“The past is never dead. It’s not even the past.” William Faulkner

3 : Things of interest to you about this scene: _____________________________________________________________________________ 2 : Two things that relate to what you already know. _____________________________________________________________________________ 1 : Question that this scene raises. _____________________________________________________________________________ 321

What is Media Literacy? What is Media Literacy? The ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media in a variety of forms. “To help students develop the habits of inquiry and skills of expression they need to be critical thinkers, effective communicators and active citizens in today’s world.”

Why use video/movies in the classroom? Can reach children with a variety of learning styles, especially visual learners. Help to expose students to cultures, events, or complex, abstract concepts that cannot be replicated in the classroom. Help students to practice media literacy and critical viewing skills. Help to activate students’ prior knowledge and experiences. Present historical scenes, events, and people in a dramatic context that helps to engage students in the lesson content.

Difficulties and Challenges Can be a very passive experience for the students. Becomes an opportunity for the students to “switch off” and become disengaged. Playing of movies and documentaries in their entirety can produce a great deal of unproductive time in the classroom.

Tips for using Media Clips in the Classroom. Preview the video/movie to review segments that connect to lesson objectives. When possible, use segmented viewing-- predetermined, shorter clips. Leave as many classroom lights on as possible. Let students know this is active rather than passive experience. Activities prior to the viewing provide the proper context for the video, help to establish a reason for watching, and direct the students toward meeting the desired learning outcomes. Outline specific things that students should look or listen for in the media clip. Use pause button to promote greater interactivity and reinforce initial reasons for viewing. Encourage students to think critically about the type of source that they are watching.

DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKERS Am I giving students the skills they need to determine what they think the message/content is rather than trying to tell them what I think the message is? Am I open to accepting any well-substantiated interpretations? At the end of this lesson are students likely to be more analytical rather than cynical?

REFLECTIONS: A KNIGHT’S TALE 1. Describe what you see in the movie. 2. Who is William Thatcher? What does he want to change? 3. What impression of European medieval society do we get from this movie?

FROM BABYLON TO BAGHDAD: SARGON Essential Question: What does the story of Sargon tell us about the Monarchs of Mesopotamia?What does the story of Sargon tell us about the Monarchs of Mesopotamia? While watching this video documentary it is important that your mind is actively engaged. In order to facilitate this you need to create at least six questions and six comments related to the content of the documentary. All writing must be legible and in complete sentences. COMMENTS/OBSERVATIONS 1. ___________________________________________________________ 2. ___________________________________________________________ 3. ___________________________________________________________ 4. ___________________________________________________________ 5. ___________________________________________________________ 6. ___________________________________________________________ QUESTIONS 1. ___________________________________________________________ 2. ___________________________________________________________ 3. ___________________________________________________________ 4. ___________________________________________________________ 5. ___________________________________________________________ 6. ___________________________________________________________ ASSIGNMENT VALUE: 16 Points

Essential Question: How influential was Muhammad? While watching this video documentary it is important that your mind is actively engaged. In order to facilitate this you need to create at least 8 comments and four questions and answers related to the content of the documentary. All writing must be legible and in complete sentences. COMMENTS/OBSERVATIONS 1. ________________________________________________________________ 2. ________________________________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________________________________ 4. ________________________________________________________________ 5. ________________________________________________________________ 6. ________________________________________________________________ 7. ________________________________________________________________ 8. ________________________________________________________________ 9. ________________________________________________________________ 10. _______________________________________________________________ QUESTIONS 1. ________________________________________________________________ A: ________________________________________________________________ 2. ________________________________________________________________ A: ________________________________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________________________________ A: ________________________________________________________________ 4. ________________________________________________________________ A: ________________________________________________________________ 5. ________________________________________________________________ A: ________________________________________________________________