Black Panters Reading and Questions for Students
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February 26, 2018
Lesson Plan: Social justice through the lens of the Blackness Panthers
Subjects
Social studies, English, government
Estimated Time
One 45-minute class menstruum
Grade Level
9-12
Introduction
How do documentary filmmakers determine which events and characters to include in their films? Why do many documentaries focus on the effect of social justice? This lesson will explore how documentary filmmakers approach making their films, the artistic vision they bring to their projects and reasons why many documentaries centre around social issues.
Students volition hear from Stanley Nelson, director of PBS' " The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution ," who discusses choices he made in creating the motion picture. They will then choose a documentary they'd each like to watch on their own exterior of grade, inquiry the impact it had on the public at the time, talk over elements of social justice in the film, read reviews or interviews with the director and report back to class if it's a flick they'd recommend to their peers to picket.
Warm Up Activity
Ask your students what they know about the Black Panthers before yous watch the trailer for "The Blackness Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution". What themes or problems do they see in the trailer that accept been raised throughout the civil rights move? How might the images in the trailer appear dissimilar than some of the images or ideas they've seen related to the civil rights motility?
Main Activities:
Watch the interview with Stanley Nelson, managing director of "The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution" every bit he discusses some his thoughts near the making of the film. Discuss the post-obit questions with your students after they've finished watching the interview.
- Why practice yous call up Nelson fabricated this documentary?
- What do you recall Nelson meant almost the telling of the Black Panthers ascent and autumn when he said, "The film is warts and all"?
- How does a filmmaker decide which events to include in a documentary?
- What does Nelson say regarding how the film addresses social justice?
Students should choose from i of the documentaries beneath, talk with family and friends for recommendations or research a documentary they'd like to run across on their own.
- Exist certain the documentaries are age-appropriate and that families know of the projection. Students tin cheque sites that recommend elevation documentaries like this i or this one, merely they should likewise use this lesson as a fashion for students to reach out to you lot, other teachers or family members to ask them for recommendations.
- Students should sympathise what makes a motion-picture show a documentary – and be certain they have chosen a documentary.
- Have students choose a documentary that has a social justice angle to information technology. Many documentaries can exist a fine ground for a school project and a great source for an essay or an op-ed.
- What is social justice? Information technology's both a process and a goal, according to Adams, Bell and Griffin (2007). "The goal of social justice education is full and equal participation of all groups in a society that is mutually shaped to meet their needs. Social justice includes a vision of society that is equitable and all members are physically and psychologically prophylactic and secure." – Social Justice Training Institute website
- For a practiced explanation every bit to why to teach social justice in the classroom, yous may desire to check out Caitrin Blake'southcommodity"How to Teach Social Justice in Theory and Practice."
Students should write a two-paragraph motion picture review:
- Let students know that documentaries are often referred to every bit films, and as such are bailiwick to the same critical reviews as regular Hollywood feature films. The kickoff paragraph should provide some context for the moving-picture show, why they chose it, who directed it also every bit how it was received by the public. The second paragraph should explicate why the educatee recommends (or does not recommend) the film to their classmates.
- Students should share their reviews with the class or use a Google medico or grade website. They may cull to bear witness a video clip or the trailer of the documentary in form, if time permits, or include information technology with their 2-paragraph review.
Extension Activities
1 documentary that often makes it to the top documentaries of all times lists is PBS' "Eyes on the Prize," which debuted more than 25 years ago in 1990. The 14 episode serial tells the story of the civil rights motility in the U.Southward. from 1954 to 1985 and is still a highly popular serial in classrooms across the country. "Eyes on the Prize" was created and produced by African-American filmmaker Henry Hampton at Blackside, Inc. whose many programs focused on social justice.
Accept a wait at ane of the series' terminal clips about the Blackness Panthers. Ask students why documentarians might exist drawn to certain social justice-related subjects, including civil rights. Which images from this clip interested students the virtually? Did students find certain characters or aspects of the story compelling?
by Victoria Pasquantonio, PBS NewsHour Pedagogy Editor, History/English Teacher – f eedback on this lesson is welcome. Send to vpasquantonio-at-newshour-dot-org
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Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/lessons-plans/black-panthers-social-justice-in-documentaries-lesson-plan/
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