The overall topic of this teaching unit is the Civil Rights Movement of America, which will be taught in the 12th grade of an advanced course.
The students will have acquired a deepened intercultural understanding before leaving school and encountering the real world, possibly visiting foreign countries after their abitur. The topic will be used to teach the cultural studies of America and expand their intercultural competences with this historical and political background knowledge. The teaching unit comprises eight lessons; two of them are discussed in more detail regarding the subject matter, didactic and methodological analysis. The used material and teacher's expectations for two of the lessons can be found in the appendix.
In a globalized world characterized by international private and professional relationships, above all in Europe, acquiring communicative and intercultural competences, crucially in the lingua franca English, is ever more important. These competences are also anchored in the scholastic standard for the subject of English and implicate the necessity to teach students skills, which enable them to communicate in a sensitive and differentiated way. They will then be prepared to take on international jobs, to be prevented from falling foul of misunderstandings, to question their own behavior, to be tolerant and to treat others respectfully.
One good method of teaching these competences in an English lesson is the use of films. The widespread assumption that films only function as entertainment has to be revised, because films offer an important insight into the culture of English speaking countries and contribute a lot to communicative competences such as writing and listening. In comparison to other media, films contain an interaction with visual and acoustic features which opens new ways for interpretation and creative methods.
Furthermore, films offer the possibility to practice intercultural understanding, introduce dialects and native-speaker tempo. The earlier students are confronted with such a tempo, the better they will tolerate the reality that not every word needs to be understood. Also, the fact that nowadays students are surrounded by new media every day justifies the usage of films. Their film reception starts already in childhood through watching TV; hence they should be taught how to analyze what they see so that they do not become mere passive consumers, but critical ones.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- 1. Introduction
- 2. The Third Lesson
- 2.1. Analysis of the Subject Matter: Slavery
- 2.1.1. Views on Slavery by John C. Calhoun Slavery a Positive Good and William Lloyd Garrison No Compromise with Slavery
- 2.2.1. The Three Discrimination-Scenes of The Butler
- 2.3. Didactic Analysis
- 2.4. Methodological Analysis
- 2.5. Lesson Plan
- 2.1. Analysis of the Subject Matter: Slavery
- 3. The Fifth Lesson
- 3.1. Analysis of the Subject Matter
- 3.1.1. Martin Luther King and his Speech I have a Dream
- 3.2. Didactic Analysis
- 3.3. Methodological Analysis
- 3.4. Lesson Plan
- 3.1. Analysis of the Subject Matter
- 4. Appendix
- 4.1 The Teacher's Expectations
- 4.2.1 On the Third Lesson
- 4.2.2 On the Fifth Lesson
- 5. Teaching Unit Plan
- 6. Bibliography
- 7. Zusammenfassung
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This bachelor thesis aims to analyze and develop a teaching unit based on the film "The Butler" (2013) for 12th grade students. The teaching unit focuses on the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, exploring its historical, political, and cultural dimensions.- Intercultural Competence
- The History of Slavery in America
- The Civil Rights Movement
- Film Analysis as a Teaching Tool
- Development of Critical Thinking Skills
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction emphasizes the importance of teaching intercultural competence and the role of films as a valuable tool in language learning. The thesis focuses on the Civil Rights Movement of America, using the film "The Butler" to explore the topic in depth. Chapter 2 delves into the third lesson of the teaching unit, which focuses on slavery and discrimination. It analyzes the historical context of slavery in America, contrasting the views of pro-slavery activists like John C. Calhoun with those of abolitionists like William Lloyd Garrison. The chapter then examines three key scenes from the film "The Butler" that depict discrimination, including the field, restaurant, and bus scenes. Chapter 3 explores the fifth lesson, which examines the role of Martin Luther King Jr. and his "I Have a Dream" speech. It provides a brief overview of King's life and legacy, placing his speech within the context of the Civil Rights Movement.Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The primary keywords and focus topics of this thesis are: intercultural competence, film analysis, Civil Rights Movement, slavery, discrimination, Martin Luther King Jr., "The Butler" (2013), teaching unit development.Frequently Asked Questions
How can the film "The Butler" be used to teach the Civil Rights Movement?
The film provides a visual and emotional narrative of American history, allowing students to explore themes like slavery, discrimination, and the struggle for equality through specific scenes and characters.
What is intercultural competence in the context of English lessons?
It is the ability to communicate sensitively and respectfully with people from different cultures, understanding historical and political backgrounds to avoid misunderstandings.
What are the benefits of using films in 12th-grade advanced courses?
Films offer insights into native-speaker tempo and dialects, improve listening and writing skills, and encourage students to become critical consumers of media rather than passive ones.
Which historical figures are discussed in this teaching unit?
The unit covers Martin Luther King Jr. and his "I Have a Dream" speech, as well as contrasting views on slavery from John C. Calhoun and William Lloyd Garrison.
How does the film depict discrimination?
The teaching unit focuses on three specific discrimination scenes: the field, the restaurant, and the bus, analyzing how they illustrate the reality of the Jim Crow era.
- Quote paper
- Sarah Antonia Gallegos García (Author), 2015, The Butler. A Teaching Unit, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/499439
