to helpful sources rich with interesting content.
- Lesson Plans Based on Movies and Film, via TeachWithMovies.com
- Primary and Secondary Resources, via Film Education
- “Teaching Filmmaking,” via MediaEd
- “12 Basic Ways to Integrated Media Literacy and Critical Thinking (PDF),” via Ithaca College
- “How to Watch Film Critically: 7 Key Things to Note,” via The Cheat Sheet
- “How to Teach Media Literacy,” via Understand Media
- Media Literacy Lessons, via National Council of Teachers of English
