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LA Film: Primary Lesson

Title: Latin American Film

Arizona State Standards:

  • Reading: Strand 1-Concept 6 (apply reading strategies) Strand 2 –Concept 2 (recognize historical and cultural perspectives)
  • Writing: Creative Writing: Strand 2-Concepts 1,2 & 4, Strand 3-Concept 1 (Grade1) Strand 1-Concept 2, Strand 2 Concepts 1,2, & 4, Strand 3-Concept 1 (Grade 2) Strand 1-Concept2, Strand 2-Concepts 1,2 & 4, Strand 3-Concept 2 (Grade 3) Strand 3-Concept 1. Writing Process: Strand 1- Concepts 1-5, Strand 2-Concept 6 (Grades1-2) Strand 1-Concepts 1 & 3-5, Strand 2 Concepts 1 & 6. Gather & Report Information: Strand 2-Concpet 1-2, Strand 3-Concept 2-3 (Grade 1) Strand 1-Concept 2, Strand 2-Concepts 1-2, Strand 3 Concepts 2-3 (Grade 2) Strand 2-Concepts 1-2 (Grade 3).
  • Listening and Speaking: LS-F1 and LS-F3 (shares, presents, participates in activities)
  • Civics and Government: 2SS-F1 (multiculturalism)
  • Arts: 1AM-R1 (songs) 1AM-R2 (rhythm) 1AM-R7 (Respect for personal work and work of others) 1AV-R1/F2 (use of art materials) 1AV-R2/E1/3AV-R2 (communicate through art) 1AV-R3 (art symbolism) 1AM-R6/3AV-R4 (art appreciation) 2AV-R2 (art & culture)

Goals & Objectives:

Students will...

  • Identify characteristics in film.
  • Place a film in its spatial and temporal context.
  • Make associations between film and pictures.
  • Discuss the celebration of the Day of the Dead.
  • Make links between pictures and the written word.

Length of lesson: Two one-hour periods or one block period.

Materials & Preparation:

  • disposable cameras (one photo per student)
  • crayons
  • construction paper
  • music from Mexico
  • photograph prints of the film Que Viva Mexico! Copies of the film available in most video stores.

Lessons:

First Period:

  • Ask students to describe their favorite movies. Why are those movies important to them? Write down the reasons they list for liking movies. Tell students that you are going to show them a short piece of a movie that does not share many of those characteristics. Students guess what the movie might be like (slow, black and white, no heroes, no action etc). Instructor provides feedback.
  • Tell students that you are going to play a little bit of the movie with no sound and that they will try to guess where and when the film was shot. Play episode 7 of the film (preview it first) with no sound.
  • Where is the movie shot? When did it take place? Yes! In Mexico! And the film is called, ¡Qué Viva México! Hurray Mexico! Focusing on the title, do they think that the director liked or disliked Mexico? What are some great things that he could have liked about Mexico? Make a list. Explain to students that those were the words that Father Hidalgo, a leader of the Mexican independence repeated aloud three times in the town plaza. Can students cry out the words like he did? Que Viva Mexico, Que Viva Mexico, Que Viva Mexico!!!!!!.
  • Students make posters of all the great things that the director of the movie and themselves like about Mexico. Put on some Mexican music while they work. Hang up the posters and give them feedback.

Second Period:

  • Place students in groups and show them the printouts of the movie. Do they recognize those images? Most will remember. Ask them to call out the title of the movie and what they can remember about it.
  • Why do they think it is in black and white? What are the children in the pictures doing? Are they happy? Do you think the pictures were taken from above or from bellow? Why? Why is the older boy standing by the sculpture? What are the children in the other two pictures celebrating? Many students will identify the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead.
  • Place students in groups and ask them to write down what the boys in the pictures might be saying. Share answers in class.
  • Give students paper and crayons and have them create their own masks for the Day of the Dead. Ask them to take pictures of each other (one picture per student). How do they want the person they will photograph to pose? Will they be taking the picture from above or from bellow? Tell student photographers to think through every decision they make when taking the picture. Students must follow each other’s instructions when they are posing. Develop the pictures and have a photo exhibit.

Evaluation:

  1. Assess students’ individual and group participation;
  2. Give them feedback on their comments and a grade on their posters for content, creativity and effort;
  3. Give students a grade for their dialogues;
  4. Grade the picture taking sessions for following instructors, thinking through decisions, being able to explain their decisions;
  5. Give students a grade for their pictures.

Extensions:

  1. Students make up a story for each picture and represent it in class. The instructor can film the performance and compare and contrast the work students did with the film, Que Viva Mexico!