Jay Gatsby and Charles Foster Kane

While showing the 1974 film adaptation of The Great Gatsby is a common occurance in most American literature classrooms, it might not be the best selections. As is often the case, the movie is shown as a reward for completion of the novel, the big test, and any assorted projects that may have been part of the lesson. While this does give you some time in class to grade those essays on symbolism (Dr. T. J. Eckleberg's glasses, the green light at the end of the dock, etc.) some students may watch intently, others may sleep, and others may be catching up on their own schoolwork.

I have found that Citizen Kane offers some great opportunities for compare/contrast essays. The stories share many common themes: obsession with regaining the past, true identity vs. created identiyt, and power/wealth/corruption are just a few that easily spring to mind. While many students won't want to sit through a black and white film, and you may have a few that know what "Rosebud" means, setting up the film as a mystery and providing them with a graphic organizer to identify similarities and differences between the characters of Charles Foster Kane and Jay Gatsby, plot, and theme can provide a foundation for essays and classroom discussions.

I know that there is a lot of pressure out there to "teach the standards" and that teachers are feeling the pressure to get them taught. Adding a movie or two into the calendar does eat up a lot of instrucitonal time. However I feel that it can be time well spent if structured properly. The textbook is not your curriculum, the standards are your guide. The content can be a classic American film just as well as a classic American novel.
I step down from my mini-soapbox now.

As this is a new endevour I'd appreciate any comments/suggestions you might have.

Oscars

I'm getting geared up for the annual Oscar party, but thought I'd mention this little resource the Academy has for teachers: Screenwriting: The Language of Film.

Essential Resource

Reel Conversations is an excellent book to get started with. I ran across it in a bookstore while I was student teaching. It doesn't matter if you are an aspiring filmmaker or just someone that just enjoys sitting back with a bowl of popcorn, this book makes it easy to begin developing a critical approach to viewing films. The authors cite their expereiences with middle school students, which serves as great evidence that students don't have to be juniors or seniors in high school to have strong analytical and critical thinking skills.

I haven't read Reading In The Dark yet, but it also looks like a good resource.