The Classroom Project
Who We Are
The Film & History organization began its evolution in 1970. First it was the journal Film & History; later came thematic conferences on the American presidency (2000), the Western (2002), war (2004), and documentary (2006). Several books have been created from the conference presentations and journal articles. Additionally, panel discussions have been staged at venues such as the American Culture and Popular Culture Associations and the Organization of American Historians (OAH). Our international membership has grown each year, a fact reflected in some of the consultants we can draw upon in providing assistance to those who seek it. F&H’s Web site <http://www.uwosh.edu/filmandhistory/> offers a full profile of our activities, including our journal http://tinyurl.com/2ectrk , our growing collection of essays on Controversial Films http://tinyurl.com/ypeucm and our Book and Film Reviews http://tinyurl.com/3c2xnw . We invite memberships, which includes a subscription to our journal.
Assisting the Classroom
Film & History has always attracted members who are committed to making use of the history film as part of history education. Many of them have written articles and books that advance instructional theory and practice and some have received awards for their innovative contributions to the art of instruction. The assumptions shared among these teaching theorists are the following:
(1) film is a valid form of historical discourse;
(2) we live in age where filmed versions of history engage our emotions, cultivate our interests, and affect our beliefs about the past;
(3) film sometimes exerts a historical influence upon events;
(4) historical instruction is enlivened by attention to films (feature, docudramatic, documentary) with history content;
(5) when film is used instructionally, students should acquire sensitivities and critical skills of the sort bestowed upon book-based histories.
For teachers desiring an approach consistent with such principles, F&H can establish contact with some of its volunteers who possess knowledge of particular film genres and periods; others can help with strategies for making the student’s film experience responsive to state- or national-mandated instructional objectives. We also want to collaborate with other organizations.
While we can occasionally send our volunteers for onsite consultation, we can constantly help through our Web site, email, and telephone. The other side of this page contains online links to the ideas of historians, Webliographies, and an email address for John Shelton Lawrence, who can usually match a request for help with the right person.
Resources for Film History
While the film medium has its own important history, Film & History’s principal focus is the use of film to represent history. To reinforce this understanding, we speak of “history films” or “filmed history,” whether feature or documentary. The links below lead to some materials that conceptualize history films for their use in classroom instruction.
I. Theory
Kathryn Helgesen Fuller, “Lessons from the Screen: Film and Video in the Classroom.” American Historical Association, 1999. http://tinyurl.com/2pwgtx
John E. O’Connor, “Reading, Writing, and Critical Viewing: Coordinating Skill Development in History Learning,” The History Teacher 2001. http://tinyurl.com/ywwg6h and “Not the Past as it Really Happened: An Interview with John O’Connor.” History On/In Film (Australia). http://tinyurl.com/2qpvg4
Peter C. Rollins, “Interview with Peter Rollins on Talk of the Nation,” May 2004. http://tinyurl.com/2dojxe
Robert Rosenstone, “Film and History Methodologies: Classic Overview and Methodologies,” American Historians Association, 2007. http://tinyurl.com/38ke5m
Robert Toplin, “Remarks to the AHA on Film,” 2007. http://tinyurl.com/27asg9
II. Pedagogy Sites & Sources
1. Film & History’s Guide to Documentary Film. A vast collection of documentaries--summarized and thematically classified. Several years in the making, this collective enterprise has been organized by Keith Wheelock of F&H: http://tinyurl.com/33xztj
1. Teach with Movies: http://www.teachwithmovies.org/
Practical tips and plans for teaching particular movies at the secondary level. The site charges $11.99 per year for full access. Sample plans can be seen.
2. Reel American History: http://tinyurl.com/2dnnqh
Resources organized by teams at Lehigh University: bibliographies, linked resources for history films, and sections for student guidance.
3. Center for Teaching History through Film: http://mediapede.org/filmhistory/ . A project of the Center for the Study of Public History and Public Culture at George Washington University; both content experts and a teacher advisory board shape the information. Currently lists five feature films on American history.
4. The recent book, Alan S. Marcus, ed. Celluloid Blackboard: Teaching History with Film (2006) is edited by and contains essays by F&H members. http://tinyurl.com/29hblc
5. Ron Briley, “A Study Guide for Stephen B. Oates' The Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner's Fierce Rebellion,” The History Teacher, May 2006. http://tinyurl.com/22qgce Briley, the Pedagogy Editor for Film & History, received the Organization of American Historians 2006 Beveridge Family Teaching Prize.
6. Ron Briley, “Reel History and the Cold War.” OAH Magazine of History
8 (Winter 1994). http://tinyurl.com/3695wh
7. Andrew Bonnell, coordinator for team taught course at Queensland University, History 2608, “Film and History” syllabus. http://tinyurl.com/2mmplc
8. Ryan Sprau and Larry Keig, “I Saw It In The Movies: Suggestions For Incorporating Film And Experiential Learning In The College History Survey Course.” College Student Journal, March, 2001 by Ryan Sprau, Larry Keig http://tinyurl.com/yujqws . This is an approach to using film with specific steps and a supporting bibliography.
9. Paul B. Weinstein, “Movies as the Gateway to History: the History and Film Approach.” The History Teacher 35 (1) Nov 2001: http://tinyurl.com/2o77fh One teacher’s philosophy of introducing history films to the classroom.
IV. Webliographies
1. Ancient History in the Movies, hosted by Fordham University. http://tinyurl.com/2p35bq
2. Medieval History in the Movies (Fordham U.) http://tinyurl.com/36mjsq
3. Modern History in Movies (Fordham U.) http://tinyurl.com/2lpoze
4. A comprehensive bibliography created by Dr. Steven Schoenherr and hosted at San Diego University. It references both works in film history and history films as defined above. http://tinyurl.com/3xlpcb
Contact: This material was prepared by
John Shelton Lawrence, Emeritus, Morningside College. 2/18/07
email fraterjohann (at) netscape.net
Editorial Advisory Board for F&H |
