Final Storyboard

Film in the English Classroom

Joe Goldberg
IDE 737
Dr. Koszalka
 Film in the English Classroom
Background: The following mini-unit was observed in
a secondary public, suburban high school as a part of
field research toward a dissertation studying how
secondary level English teachers make sense of
instructing with theatrical film in the English
classroom space. The researcher conducted
classroom observations of Mr. Davies (pseudonym)
conducting a mini film unit spanning three class
periods with 28 students in his 11th grade AP
Language and Composition class.
Stakeholders: Mr. Davies, 28 11th grade AP English
students
The Problem: A preponderance of research reveals English teachers’
universal use of film in their classrooms (Lynch, 1980; Donaghy, 2015).
This hardly surprises given students’ remarkable familiarity with and
fondness for film, and film’s inherent literary nature. However,
teaching with film continues “to be regarded by many with suspicion
for pedagogic practice” (Lambirth, 1994, np). “The lasting image is of a
classroom of slack-jawed students sitting in a darkened classroom
while the teacher sits quietly in the back” (Fisher and Frey, 2011, p. 2).
Many still view film merely as “entertainment” (Vetrie, 2004), and still
others call for its exclusion from the English classroom altogether
(Jago, 1999). This dim view of film in the classroom owes directly to
the paucity of best-practice teaching strategies and teacher training
for using film instructionally, and not for any lack of learning potential
with film itself (Denby, 1969; Lynch, 1980; Krueger & Christel, 2001).
Indeed, the National Council of Teachers of English, the International
Literacy Association, and the Common Core State Standards Initiative
have all codified film as an essential form of literacy in the ELA
teaching standards (Costanzo, 1992; Krueger & Christel, 2001;
Common Core, 2010), yet none detail how film instruction in the
English classroom should be done. Thus, the research question: How
can teachers effectively instruct with feature film, an essential form
of literacy in the ELA standards, in the high school English classroom?
Title: Film in the English Classroom Estimated Time: 246 min
Purpose: Learning to close read film text for meaning
Context: This is a mini film unit in a secondary English classroom. Students will learn how
to critically analyze cinematic techniques employed by the director to create meaning in the
text in a similar way to how an author does so in a print text.

Overview: This storyboard presents the flow of activities for three 82 minute classes (246
min total) of film analysis training. The unit includes: presentation; demonstration; practice;
assessment; debrief.
Expected outcomes:
1) Students will be able to identify basic film composition elements and analytical film terms.
2) Students will be able to identify cinematic elements in the frames of a film.
3) Students will be able to explain the meanings created by the composition of elements in
the frame.
4) Students will be able to explain how the director manipulates cinematography for various
purposes (e.g. to characterize characters in the film, to evoke emotions in the viewers)

Resources: Presentation DVD, loose leaf paper, pens, and DVDs, 3 flashlights,
guided worksheet, chromebooks
Facilities: Classroom, Smartboard/projector, DVD player
Stakeholders: Facilitator-teacher; Audience-students
Title: Film in the English Classroom Estimated Time: 246 min
Purpose: Learning to close read text for meaning

Flow of
Essential Question/Attentional Hook
Presentation
15 Min
Problem-Posing and Demonstration
Active Engagement 94 Min
Screen Moonrise Practice
Kingdom 25 Min
Youtube Videos on Assessment (60 Min)
Frame Composition 30 Min and Debrief (22 Min)
Scene Analysis
60 Min-Assessment
Think/Pair/Share
20 Min-Debrief
Share Out
Course title: Film in the English Classroom
Activity Title: Essential Question and Attentional Hook Estimated Time: 15 min
Instructional Activity Description:
The teacher will then have students roll up a sheet of
paper to use as a viewing lens, and have them look at
things at various angles (seated, standing on chairs, etc),
and with close-ups and long shots by adjusting the paper.
Meanings associated with each ‘camera’ angle will be
discussed. The teacher will turn off the lights and use
flashlights to show side, back, and key lighting
techniques, and discuss the meanings of each.
Activity Deliverables/Outcomes:

Student demonstration of cinematic techniques and verbal

responses of their technical names and meanings.

Resources Required:

Loose leaf paper and three flashlights. Pre-cut cardstock

viewfinders for each students are optional.
Notes: Key learning outcomes:
The teacher will open with the following question: How
do images create and communicate meaning? Students will be able to identify cinematic techniques by
their technical names and describe the meaning they
convey.
Key Content Points:

Cinematic techniques—camera angles, movement,

lighting, etc.—are employed by film directors to
communicate meaning.
Course title: Film in the English Classroom
Activity Title: Film Presentation Estimated Time: 94 min
Instructional Activity Description:
The teacher divides the class into groups, and has each
group choose a cinematic element they will focus on
(lighting, editing, etc.) while answering related guided
questions on a worksheet about that element as it comes
up in the film. The teacher will then screen the film
Moonrise Kingdom, directed by Wes Anderson, as the
students collect ‘evidence’ of their groups’ element.
Activity Deliverables/Outcomes:
Textual evidence of a cinematic technique as it appears in
the film, descriptions of how it was manifested, and
inferences as to the meaning of its use, recorded on the
guided questions sheet.
Resources Required:
DVD player, Smartboard/projector, DVD. Guided
questions sheets for various cinematic techniques.

Notes: Key learning outcomes:

The film is screened as a text to be analyzed in a similar Students will be able to identify the characters, conflicts,
way to traditional print text stories in an English setting, and plot of the story in the film, and be able to
classroom. This will take the rest of this class period and identify examples in the film of their groups’ cinematic
spill over into the next class period as well. For technique being used.
homework students will review the pages of a website
Key Content Points:
that details basic terms and concepts of cinematography
at: http://filmanalysis.yctl.org/.
The setting, characters, conflicts, and plot of the story in
the film, and camera shots, angles, and movement,
lighting, editing, and mise-en-scene.
Course title: Film in the English Classroom
Activity Title: Demonstration Estimated Time: 25 min
Instructional Activity Description:
The teacher will play two short Youtube videos
explaining and demonstrating basic film composition and
other cinematic techniques employed by directors to
create meaning.

Activity Deliverables/Outcomes:
Student notes on video presentations.

Resources Required:
Computer, Smartboard/Projector, internet connection

Notes: Key learning outcomes:

The teacher will inform students to take summary notes Students will be able to explain the meanings of film
on the major concepts from the video they deem composition elements, such as mise-en-scene, the rule of
important. Notetaking is optional as the activity does thirds, eye line match, negative space, framing, etc.
requires a student to look down at their paper and miss
the visual information from the video, and because
Key Content Points:
students learn/remember information differently from
Framing, rule of thirds, mise-en-scene, eye line match,
others. The teacher assigns students the homework of
negative space.
bringing in a school-appropriate DVD to class from home
for next class’ activities.
Course title: Film in the English Classroom
Activity Title: Practice Scene Analysis Estimated Time: 45 min
Instructional Activity Description:
Teacher will cue up several scenes from Moonrise
Kingdom and ask students to identify and explain the
meaning of cinematic elements in the scenes that were
covered in the demonstration phases of analyzing film.
Whole class discussion will be used for this practice.

Activity Deliverables/Outcomes:
Verbal analysis of cinematic techniques and their
attendant meanings from the scenes cued from the movie.

Resources Required:

DVD player, Smartboard/projector, DVD

Notes: Key learning outcomes:

The teacher will lead the discussion by asking students what stands Students will be able to identify cinematic elements used
out/they notice about a frame from the film that the teacher has by the director in the scenes cued and explain their
paused the movie on. Students will next be asked to decode the
meaning in the context of the story.
meaning, being mindful of the demonstration analysis videos and
previously assigned homework they have been exposed to. The
teacher will call on volunteers for answers, but will ‘cold call’ non- Key Content Points:
participating students to involve all. The teacher may use the pens Cinematic elements and meaning-making
of the Smartboard to make annotations right on the still frame.
Course title: Film in the English Classroom
Activity Title: Assessment Estimated Time: 60 min
Instructional Activity Description:
The teacher will distribute an assignment sheet. Students will work
in groups of two three. Having each brought in a movie on DVD
from home, the group will select one DVD and pick a scene.
Students will analyze the scene in a think-pair-share progression,
taking individual notes, sharing analysis with a partner, then
discussing as a group. The group will then capture three frames
from one scene and identify the cinematic elements and the
meanings they create. Frames and analysis will be made into a
slideshow.
Activity Deliverables/Outcomes:
PWPT or Google slides document with three still frames
from a film with accompanying analysis of cinematic
elements in each frame and the meanings they create.

Resources Required:
Chromebooks, DVDs

Notes: Key learning outcomes:

Teacher will assist with any tech issues in operating the Students will be able to identify cinematic elements in
chrome books, as well as with screen capturing still still frames they excerpted from a movie. Students will be
frames. Teacher will encourage participation from and able to explain the meanings created by the cinematic
collaboration with all group members, and will give elements identified from the chosen frames. Students will
verbal updates on time remaining and approximations on demonstrate their analysis in a PWPT presentation.
where groups should be in the process. The PWPT
Key Content Points:
projects created will be submitted via Google classroom
Frame analysis, cinematic elements, meaning-making.
for an assessment grade by the end of the time allotted.
Course title: Film in the English Classroom
Activity Title: Debrief Estimated Time: 22 min
Instructional Activity Description:
Student groups will share the presentation they created in
class with the three frames they selected, the cinematic
elements they identified, and their analysis of the
meanings those cinematic elements created.

Activity Deliverables/Outcomes:
Informal presentation of PWPT project analyzing the
cinematic elements and the meanings they create.

Resources Required:

PWPT presentation (shared on Google classroom),

Chromebooks, DVD, Smartboard/projector

Notes: Key learning outcomes:

Teacher will facilitate short, informal group presentations to share Students will be able to identify cinematic elements and
the film analysis each group conducted as time allows. The focus is the meanings they create from the still frames they
to allow the class additional examples of film analysis, and
selected.
allowing for non-group members to offer additional or even
alternative analysis to consider that was not included in the
analysis of the group presenting. This activity will offer review of Key Content Points:
the many filmic elements introduced throughout the unit.
Review of concepts regarding cinematic elements and the
meanings they create that were taught in the unit.