How to Use Film in a History Class

Movies have the ability to create an "alternate reality" where the imagination reigns. When you watch a film, you become immersed in this world. History teachers can utilize film to effectively showcase historical places, characters and viewpoints that are vastly different from their students' own time, place and perspective.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Consider your audience. Younger students may not understand the complexities in a war movie or a movie like "Gandhi," but older students might appreciate it.
2. Integrate the movie into the syllabus. Do not show a movie which is only vaguely related to your topic. You want to include the movie in your lesson plans and not as an afterthought.
3. Include a project or activities for your students. Make the movie integral to the lesson. Try to use creative techniques, like having the students write a movie review or create group projects based on what they viewed. You can also use handouts and questions before, after or during a movie to keep them involved.
4. Clarify any mistakes, inaccuracies or modern touches in the movie. Some historic movies modernize certain elements within the film to appeal to modern movie audiences or to spice up the dramatic aspects of the film. Mention this to your students and have them examine the movies critically.
5. Preview any movie before you show the class, even if you seen it before in the past. Don't be surprised if the film seems overly violent, unrealistic or inappropriate as a teaching tool. Watching a film as an adult for entertainment purposes is much different than using it in the classroom.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you get a school-rated/censored copy of the movie and get prior approval before a movie showing.
• Don't let your students simply sleep, text or pass notes during a movie showing! Assign work that requires students to pay attention to the movie.