History through Film
Course Outline
Unit 1: In Search of the American Dream
Movies: O’ Brother Where Art Thou? Cinderella Man, October Sky, Hoop Dreams, Mad Men, Pursuit of
Happiness, Iron Jawed Angels, and Malcolm X
-Evolution of American Dream Writing Assignment
-Quote on the American Dream
-Photo Analysis Project
-Unit Test
Unit 2: The Foundations of America; Fact VS. Fiction
Movies: The Patriot compared with real events from the Revolutionary Time Period
Clips of The New World, Pocahontas, John Adams, A Birth of a Nation, and Amistad
-Researching Historical Inaccuracies in Films Writing Assignment
-Unit Test
Unit 3: Immigration throughout the Years
Movies: Gangs of New York, Godfather Part II, In America, Traffic, and Clips of Breaking Bad
-Immigrant Statistical Analysis Project
-Unit Test
Unit 4: The Packaging of America: The Role of Media in Our Country
Movies: Good Night and Good Luck
Clips from nightly news broadcast, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and the Daily Show
Articles from Newsweek, Time, The New York Post, and Wall Street Journal
-Media Analysis Project
Unit 5: Depictions of War: 1900s – Present
Movies: Joyeux Noel, Saving Private Ryan, Flags of Our Fathers, The Pacific, Downfall, Green Berets, Apocalypse
Now, We Were Soldiers, Three Kings, Restrepo, and Hurt Locker
-Assessment of Depictions of War Project
-Unit Test
Unit 6: The Cold War’s Influence on the World
Movies: Doctor Strangelove, Thirteen Days, clips of Rocky 4, clips of Doctor Strangelove, The Good Shepherd, The
Lives of Others, Red Dawn, Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, Atomic Café, Wargames
-Cold War Propaganda Project
-Unit Test
Unit 7: America’s Role in the World / Foreign Issues
Movies: The Kingdom, Black Hawk Down, The Bourne Ultimatum, Hotel Rwanda clips of Blood Diamond,
Documentary: Darfur Now and clips of Frontline documentary on Iraq, Clips of Charlie Wilson’s War and The Last
King of Scotland
-Foreign Country Assessment
-America’s role in the world debate
-American Foreign Policy Assessment
Unit 8: Modern Economics
Movies: Modern Times, Hoffa, Wall Street, Frontline Documentary Inside the Crash, Various pieces on current
economic problems, Frontline: Obama’s Deal with the Bank of America
-Industrial Cities Project
-Economic Problems Presentations
Unit 9: Crime and Corruption in America
Movies: Public Enemies, The Godfather, Goodfellas, the Insider, Michael Clayton, Erin Brockovich, clips of LA
Confidential and the Town
-Writing Assignment involving connecting Crime and Corruption with the American Dream
Final Presentations- Students will pick a movie from approved list and create a 25-30 minute presentation. The
presentation will include detailed analysis of 3-4 clips from the movie, a presentation on necessary background
information for the movie, an article related to the film, and lead the class in a discussion.