Using Hollywood Film in the U.S. History Classroom: Unit Plans from Westward Expansion to Civil Rights

Abstract

Today's students are accustomed to learning through the use of visual media- they grew up with it- beginning with Elmo and Barney. They have become visual learners as a result. Because they grew up with visual media, they are comfortable with it and can relate to it. Hollywood film is one type of visual media that classroom teacher's often use- especially history teachers. Often times, however, history teachers do not use film as a pedagogical tool at all, but as a babysitter for when they need to attend to other teacher duties. The purpose of this project was to outline a series of unit plans which best integrate film for the various time periods within United States history, beginning with the Westward Expansion. A second purpose of this project was to illustrate the potential for Hollywood film to deepen, rather than weaken, historical understanding. The unit plan will include a brief synopsis of the film and justification for the use of each film, the U.S. History standards that the film addresses, the learning targets for viewing the film and activities that help the students reach the learning targets and give evidence to the teacher that the learning targets have been attained. The historical eras that this project addressed are as follows: Westward Expansion, the Gilded Age, the Progressive Era, World War I, the 1920s, the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, and Civil Rights.