Film Studies Lesson Plans

In this lesson students Discuss the contributions of Albert Maysles to documentary filmmaking and learn how to correctly operate video recording and editing equipment to create a short film.

In this lesson students begin the lesson by reading a book on film study. After watching the movie "Citizen Kane", they work together to identify the issues concerning the United States before World War II. As a class, they discuss how the ideas and views of the directors make their way into a film.

In this lesson students research that a narrative film tells a story using camera movement, sound, lighting, editing and other film making techniques. The audience must be taken into consideration when making a film. They explore what makes their hero so unique.

In this lesson students consider the prospect of inviting a controversial leader to speak in their community. They analyze the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's controversial invitation to speak at Columbia University. In this lesson students create provocative interview questions to ask other contentious world leaders for class presentations.

In this lesson students explore how Iran's uranium enrichment-related activities has caused a rift between Russia, the United States, and Europe. They stage a mock summitt to discuss Iran's nuclear program.

This lesson has students are introduced to the experiences of thousands of Hispanics during World War II. After watching an excerpt from "The War", they work together in groups to research more in depth their different experiences. They compare and contrast the Hispanic experience with other minority groups during the war.

Students discuss the purpose of city symphonies that were used in the past. In groups, they compare and contrast the social systems of a school and city to create their own city symphony video together. They also write what is known as a treatment in the present tense to introduce the characters and setting. They record their video and present it to the class.

This lesson has students compare and contrast World War II to the Iraqi war. After watching a film, they use supporting evidence to support their point of view of the conflicts. Using the internet, they create a presentation to share with the class what information they have gathered from examining World War II.

Students make their own short film about a hero of their choice. They create their own script and edit their video.

Students bring historical, literary and fictional heroes to life by using moving images, illustrations and sound to tell an animated hero story.