Tinsel Town as Teacher: Hollywood Film in the High School Classroom

Reported in this article are the results of research that explored which feature films teachers are using to teach high school United States history and how and why they are using these films. The terms "feature film" and "Hollywood film" are used throughout to refer to movies co...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe History teacher (Long Beach, Calif.) Vol. 40; no. 3; pp. 303 - 330
Main Authors Marcus, Alan S., Stoddard, Jeremy D.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Society for History Education 01.05.2007
Subjects
Art teachers
Connecticut
Feature films
Film criticism
High Schools
History Instruction
Mass Media Use
Movies
Secondary School Teachers
Teacher Attitudes
Teacher Surveys
Teaching Methods
Textbooks
United States History
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Connecticut
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Summary:Reported in this article are the results of research that explored which feature films teachers are using to teach high school United States history and how and why they are using these films. The terms "feature film" and "Hollywood film" are used throughout to refer to movies commercially created for a mass audience, often for entertainment and profit. Although documentary films may also be a staple of many history classrooms, they are often created for different purposes and use different techniques, so they are not considered in this analysis. The study strives to establish baseline data to provide resources for those studying issues of film pedagogy and students' historical understanding and to continue the work of those documenting and examining teacher practices in general. Data from the study provide an understanding of the practices of one group of teachers in utilizing film as a resource and of the potential influence on their classrooms' history curriculum. For example, the analyses include examining ways in which the Hollywood films being used provide materials that supplement and/or diversify those available in high school textbooks, asking how their use either promotes narratives alternative to traditional United States history, or just reinforces traditional historical messages. (Contains 7 tables and 4 notes.)
ISSN:0018-2745
1945-2292