QUESTION: Utilizing Documentaries to Teach Persuasive Writing

[Ashley Tice]

Currently, I am taking a grad class that exposed me to incorporating documentary films into my language arts curriculum.

 

I would like to use documentaries to help my students with their persuasive writing unit.

 

Does anyone have any ideas or thoughts that would help to get me started?  Are there any documentaries that embody the concepts of persuasion?

[Ashley Tice]

John - I actually have this book sitting right beside me as I work on my documenary rationale for my teaching film course that I am currently taking with Tim Shea at Millersville University.  In fact, we are using both of your texts in the course. 

I appreciate you pointing this out to me.  I plan on utilizing many of your techniques that you discuss when I implement film into my curriculum next year.  Thanks so much!

[Alan Teasley]

The first thing you should do is get a copy of John Golden's book, Reading in the Reel World (NCTE). It's the Rosetta Stone for English teachers wanting to teach with documentaries.

 

Having said that, I also recommend visiting the web site of the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival (www.fullframefest.org) That site will have thumbnail descriptions of the films at the most recent festival (it may also archive previous festivals--I haven't checked lately).

 

One good indication of the "accessibility" of particular documentaries is to check on the recent few years' worth of Academy Award nominees for best short and feature documentary. Most recent nominees and winners are available at: 

http://oscar.go.com/#category_documentary-feature

 

As you have no doubt discovered, "documentary" is as broad a word as "nonfiction," so there are many types: historical, biographical, "live concerts," etc. Ken Burns's The Civil War would be an example of historical, the recent HBO film Bobby Fischer Against the World is a good example of the biographical, and Troubadours (about the recent tour of James Taylor and Carole King) is an example of the concert film.

 

Quite a few documentaries do have a persuasive/argumentative theme, sometimes interwoven with biography or history. An Inconvenient Truth comes to mind as a film that advances a thesis while telling Al Gore's personal story. Just last night HBO screened one of the "hottest" films of the 2011 Full Frame Festival:  Hot Coffee, about the issue of tort reform and "runaway lawsuits." At the center of the story is the woman who sued McDonald's when she was burned by their coffee.

 

Finally I second Mike's recommendations about using Michael Moore's films. I think we can agree that his  work fits the argumentative/persuasive genre. I also support Faith's recommended titles: The Education of Shelby Knox--for which there is a great study guide available--and If a Tree Falls, both of which played to great discussion at the Full Frame Festival.

 

Alan

[Kimberly Hawks]

I saw Alan's recommendation of John Golden's book and saw that John has added a little bit from his book.  I would like to recommend another book of his "Reading the Dark: Using Film as a Tool in the English Classroom". This goes into more kinds of film than just documentary with persuasive and argumentative writing, but I really like it because it gives examples of literary terms and english aspects that we all talk about and the students wonder what exactly that is. This can help to create a bridge for whatever you might need your students to understand through film.

[Ashley Tice]

Kimberly - I have this text, too.  I plan on using it to help me build my literary elements that I review in a short story unit at the beginning of the year. I agree that it is a wonderful resource!

[Ashley Tice]

Alan - Thanks for the suggestions.  I plan on looking into these when I start to put together my persuasive unit.

 

Just a sidenote: I actually just did a book review and book talk for your book Reel Conversations with Ann Wilder.  I am ordering my personal copy on Amazon.  I have to tell you that it is an amazing resource for someone who wants to begin incorporating film studies in his or her classroom!  I love the last section where the book categorizes the different themes of young adult films - very resourceful for an eighth grade teacher, like me.  Thanks again for your input - I appreciate it!

[camille napier bernstein]

I love How's Your News? which began as as a feature film, but now seems to have been a series on MTV in 2009 (produced by South Park guys): http://www.mtv.com/shows/hows_your_news/series.jhtml#moreinfo

It's about Camp Jabberwocky, a camp in Massachusetts for variously disabled adults.  The movie documents their cross-country trip as news reporters -- conducting man-on-the-street interviews.

Students debate the film, some finding it exploitative, others moving and celebratory. 

 

An old one, but still gets my kids talking is Hoop Dreams.

[Ashley Tice]

Thanks Camille! I will look into both of these.

[Anna J. Small Roseboro]

Ashley,  you're getting lots of good ideas here.  I think there are a couple of issues to consider as you plan your lessons.

First, do you want your students to look at the documentaries as media - how messages are expressed through selected visual images, use of language (words, imagery, level of vocabulary, voice types, lighting, camera shots, etc?  If so, you'd design lessons for that kind of learning.

Or, do you plan to show the documentaries, and then have your students take a stand and write/give speeches on their chosen position about the topic?  If so, you'd design lessons for that kind of learning.

 

For high school or college classes, I'd encourage you to do both.  The reason:  As students are researching information to support their position for a paper or speech, they should have the skills to evaluate the degree of bias in what they're reading/viewing.  As  Mike has suggested here, there really is no such thing as total objectivity.

 

Frontline is one of the programs that could work for both purposes. With programs like this, you could show the video/DVD and have the students pay attention to the "message" of the program. What position(s) do they think the producers have taken?  Once you've taught students how to view and talk about filming, go back and look at the program in terms of the visual and verbal content to determine how the message has been transmitted.  Using the 5 W's and H will help them look at the program from different perspectives. (Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How?)

 

Then, ask the students to take a stand on some point made in the program, do their research and write a paper, and then give a speech or participate in a debate to further explore the issue of the program. 

 

In this context it's not important for the students to agree or even come to a consensus, but to understand how and why viewers could come to different conclusions about these controversial issues.

I commend you for the work you're doing to help prepare your students to think more critically about important issues and the media through which we learn about them.  Keep up the good work.

[Ashley Tice]

Anna - first of all, thank you for your kind words.

 

Also - I appreciate the guidance on how to begin my work with documentaries in my classroom.  You've given me more to add to my planning folder.  I didn't know where to begin and now I have tons of suggestions!

 

I do like the proposal of how I want to consider approaching this concept.  I will use your ideas. Thanks!

[Anna J. Small Roseboro]

That's why we're here.  Stay in touch and let us know how you decide to adapt the ideas you're picking up here.  Someone else will be looking to build on what you tell us.

 

 

[Johnathan Chase]

Waiting For Superman

http://chaseusgovernment.wikispaces.com/Waiting+For+Superman

[Melissa L]

If you have a netflix account, they have TONS of great documentaries, and you can show them right from your computer in school.  I would recommend some of the others, food inc. etc, but also An Inconvenient Truth - then do some research on the negative feedback the film got.  Lots of "researchers" had bad things to say about the film, but closer research shows that those researchers are being funded by corporations like Mobil.  Would make for a really interesting class discussion about "truth."  Also, I really like Banksy's "Exit Through the Gift Shop,"  which kind of does the same thing once you realize who the director is.  Finally, I show Spike Lee's "When the Levees Broke."  It's VERY LONG (4 DVDs), but you could show segments - particularly the aftermath and some of the things people said (Barbara Bush actually commented that people who lost their homes PREFERRED living in church basements and having things given to them.)  Great look at persuasion through images, music, etc.