ALL-INCLUSIVE PERMISSION FORM FOR MOVIES FOR 2014-2015
Dear Parents,
As part of district policy, teachers are required to receive signed parent permission for a student to watch a movie in the
classroom. You may wonder about viewing movies in school. This is my philosophy about the practice:

Showing a movie version in class takes advantage of the phenomenon of film versions of literature by asking students to compare and
contrast books with their movie counterparts.
The process of comparing and contrasting teaches students to think critically about different forms of media presented to them.

Student Objectives
Students will:
 Identify the characters, setting, plot, and resolution in a book and in the movie based upon the book.
 Describe similarities and differences between elements of the book and the movie.
 Discuss the effects of and state preferences toward these similarities and differences.

Hypothesize why movie makers might have decided to alter characteristics in the book.

Generate clear, well-formatted Venn Diagrams by naming their project and labeling Circle 1 and Circle2, then generating concepts that
can be placed on the diagram.
 Gain background knowledge that aids in comprehension and supports appreciation for the literature we study in class.
The following is a list of movies that may be shown either in short film clips or in their entirety as well as the purpose for each.
1. Dennis the Menace: this video borrows heavily from “The Ransom of Red Chief” by O. Henry.
2. Anne Frank Remembered: documentary features vintage newsreels, photographs and a rare home movie to look
beyond the pages of the diary.
3. The Wave. We read the novel and view the movie in support of our unit on The Holocaust.
4. Memory of the Camps: a PBS documentary consisting of actual footage shot by British Allied troops as they
liberated concentration camps in Poland and Germany at the end of WWII. Parents are encouraged to preview
the film on the PBS Frontline website. We will use the first part of the film, stopping when the filming moves to
Ebensee.
5. Selected clips of interviews with Holocaust survivors taken from the United States Holocaust Museum.
6. Selected clips of scenes from interpretations of the play The Diary of Anne Frank to support and contrast with
our reading in class.
7. The Hiding Place: the story of Corrie Ten Boom and her family who helped to hide Jews during The Holocaust.
8. Paper Clips. This documentary chronicles a Tennessee middle school’s study of the Holocaust as a way to learn
about diversity and tolerance.
9. White Fang: supports our unit on the work of Jack London and offer a comparison in theme, setting, and
characters.
10. The Call of the Wild: supports our reading of the novel by the same name and offers opportunity for comparison
to the novel.
11. Eight Below: Clips may be shown to provide a visual of how sled dogs work as a team and the terrain of the
Yukon and Alaska.
12. Spellbound: documentary about the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Inspires students to study in preparation for
the school spelling bee.
13. The Outsiders: Clips may be shown to illustrate character analysis and theme
14. Dead Poets Society: Clips of specific scenes discussing purpose and appreciation of poetry will be used as part of
our study of poetry.
15. Gone With the Wind: This movie serves as background for students as we read The Outsiders where it is
referenced significantly.
16. Brian’s Song. We will watch the movie after reading the play of the same name.
ALL-INCLUSIVE PERMISSION FORM FOR MOVIES FOR 2014-2015
Here are the guidelines that I have followed:
1. I have received permission from my principal.
2. I will use the film for instructional purposes and make it part of my lesson plan.
3. I will post the video viewing date on my calendar one week ahead of time so that if you wish, you may request an
alternative assignment for your student.
If I do not receive this signed permission slip, I will assume you wish for me to send your student to the library with the
alternative assignment.
Thank you,
Heather Wright
Yes, please allow my student to participate in the viewing of films this school year in ELA class.
Parent signature:____________________________
(student name)__________________________