Education Kit

TAMI Guide to Using Archival Film in the Classroom

According to the National Teacher Training Institute, moving images help students retain information, understand concepts, and build connections between the classroom and the world around them.  They also provide entry points for visual learners and opportunities to develop critical viewing and problem solving skills.    The TAMI online library brings moving images of the state of Texas and its people to classrooms via the Internet, giving life to the past and stimulating intellectual curiosity.

There are many articles and Web sites that address using film and video in the classroom, but most are primarily concerned with feature films.   TAMI’s collection contains newsreels, home movies, television, advertisements, industrial films, educational films and amateur films that provide insight into the culture and history of the state.  Using these films in the classroom, however, may require a slightly different approach than the incorporation of narrative feature film.
  
Although TAMI has created lesson plans and activities to accompany selected films, there are numerous other films that are also appropriate for classroom use.   Here are some suggested strategies for incorporating TAMI’s online library into your classroom.

Before Class:

• Select and preview film from TAMI’s online library by conducting a search or using the “Films for the classroom by topic" Web page.
• Create a lesson plan incorporating the film that aligns with your instructional goals and objectives.   Include a previewing activity, a viewing activity, and a culminating activity.
• Review the TAMI Guide to Moving Image Genres for information about the films genre and tips on how to describe genre in the classroom.   With archival footage, it is extremely important to establish the context and genre of the production since that information might not be apparent from viewing.
• Make sure the video can be accessed on the classroom computer.  If you are having problems accessing the site, please contact your school’s technology department or TAMI at education@texasarchive.org.

During Class:
   Before viewing

• Introduce the film to the students with the previewing activity, relating it to their prior knowledge, the content you are studying, and the purpose of viewing the film. It may be helpful to have students create KWLA charts outlining “What I Know,” “What I What To Know,” “What I Learned,” and “How Does this Apply to me?”.  Have them complete the first two areas before viewing, the third during viewing and the fourth after viewing.
• Provide a cultural context for the footage.  Watching archival film requires students to use media literacy skills to determine the original purpose of the film versus its use in a classroom setting.   How might the film have been received at the time of its production? What factors influenced the reception? How might it be received differently today? TAMI suggests having students analyze films using the STAC’D method of primary source video analysis examining what they See, telling how they Feel, examining Audience and Clues and Deciding the source and context.   The SOAPPS-tone method which examines Subject, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Point of View, Speaker and Tone of primary documents can be helpful in helping students to situate footage within its larger historical context.   
• Discuss the genre of film you will be watching.  What are newsreels, home movies, advertisements, industrial films, etc.?  How do they provide different information?
• As a class, explore the information given about the film on the TAMI online library, including the statistics, dates, locations, and information “about the video” as well as any available transcripts, additional materials, or “People, Places, Things!” tags.

    During viewing

• Use the pause button or “People, Places, Things!” tags to allow opportunities for clarifications, questions, and discussions.
• Use a viewing activity to keep students focused on the content of the film that is relevant to the lesson.

   After viewing

• Review and discuss the relevant content of the film.
• Use a follow-up activity to gauge student’s reception of the film and provide an opportunity to relate their viewing experience to key concepts and objectives.
• Encourage students to contribute to TAMI’s website by “tagging” videos with information they may have discovered during viewing or classroom research.

  Worksheets:

• Quick Reference Downloadable Guide to Uaing Archival Footage in the Classroom (pdf)
• KWLA Chart (pdf)
• STAC’D Method for Primary Source Video Analysis(pdf)
• SOAPSS-tone Method(pdf)

Other resources for using film in the classroom:

National Teacher Training Institute. “NTTI Video Utilization Strategies.” Thirteen Ed Online, n.d. 2 July, 2009.

Paris, Matthew J. Integrating Film and Television into Social Studies Instruction. Bloomington, IL: ERIC Clearing House for Social Studies/Social Science Education.  (ERIC document reproduction service No ED415177).

Russell, William B., III. Using Film in the Social Studies. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, Inc.