Teaching Ethnic Diversity With Film

by Gerster, Carole

• ISBN13: 9780786421954
• ISBN10: 0786421959
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-01-01
• Publisher: McFarland Publishing

Summary

From the beginning of the 20th century, Hollywood filmmakers have shaped public beliefs about and attitudes toward African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Latinos. Challenging and updating the historical record, ethnic minority filmmakers have been re-presenting their histories, cultures, and literature from the perspectives of their own experience. The resulting films offer teachers an effective means for teaching ethnic diversity in today's media-saturated culture. This work details rationales and methods for incorporating readily available films into the high school and college undergraduate curriculum, particularly in history, social studies, literature, and film studies courses. It includes definitions of race and ethnicity and essays on the film history of African American, Asian American, American Indian, and Latino representation. Subsequent chapters, organized by disciplines, describe specific ways to teach visual and multicultural literacy with films, including suggestions for topics, methods, and films, and ending with four discipline-specific curriculum units for high school students. Film terminology and a list of resources to help teachers create their own curriculum units complete the work.

Author Biography

Professor emeritus of film and literature at the University of WisconsinûRiver Falls, Carole Gerster has published extensively on the relationship between film and multiculturalism. She currently teaches film and ethnic studies at the University of CaliforniaûSanta Cruz. Laura W. Zlogar is an English professor at the University of WisconsinûRiver Falls where she teaches ethnic film and literature.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	v
Preface	1	(6)
Introduction: Why Teach Visual and Multicultural Literacy?	7	(14)
PART I. FILM HISTORIES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN, ASIAN AMERICAN, AMERICAN INDIAN AND LATINO/A REPRESENTATIONS
1. Historical Overview of African Americans on Film: Challenges to Racial Ideology by Vincent Rocchio	21	(20)
2. Using Film and Video to Teach About Asians and Asian Americans Across the Curriculum by Gina Marchetti	41	(17)
3. American Indians and Film in the Classroom by Jacqueline Kilpatrick	58	(19)
4. Changing Faces: Exploring Latino/a History, Culture, and Identity Through U.S. Cinema by Joaquin Alvarado	77	(20)
PART II. METHODS FOR TEACHING ETHNIC FILM IN AMERICAN HISTORY, SOCIAL STUDIES, LITERATURE, AND FILM STUDIES BY CAROLE GERSTER
5. Methods of Film Analysis	97	(7)
6. History: Teaching Ethnic-American History with Film	104	(25)
7. Social Studies: Teaching Ethnic-American Topics with Film	129	(39)
8. Literature: Teaching Ethnic-American Literature on Film and as Film	168	(30)
9. Film Studies: Teaching Representations of American Ethnicity on Film	198
PART III. HIGH SCI1001, CLASSROOM-TESTED CURRICULUM UNITS
10. Teaching American History: The American Dream and the History of Latinos and Latinas in America by Jennifer Pokorney	235	(9)
11. Teaching Social Studies: The U.S. (Unfinished Sojourn) on Freedom Road by Mel Didier, Jr.	244	(9)
12. Teaching American Literature: Representations of Japanese American Internment by Nancy Shay	253	(11)
13. Teaching Film Studies: Images of Ethnicity and Justice in America by Billie Smith	264	(9)
Appendix: Selected Video Distributors and Websites	273	(2)
Notes	275	(14)
Glossary: The Language of Film	289	(8)
Selected Filmography	297	(8)
Selected Bibliography	305	(4)
Index	309