Movies as Literature

[Osmosis Mom]

Has anyone used this?

TIA.

[ccm]

:lurk5:

[Susan C.]

Has anyone used this?

TIA.

I have it....have yet to use it. I'm keeping it in case we watch one of the movies in it :)

I think it would be fun for 8th or 9th grade.... but I'm traditional with literature and wanted to do World, American, and British literature for 10th, 11th and 12th grades.

[JennW in SoCal]

I used it last year with my ADHD/non-traditional senior, though we didn't use the entire book.

We enjoyed the movies, but the discussion questions were not as literary as I had hoped. And sometimes they were more superficial than I would have liked. It started out well with the first few movies in asking about the symbolism in certain scenes, or discussing the music and how it added to the mood. But my ds's own perspective led the direction of our discussions, and the topics of his papers came more from his interest in lighting design and his own keen cinematic eye. He noticed things that I didn't, and when we'd re-watch, he would explain how certain shots were made and why they were used.

It does look like a good program at first blush. Each movie has a background page, and there is a list of literary topics illustrated in the movie, but I became more disillusioned as the year went on. As I write this I wonder whether I missed some of the better lessons -- I clearly still want to like and recommend it! I guess I would recommend it as a great extra, but not as the basis for an entire course.

[Julie in MN]

It does look like a good program at first blush. Each movie has a background page, and there is a list of literary topics illustrated in the movie, but I became more disillusioned as the year went on.

I wonder if you were disillusioned because you had hoped to use it for a full course? Do you think it would have been great as only part of a course?

I have the book & it's looking very good, with good points being made about viewpoint & purpose of elements, but not sure if that's just "first blush"?

Julie

[CathieC]

My older son did this course. He loved it, as did I! We found the questions thorough. And the teacher guide really helps you to know what to look for in their responses. Ds did all but 2-3 of the movies.

[TejasMamacita]

We used it a couple of years ago. My son and I really enjoyed it. He has never been much of a reader and I was getting tired of getting after him about reading all the time. He's better now, I think he just needed a couple of years to mature. Boys, you know. ;)

I thought it was a good, full, robust course. Maybe my standards aren't as high as others on this board, :001_smile:, because I really thought it was a great course at the time we used it.

It has 17 movies. Probably only one or two that I would have watched on my own, but we learned an appreciation for classic cinema. We also learned to watch movies the same way we read, with a close critical eye.

We enjoyed it. Glad we used it. I'm sure we'd do it again if given the opportunity.

I received a full free sample unit from the author. It really helped me to make my decision to purchase it. You may want to email her (from the website) and see if she still offers this service. If not, I may still have it on my computer somewhere. PM me if you're interested and I'll try to email it to you.

[mschickie]

We are using it right now. Sd is enjoying it. I think it has a good variety of films and the question are pretty indepth. We are also using some of the extended actitivites so she is reading some of the books and stories too.

[Sparrows-Song]

I am using it this year with an 8th grader and (sometimes) with my 6th grader. We are only on movie #3 but they are liking it pretty well. I actually chose it b/c I wanted something "lighter" this year for lit, and it looked like fun.
BTW, both my students are boys (and movie-lovers) so this has helped.

[Beth in TN]

We haven't used it yet. I bought our course from CathieC a year ago. We plan to use it this school year as part of our English II course. I am only using 3 of the movies (Emma, To Kill A Mockingbird, and A Man for All Seasons). I am adjusting the course a bit to include reading the novels and comparing them to the film versions.

[Blessed]

My 9th grade dd is enjoying Movies as Literature and so am I. We have done the first 2 movies and I am finding it a very good way to dissect and analyze movies.

It will be easy to sharpen those skills when reading novels & short stories, especially if you haven't done a lot of literary analysis. My children are avid readers and have done book reports but I haven't really required any feedback and discussion about literary elements that are being incorporated into a story. The questions for the student are probing but not too difficult. And the teachers guide is great.

[Julie in MN]

And the teachers guide is great.

Do you think you need both books? Would only one do?
Julie

[TejasMamacita]

Do you think you need both books? Would only one do?
Julie

I only got the Teacher's Guide. It has a separate section that is EXACTLY like the student book, if you feel like making copies.

My son and I did all the questions verbally and I just had him make notes of his answers. I don't think the student book is necessary, but that's just my opinion, of course.

[Julie in MN]

Thanks for that. I was wondering if I should get the other.
Julie