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MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
History and the Hollywood Cinema
MHS Elective
Authored by: Theodora Irwin
Reviewed by: Lee Nittel,
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Mark DeBiasse,
Supervisor of Humanities
Adopted by the Board: January, 2013
Members of the Board of Education:
Lisa Ellis, President
Patrick Rowe, Vice-President
David Arthur
Kevin Blair
Shade Grahling
Linda Gilbert
Thomas Haralampoudis
James Novotny
Superintendent: Dr. Michael Rossi
Madison Public Schools
359 Woodland Road, Madison, NJ 07940
www.madisonpublicschools.org
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I. OVERVIEW
The semester elective Social Studies course History and the Hollywood Cinema will teach students to
question and recognize the limitations of film in a historical context, yet allow them to recognize it an
important source of the history education of society in the modern world. By constantly comparing 20th
century film with the ideas and values taught in history classes and common views of academic history,
students will determine the effectiveness of film as a historical tool through inquiry, interpretation, and
evaluation.
II. SKILLS (Linked to NJ Content Standards)
History and the Hollywood Cinema is designed to stimulate critical thinking, decision-making and
problem solving skills which are specified within the Cross-Content Workplace Readiness Standards of the
New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards. Since the genre used as the centerpiece of the curriculum is
commercial films, it inherently meets several Visual and Performing Arts Standards. The content of selected
films for each unit and independent project will determine which Social Studies core curriculum standards are
pertinent but a basic correlation for each unit has been provided.
The following is a correlation between History and the Hollywood Cinema units with the New Jersey
Core Curriculum Content Standards:
Unit I: Historical Accuracy
NJCCC Standards correlated with this unit:
Cross-Content Workplace Readiness Standards 2, 3, and 4.
Visual and Performing Arts Standards 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, and 1.5.
Social Studies Standards 6.2, 6.3 and 6.5
Unit II: Commercial Films vs Documentary Films
NJCCC Standards correlated with this unit:
Cross-Content Workplace Readiness Standards 2, 3, and 4.
Visual and Performing Arts Standards 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, and 1.5.
Social Studies Standards 6.2, 6.3. and 6.5
Unit III: Point of View
NJCCC Standards correlated with this unit:
Cross-Content Workplace Readiness Standards 2, 3, and 4.
Visual and Performing Arts Standards 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, and 1.5.
Social Studies Standards 6.2, 6.3, and 6.5
Unit IV: Purpose of Commercial Films (Besides Profit)
NJCCC Standards correlated with this unit:
Cross-Content Workplace Readiness Standards 2, 3, and 4.
Visual and Performing Arts Standards 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, and 1.5.
Social Studies Standards 6.2, 6.3, and 6.5.
Unit V: Societal Values and Their Effects on Films
NJCCC Standards correlated with this unit:
Cross-Content Workplace Readiness Standards 2, 3, and 4.
Visual and Performing Arts Standards 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, and 1.5.
Social Studies Standards 6.2, 6. 3, 6.4, and 6.5.
Unit VI: Historical Value of Commercial Film
NJCCC Standards correlated with this unit:
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Cross-Content Workplace Readiness Standards 2, 3, and 4.
Visual and Performing Arts Standards 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5.
Social Studies Standards 6.2, 6.3, and 6.5.
III. COURSE OUTLINE BY UNIT
Unit I: Historical Accuracy
Thematic/Reasoning Skills Goal: Establish the historical accuracy of a historically-based commercial film.
Are events presented realistically?
Is the chronology correct?
Are locations, costumes and sets correct?
Does technology realistically represent the time period?
Do the details enhance historical tone?
Do the characters speak and act as people in their time, situation and class did?
Does the overall look reflect the time period?
Time Frame: 4 weeks
Unit II: Commercial Films vs Documentary Films
Thematic/Reasoning Skills Goal: Compare and contrast a historical commercial film with a historical
documentary on the same subject in order to determine which is more accurate.
Commercial Film
How accurate it the history?
Are events presented realistically?
Is the chronology correct?
Are locations, costumes and sets correct?
Does the technology realistically represent the time period?
Do the details enhance historical tone?
Do the characters speak and act as people in their time, situation and class did?
Does the overall look reflect the time period?
Documentary Film
How accurate is the history?
Are events presented realistically?
Is the chronology correct?
Are locations, costumes and sets correct?
Does the technology realistically represent the time period?
Do the details enhance historical tone?
Do the characters speak and act as people in their time, situation and class did?
Does the overall look reflect the time period?
Time Frame: 3 weeks
Unit III: Point of View
Thematic/Reasoning Skills Goal: Determine how the point of view in a historical commercial film can alter
the viewer’s perception.
What is the point of view?
How does the point of view effect the film’s accuracy?
Would presenting from another character’s point of view make a difference in the viewer’s perception?
Why did the filmmaker choose this point of view?
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Time Frame: 2 weeks
Unit IV: Purpose
Thematic/Reasoning Skills Goal: Examine the purpose of a historical commercial film. (Besides profit.)
What is the message the filmmaker wishes to communicate?
Does the filmmaker’s purpose target a certain type of viewer?
What techniques are used to target specific viewers?
Does the filmmaker attempt to influence the viewer’s perception of the historical event or situation?
How are the historical events altered to fit the filmmaker’s purpose?
Does the film succeed in fulfilling the filmmaker’s purpose?
Time Frame: 3 weeks
Unit V: Societal Values and Their Effect on Films
Thematic/Reasoning Skills Goal: Analyze a historical commercial film as a product of the time period in
which it is made.
What values are implied by the film?
How does it portray ethnic differences?
Does it include parent-child relationships of the time period in which it was made?
What does the filmmaker do to influence feelings and emotions?
What type of heroes or villains are shown in the film?
What messages does the filmmaker portray?
Are the values portrayed the true values of the historical time period portrayed?
Time Frame: 3 weeks
Unit VI: Historical Value of Commercial films
Thematic/Reasoning Skills Goal: Establish the historical value of a commercial historical film.
Using criteria established in prior units, determine value of a specific film.
Establish historical accuracy.
Comparison with documentary films or books
Effect of point of view
Purpose of the historical film.
Effects of societal values at the time the film was made on the historical content.
Time Frame: 3 weeks
IV. RESOURCES
All films listed are appropriately rated according to Madison Board of Education policy (PG, PG 13, released
prior to the rating system, or edited for educational viewing)
Video
Advise and Consent (1962)
All Quiet on the Western Front(1930)*
All Quiet on the Western Front(1979)*
Anne of the Thousand Days(1969)*
Subject
Cold War
WW I
WW I
Reformation
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The African Queen (1951)
All the King’s Men (1949)
All the President’s Men (1976)*
American Graffiti (1972)*
Amistad (1997)*
Air Force(1943)*
Apollo 13 (1995)
Barabbas(1961)
Beckett*
Ben Hur (1959)*
The Birth of a Nation (1915)*
The Bridge on the River Kwai
The Buccaneer(1958)
Casablanca (1942)
Catch Me if You Can (2002)
The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936)
The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968)
Chariots of Fire (1981)
Cromwell (1970)*
Dances with Wolves(1990)* Dr. Strangelove (1964)*
Elizabeth (1998)
Escape from Sobibor (TV 1987)*
From Here to Eternity (1953)
Gandhi (1982)*
Gettysburg (1993)
George Washington: The Forging of a Nation (1986)
Glory (1989)*
Gone With the Wind (1939)
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)*
The Guns of August (1965)
Hester Street*
Inherit the Wind*
I Will Fight No More Forever (1975)
Henry V (1989)
Judgment at Nuremburg ( 1961)*
K19: The Widowmaker (2002)
Lady Jane (1985)*
The Last Emperor (1987)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
A League of Their Own (1992)
Life is Beautiful (1999)
The Lion in Winter (1968)*
The Longest Day
The Long Walk Home(1991)*
A Man for All Seasons (1966)*
Matewan (1987)*
Martin Luther (1953)*
Mary, Queen of Scots()*
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)*
Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)*
Nicholas and Alexandra (1971)*
Out of Africa (1985)
Passage to India (1984)
WW I
1930’s – Huey Long
Watergate
1960’s American Society
Slavery
WW II
U.S. Space Program
Roman Empire
Middle Ages
Roman Empire
Civil War, Ku Klux Klan
WW II
War of 1812
WW II
FBI
Crimean War
Crimean War
1924 Olympic Games
Reformation
Western Frontier
Cold War
Refomation
Holocaust
WW II
End of Imperial Age
Civil War
Birth of the U.S.
Civil War
Civil War
The Great Depression
WW I
Immigration
Scopes Monkey Trial
American Frontier
Late Middle Ages
Holocaust
WW II
16th Century England
China and the advent of communism
WW I
WW II Homefront
Holocaust
Middle Ages
WW II
Civil Rights
Reformation
U.S. in the 1920’s
Reformation
Reformation
British Imperialism
British Imperialism
Russian Revolution
Imperialism
Imperialism
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Patton (1970)
Pearl Harbor
Pork Chop Hill (1959)*
The Quiet American (1958)
The Red Badge of Courage (1951)
Reds(1981)*
Spartacus (1960)*
The Thin Red Line (1964)
Thirteen Days*
Three Sovereigns for Sarah (1986)*
Titanic (1997)
Tora, Tora, Tora (1970)*
U571 (2000)
Vincent Van Gogh: Lust for Life (1956)
Waterloo (1971)*
WW II
WW II
Korean War
Indochina, 1952
Civil War
Communism in America
Roman Empire
WW II
Cuban Missile Crisis
U.S. Colonial History
Early 19th Century Society
WW II
WW II
French Revolution
Documentary Films may be acquired from MCAVA.
*Material available from the Madison High School Social Studies Department
V. EVALUATION/GRADING
Students are assessed in this class using the following methods:
Tests and quizzes
Homework
Class participation
Group or individual projects
Final exam