Most of the time, the study of historical topics will begin with the screening of a historical film of some sort: a documentary, a Hollywood movie, a newsreel, a propaganda film. We begin our study of history this way because, growing up in a media culture, most of us find it easier to apprehend the past when we can see visual representations of it. Unfortunately, little in our culture equips us to be critical, discerning viewers of moving images. Therefore, on film days I teach the basic skills of visual literacy that sharpens students' habits of critical thinking when it comes to watching moving images. As a means to this end, students complete a film analysis for each film viewed. These film analyses are collected in the course portfolio.
Film Guides:
- War Comes to America, part 7 of Why We Fight (1945)
- 1945: Brave New World, from The People’s Century (1997)
- 1946–1952: Best Years, from the ABC News/History Channel 15-part series The Century (1999)
- 1953–1960: Happy Daze, from the The Century (1999)
- Freedom on My Mind (1994)
- In This Affluent Society, vol. 1 in the PBS video history, America’s War on Poverty (1995)
- LBJ Goes to War, 1964–1965, part 4 of Vietnam: A Television History, WGBH, Boston (1983)
- In a Dark Time, #4 of 6 of Making Sense o the Sixties (1990)
- 1980–1989: A New World, from the The Century (1999)
- The Conservatives (1993)