Resources for Teachers - Movies

Who's Telling My Story?

In this lesson students learn about the history of blackface and other examples of majority-group actors playing minority-group characters such as White actors playing Asian and Aboriginal characters and non-disabled actors playing disabled characters.

Understanding the rating system for video games

It's important to know what the ratings mean on the video games your children play. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is an industry organization that has developed a rating system for computer, Internet and video games. Most games sold in North America are rated using this system.

Reading Media

In this lesson, students are introduced to the idea of “reading media” through a medium’s rules of notice and the maker’s framing choices of what to include and what to emphasize. After a modeled and then guided introduction to these ideas, students analyze a work to identify how it uses rules of notice and framing and consider what meaning these choices communicate.

Violence on Film: The Ratings Game - Lesson

To introduce students to the rating systems for films, videos and television and to the issues that surround these classifications.

The Blockbuster Movie - Lesson

This lesson introduces students to the phenomenon of the“blockbuster” movie – its history,characteristics and influences. Students will also explore the role of audience in the creation of a “blockbuster” and analyze their own responses to current blockbuster films. Students will learn about the process involved in turning a film into a blockbuster by devising promotional campaigns for an imaginary movie.