I teach Middle School, 6th grade English/History-Ancient Civilizations/ELD in an inner city low economic neighborhood. It has been challenging to teach children to respect the cultures that are different from their own. However, in this past year experience I have found that teaching history from a biographical and invention/art perspective to be the most succesful and engaging for my students.
I chose this film because I think it is a great way to culminate a unit on Confucius and Ancient China. It would be a great incentive to inform the students that as they finish all their learning on Ancient China that they will have the opportunity to enjoy an authentic but recent film on Confucius.The film would be shown over a week's time. Students would take cornell notes as they watch the movie.Students would also identify the G.R.A.P.E.S.-Geography, Religion, Accomplishments, Economy, and Social Structures found within the movie. I would create a GRAPES handout so that they could identify the different components with specific examples from the movie. Students would discuss the movie in a group discussion as well as socratic seminar. Questions would be teacher and student generated.
Students would have great success because the movie viewing would be a review of what they have learned about Confucius and Ancient China. They will experience a sense of accomplishment and understanding as they easily apply the concepts to the Ancient China Civilization. This movie will bring even more clarity, experience, understanding and enrichment as they watch the acient culture come alive through film. The best thing is the movie can be viewed on youtube for free. Additionally, the movie opens with a boy in the students' age group escaping an ancient ritual of a slave burial which will be highly engaging for students to relate to.
.