Hollywood or History? – serie

Teaching and learning through Hollywood, or commercial, film productions is anything but a new approach and has been something of a mainstay in the classroom for nearly a century. Purposeful and effective instruction through film, however, is not problem-free and there are many challenges that accompany classroom applications of Hollywood motion pictures. In response to the problems and possibilities associated with teaching through film, we have collaboratively developed a collection of practical, classroom-ready lesson ideas that might bridge gaps between theory and practice and assist teachers endeavoring to make effective use of film in their classrooms. We believe that film can serve as a powerful tool in the social studies classroom and, where appropriately utilized, foster critical thinking and civic mindedness.The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) framework, represents a renewed and formalized emphasis on the perennial social studies goals of deep thinking, reading and writing. We believe that as teachers endeavor to digest and implement the platform in schools and classrooms across the country, the desire for access to structured strategies that lead to more active and rigorous investigation in the social studies classroom will grow increasingly acute. Our hope is that this edited book might play a small role in the larger project of supporting practitioners, specifically K-12 teachers of United States history, by offering a collection of classroom-ready tools based on the Hollywood or History? strategy and designed to foster historical inquiry through the careful use of historically themed motion pictures. The book consists of K-5 and 6-12 lesson plans addressing the following historical eras (Adapted from: UCLA, National Center for History in Schools).

Teaching and learning through Hollywood, or commercial, film productions is anything but a new approach and has been something of a mainstay in the classroom for nearly a century. Purposeful and effective instruction through film, however, is not problem-free and there are many challenges that accompany classroom applications of Hollywood motion pictures. In response to the problems and possibilities associated with teaching through film, we have collaboratively developed a collection of practical, classroom-ready lesson ideas that might bridge gaps between theory and practice and assist teachers endeavoring to make effective use of film in their classrooms. We believe that film can serve as a powerful tool in the social studies classroom and, where appropriately utilized, foster critical thinking and civic mindedness.The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) framework, represents a renewed and formalized emphasis on the perennial social studies goals of deep thinking, reading and writing. We believe that as teachers endeavor to digest and implement the platform in schools and classrooms across the country, the desire for access to structured strategies that lead to more active and rigorous investigation in the social studies classroom will grow increasingly acute. Our hope is that this edited book might play a small role in the larger project of supporting practitioners, specifically K-12 teachers of United States history, by offering a collection of classroom-ready tools based on the Hollywood or History? strategy and designed to foster historical inquiry through the careful use of historically themed motion pictures. The book consists of K-5 and 6-12 lesson plans addressing the following historical eras (Adapted from: UCLA, National Center for History in Schools).

The challenges of teaching history are acute where we consider the world history classroom. Generalized world history courses are a part of many, if not most, K-12 curricular frameworks in the United States. While United States history tends to dominate the scholarship and conversation, there are an equally wide number of middle-level and secondary students and teachers engaged in the study of world history in our public schools. And the challenges are real. In the first place, if we are to mark content coverage as a curricular obstacle in the history classroom, generally, then we must underscore that concern in the world history classroom and for obvious reasons. The curricular terrain to choose from is immense and forever expanding, dealing with the development of numerous civilizations over millennia and across a wide geographic expanse. In addition to curricular concerns, world historical topics are inherently farther away from most students’ lives, not just temporally, but often geographically and culturally.Thus the rationale for the present text, Hollywood or History? An Inquiry-Based Strategy for Using Film to Teach World History. The reviews of the first volume Hollywood or History? An Inquiry-Based Strategy for Using Film to Teach Untied States History strategy have been overwhelmingly positive, especially as it pertains to the application of the strategy for practitioner. Classroom utility and teacher practice have remained our primary objectives in developing the Hollywood or History? strategy and we are encouraged by the possibilities of Volume II and the capacity of this most recent text to impact teaching and learning in world history. We believe that students’ connection to film, along with teachers’ ability to use film in an effective manner, will help alleviate some of the challenges of teaching world history.The book provides 30 secondary lesson plans (grades 6-12) that address nine eras in world history.The book aims to enhance teaching and learning by effectively using film to connect students with historical content.

The challenges of teaching history are acute where we consider the world history classroom. Generalized world history courses are a part of many, if not most, K-12 curricular frameworks in the United States. While United States history tends to dominate the scholarship and conversation, there are an equally wide number of middle-level and secondary students and teachers engaged in the study of world history in our public schools. And the challenges are real. In the first place, if we are to mark content coverage as a curricular obstacle in the history classroom, generally, then we must underscore that concern in the world history classroom and for obvious reasons. The curricular terrain to choose from is immense and forever expanding, dealing with the development of numerous civilizations over millennia and across a wide geographic expanse. In addition to curricular concerns, world historical topics are inherently farther away from most students’ lives, not just temporally, but often geographically and culturally.Thus the rationale for the present text, Hollywood or History? An Inquiry-Based Strategy for Using Film to Teach World History. The reviews of the first volume Hollywood or History? An Inquiry-Based Strategy for Using Film to Teach Untied States History strategy have been overwhelmingly positive, especially as it pertains to the application of the strategy for practitioner. Classroom utility and teacher practice have remained our primary objectives in developing the Hollywood or History? strategy and we are encouraged by the possibilities of Volume II and the capacity of this most recent text to impact teaching and learning in world history. We believe that students’ connection to film, along with teachers’ ability to use film in an effective manner, will help alleviate some of the challenges of teaching world history.The book provides 30 secondary lesson plans (grades 6-12) that address nine eras in world history.The book aims to enhance teaching and learning by effectively using film to connect students with historical content.

The rationale for the present text, Hollywood or History? An Inquiry-Based Strategy for Using Film to Teach About Inequality and Inequity Throughout History stems from two main things. First and foremost is the fact that the reviews of the first two volumes in the Hollywood or History? series have been overwhelmingly positive, especially as it pertains to the application of the strategy for practitioners. Classroom utility and teacher practice have continued to be the primary objectives in developing the Hollywood or History? strategy. The second thing is that this most recent volume in the series takes it in a new direction--rather than focusing on eras in history, it focuses on the themes of inequity and inequality throughout history, and how teachers can utilize the Hollywood or History? strategy to tackle some of the more complicated content throughout history that many teachers tend to shy away from.There is a firm belief that students’ connection to film, along with teachers’ ability to use film in an effective manner, will help alleviate some of the challenges of teaching challenging topics such as inequity and inequality in terms of gender, race, socioeconomic status, and so much more. The book provides 30 secondary lesson plans (grades 6-12) that address nine different topics centered around inequity and inequality throughout history, many of which connect students to the world we are living in today. The intended audience for the book are teachers who teach social studies at the 6th-12th grade level both in the United States and other countries. An additional audience will be college and university social studies/history methods professors in the United States and worldwide.

The rationale for the present text, Hollywood or History? An Inquiry-Based Strategy for Using Film to Teach About Inequality and Inequity Throughout History stems from two main things. First and foremost is the fact that the reviews of the first two volumes in the Hollywood or History? series have been overwhelmingly positive, especially as it pertains to the application of the strategy for practitioners. Classroom utility and teacher practice have continued to be the primary objectives in developing the Hollywood or History? strategy. The second thing is that this most recent volume in the series takes it in a new direction--rather than focusing on eras in history, it focuses on the themes of inequity and inequality throughout history, and how teachers can utilize the Hollywood or History? strategy to tackle some of the more complicated content throughout history that many teachers tend to shy away from.There is a firm belief that students’ connection to film, along with teachers’ ability to use film in an effective manner, will help alleviate some of the challenges of teaching challenging topics such as inequity and inequality in terms of gender, race, socioeconomic status, and so much more. The book provides 30 secondary lesson plans (grades 6-12) that address nine different topics centered around inequity and inequality throughout history, many of which connect students to the world we are living in today. The intended audience for the book are teachers who teach social studies at the 6th-12th grade level both in the United States and other countries. An additional audience will be college and university social studies/history methods professors in the United States and worldwide.

Traumagenic events—episodes that have caused or are likely to cause trauma—color the experiences of K-12 students and the social studies curriculum they encounter in U.S. schools. At the same time that the global COVID-19 pandemic has heightened educators’ awareness of collective trauma, the racial reckoning of 2020 has drawn important attention to historical and transgenerational trauma. At a time when social studies educators can simply no longer ignore “difficult” knowledge, instruction that acknowledges trauma in social studies classrooms is essential.Through employing relational pedagogies and foregrounding voices that are too often silenced, the lessons in Hollywood or History? An Inquiry-Based Strategy for Using Film to Acknowledge Trauma in Social Studies engage students in examining the role of traumatic or traumagenic events in social studies curriculum. The 20 Hollywood or History? lessons are organized by themes such as political trauma and war and genocide. Each lesson presents film clips, instructional strategies, and primary and secondary sources targeted to the identified K-12 grade levels. As a collection, they provide ready-to-teach resources that are perfect for teachers who are committed to acknowledging trauma in their social studies instruction.

Traumagenic events—episodes that have caused or are likely to cause trauma—color the experiences of K-12 students and the social studies curriculum they encounter in U.S. schools. At the same time that the global COVID-19 pandemic has heightened educators’ awareness of collective trauma, the racial reckoning of 2020 has drawn important attention to historical and transgenerational trauma. At a time when social studies educators can simply no longer ignore “difficult” knowledge, instruction that acknowledges trauma in social studies classrooms is essential.Through employing relational pedagogies and foregrounding voices that are too often silenced, the lessons in Hollywood or History? An Inquiry-Based Strategy for Using Film to Acknowledge Trauma in Social Studies engage students in examining the role of traumatic or traumagenic events in social studies curriculum. The 20 Hollywood or History? lessons are organized by themes such as political trauma and war and genocide. Each lesson presents film clips, instructional strategies, and primary and secondary sources targeted to the identified K-12 grade levels. As a collection, they provide ready-to-teach resources that are perfect for teachers who are committed to acknowledging trauma in their social studies instruction.

Teaching with film is not a new approach in the social studies classroom. Different publications, such as Hollywood or History, have bridged the gap with challenges attached to using historical film and engage students through inquiry, not entertainment. To continue with the Hollywood or History strategy, this text uses television shows (sitcoms) to brings issue-centered curriculum to middle and high school classrooms. By exploring issues in specific episodes, students can learn the history behind an issue, relate it to their lives, and develop an informed decision associated with the issue.The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) framework is an integral part to the exploration of issue-centered curriculum. In each chapter, the students will work through the four dimensions and develop critical thinking, reading, and writing skills. My hope is that this text can play a small role in walking practicing teachers through the C3 framework while allowing students to learn about issues that affect society and the communities where they live.

Teaching with film is not a new approach in the social studies classroom. Different publications, such as Hollywood or History, have bridged the gap with challenges attached to using historical film and engage students through inquiry, not entertainment. To continue with the Hollywood or History strategy, this text uses television shows (sitcoms) to brings issue-centered curriculum to middle and high school classrooms. By exploring issues in specific episodes, students can learn the history behind an issue, relate it to their lives, and develop an informed decision associated with the issue.The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) framework is an integral part to the exploration of issue-centered curriculum. In each chapter, the students will work through the four dimensions and develop critical thinking, reading, and writing skills. My hope is that this text can play a small role in walking practicing teachers through the C3 framework while allowing students to learn about issues that affect society and the communities where they live.

This book illustrates the belief that film can serve as a powerful tool in the social studies classroom and, where appropriately utilized, foster critical thinking and civic mindedness. The NCSS College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) framework represents a renewed and formalized emphasis on the perennial social studies goals of deep thinking, reading, and writing.An Inquiry Based Approach for Using Comic Based Stories to Teach Liberal Arts and Social Sciences offers a collection of classroom-ready tools based on the Hollywood or History? strategy and is designed to foster inquiry through the careful use of selected motion pictures and television productions. The book seeks to overcome the many challenges that accompany classroom applications of Hollywood motion pictures. It recognizes that — despite teaching and learning through Hollywood, or commercial, film and television productions being anything but a new approach — purposeful and effective instruction through film is not problem-free.In response to the problems and possibilities associated with teaching through film, An Inquiry Based Approach for Using Comic Based Stories to Teach Liberal Arts and Social Sciences develops a collection of practical, classroom-ready lesson ideas that might bridge gaps between theory and practice and assist teachers endeavoring to make effective use of film in their classrooms.

This book illustrates the belief that film can serve as a powerful tool in the social studies classroom and, where appropriately utilized, foster critical thinking and civic mindedness. The NCSS College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) framework represents a renewed and formalized emphasis on the perennial social studies goals of deep thinking, reading, and writing.An Inquiry Based Approach for Using Comic Based Stories to Teach Liberal Arts and Social Sciences offers a collection of classroom-ready tools based on the Hollywood or History? strategy and is designed to foster inquiry through the careful use of selected motion pictures and television productions. The book seeks to overcome the many challenges that accompany classroom applications of Hollywood motion pictures. It recognizes that — despite teaching and learning through Hollywood, or commercial, film and television productions being anything but a new approach — purposeful and effective instruction through film is not problem-free.In response to the problems and possibilities associated with teaching through film, An Inquiry Based Approach for Using Comic Based Stories to Teach Liberal Arts and Social Sciences develops a collection of practical, classroom-ready lesson ideas that might bridge gaps between theory and practice and assist teachers endeavoring to make effective use of film in their classrooms.

An Inquiry-Based Strategy: Using Film to Teach Geography shows how film can become a powerful instructional tool for geographic inquiry in classrooms. While teachers have long used Hollywood and commercial media to spark student interest, this edited collection offers a clearer path for using film purposefully, critically, and in alignment with the C3 Framework and state standards.Seventeen classroom-ready chapters demonstrate how carefully selected films and film clips can help students investigate essential geographic questions, and provide practical lessons that explore spatial thinking through geospatial tools and cinematic representations. Lessons address place with a focus on human-populations patterns including migration, settlement, and cultural diffusions. Other lessons address human-environment interaction from resource use to environmental change. Global interconnection lessons cover trade, culture, and shared environmental challenges.The collection spans U.S. regions, climate, natural hazards, sustainability, and global issues such as fast fashion, plastic pollution, and water scarcity. The book demonstrates how film can anchor inquiry, deepen understanding, and connect classroom learning to real-world problems.Designed for educators seeking meaningful, inquiry-driven instruction, this book bridges theory and practice, offering adaptable tools that help young learners see geography as a dynamic lens for understanding an interconnected world.

An Inquiry-Based Strategy: Using Film to Teach Geography shows how film can become a powerful instructional tool for geographic inquiry in classrooms. While teachers have long used Hollywood and commercial media to spark student interest, this edited collection offers a clearer path for using film purposefully, critically, and in alignment with the C3 Framework and state standards.Seventeen classroom-ready chapters demonstrate how carefully selected films and film clips can help students investigate essential geographic questions, and provide practical lessons that explore spatial thinking through geospatial tools and cinematic representations. Lessons address place with a focus on human-populations patterns including migration, settlement, and cultural diffusions. Other lessons address human-environment interaction from resource use to environmental change. Global interconnection lessons cover trade, culture, and shared environmental challenges.The collection spans U.S. regions, climate, natural hazards, sustainability, and global issues such as fast fashion, plastic pollution, and water scarcity. The book demonstrates how film can anchor inquiry, deepen understanding, and connect classroom learning to real-world problems.Designed for educators seeking meaningful, inquiry-driven instruction, this book bridges theory and practice, offering adaptable tools that help young learners see geography as a dynamic lens for understanding an interconnected world.

Teaching and learning through Hollywood, or commercial, film and television productions is anything but a new approach and has been something of a mainstay in the classroom for nearly a century. However, purposeful and effective instruction through film is not problem free and many challenges accompany classroom applications of Hollywood motion pictures. In response to the problems and possibilities associated with teaching through film, we are developing a collection of practical, classroom-ready lesson ideas that might bridge gaps between theory and practice and assist teachers endeavoring to make effective use of film in their classrooms. We believe that film can serve as a powerful tool in the social studies classroom and, where appropriately utilized, foster critical thinking and civic mindedness. The NCSS College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) framework, represents a renewed and formalized emphasis on the perennial social studies goals of deep thinking, reading and writing. Our hope is that this edited book might play a small role in the larger project of supporting practitioners, specifically 6-12 teachers of social studies and world religion content, by offering a collection of classroom-ready tools based on the Hollywood or History? strategy and designed to foster inquiry through the careful use of selected motion pictures and television productions.Topics of interest include the roots, rituals, symbols, beliefs, and controversial or significant people or events related to:The Abrahamic Religions: Judaism, Christianity, IslamEastern Religions/Philosophies: Hinduism, BuddhismIndigenous Religions/Spirituality: First Nations, Traditional African Religions

Teaching and learning through Hollywood, or commercial, film and television productions is anything but a new approach and has been something of a mainstay in the classroom for nearly a century. However, purposeful and effective instruction through film is not problem free and many challenges accompany classroom applications of Hollywood motion pictures. In response to the problems and possibilities associated with teaching through film, we are developing a collection of practical, classroom-ready lesson ideas that might bridge gaps between theory and practice and assist teachers endeavoring to make effective use of film in their classrooms. We believe that film can serve as a powerful tool in the social studies classroom and, where appropriately utilized, foster critical thinking and civic mindedness. The NCSS College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) framework, represents a renewed and formalized emphasis on the perennial social studies goals of deep thinking, reading and writing. Our hope is that this edited book might play a small role in the larger project of supporting practitioners, specifically 6-12 teachers of social studies and world religion content, by offering a collection of classroom-ready tools based on the Hollywood or History? strategy and designed to foster inquiry through the careful use of selected motion pictures and television productions.Topics of interest include the roots, rituals, symbols, beliefs, and controversial or significant people or events related to:The Abrahamic Religions: Judaism, Christianity, IslamEastern Religions/Philosophies: Hinduism, BuddhismIndigenous Religions/Spirituality: First Nations, Traditional African Religions

The FOX television show The Simpsons has been around for over 30 years, with more than 700 episodes. A satirical, animated comedy, The Simpsons has millions of fans around the world and its numerous characters are instantly recognizable. Two of the main characters, children Bart and Lisa, are in elementary school and their educational experience is satirized frequently, with episodes taking place at Springfield Elementary and featuring their teachers, classmates, and administration—often with biting criticism of curriculum, privatization, and standardized testing, to name a few. The Simpsons also features episodes retelling historical events, where the family experiences different countries and cultures, and participates in the political process. The Simpsons is unique in that the show itself is also a historical source, having been on the air since 1989. Issues that were current in the early 1990s at the height of popularity of The Simpsons are now considered historical, and there is room in classrooms to critically analyze the show with students about whether the show has adapted well to the 2020s, particularly with the show’s use of cultural stereotypes.This edited book offers a collection of classroom-ready tools based on the Hollywood or History? strategy and designed to foster historical inquiry through the careful use of episodes or clips from The Simpsons. This book will be organized by the 10 Themes of Social Studies as outlined by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS, 2010). Each of these 10 sections of the book feature two or three lesson plans from the massive catalog of The Simpsons. There is also an 11th section featuring two lesson plans using episodes of The Simpsons that satirize public education more broadly, which can be used by teacher candidates in methods classrooms to examine the realities of the history of public education and current issues that affect the profession.

The FOX television show The Simpsons has been around for over 30 years, with more than 700 episodes. A satirical, animated comedy, The Simpsons has millions of fans around the world and its numerous characters are instantly recognizable. Two of the main characters, children Bart and Lisa, are in elementary school and their educational experience is satirized frequently, with episodes taking place at Springfield Elementary and featuring their teachers, classmates, and administration—often with biting criticism of curriculum, privatization, and standardized testing, to name a few. The Simpsons also features episodes retelling historical events, where the family experiences different countries and cultures, and participates in the political process. The Simpsons is unique in that the show itself is also a historical source, having been on the air since 1989. Issues that were current in the early 1990s at the height of popularity of The Simpsons are now considered historical, and there is room in classrooms to critically analyze the show with students about whether the show has adapted well to the 2020s, particularly with the show’s use of cultural stereotypes.This edited book offers a collection of classroom-ready tools based on the Hollywood or History? strategy and designed to foster historical inquiry through the careful use of episodes or clips from The Simpsons. This book will be organized by the 10 Themes of Social Studies as outlined by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS, 2010). Each of these 10 sections of the book feature two or three lesson plans from the massive catalog of The Simpsons. There is also an 11th section featuring two lesson plans using episodes of The Simpsons that satirize public education more broadly, which can be used by teacher candidates in methods classrooms to examine the realities of the history of public education and current issues that affect the profession.

How do we teach about war? How can social studies teachers empower students to understand how wars are started, how they are fought, and how they are ended? Films about war are featured in nearly all social studies classrooms across the US, with practically every American teenager watching at least one 'historical' film during their time in middle and high school. Without the mandatory class viewing, most of these movies would not have been seen by them otherwise. Film is the medium through which most Americans learn about their national past. But a passive viewing of a movie about war does little to help students learn to be critical thinkers about their country’s choices.In The Defeated and the Dead: Teaching About War Through Film, Dr. Mark Pearcy outlines strategies and resources for teachers to incorporate movies about war into their classes in an effective, thoughtful manner. Employing elements of the 'Just War' doctrine (the basis for most international law and treaties), this book highlights how teachers can make use of widely-used films like Saving Private Ryan, Platoon, and Glory, as well as other movies that span our nation’s history, from the American Revolution to modern conflicts.By focusing on critical frameworks like Just War, as well as featuring films both about war and the avoidance of war, The Defeated and the Dead offers social studies teachers a valuable tool to approach difficult, contentious topics in their classrooms.

How do we teach about war? How can social studies teachers empower students to understand how wars are started, how they are fought, and how they are ended? Films about war are featured in nearly all social studies classrooms across the US, with practically every American teenager watching at least one 'historical' film during their time in middle and high school. Without the mandatory class viewing, most of these movies would not have been seen by them otherwise. Film is the medium through which most Americans learn about their national past. But a passive viewing of a movie about war does little to help students learn to be critical thinkers about their country’s choices.In The Defeated and the Dead: Teaching About War Through Film, Dr. Mark Pearcy outlines strategies and resources for teachers to incorporate movies about war into their classes in an effective, thoughtful manner. Employing elements of the 'Just War' doctrine (the basis for most international law and treaties), this book highlights how teachers can make use of widely-used films like Saving Private Ryan, Platoon, and Glory, as well as other movies that span our nation’s history, from the American Revolution to modern conflicts.By focusing on critical frameworks like Just War, as well as featuring films both about war and the avoidance of war, The Defeated and the Dead offers social studies teachers a valuable tool to approach difficult, contentious topics in their classrooms.

Teaching and learning through Hollywood, or commercial, film and television productions is anything but a new approach and has been something of a mainstay in the classroom for nearly a century. However, purposeful and effective instruction through film is not problem-free and there are many challenges that accompany classroom applications of Hollywood motion pictures. In response to the problems and possibilities associated with teaching through film, we are developing a collection of practical, classroom-ready lesson ideas that might bridge gaps between theory and practice and assist teachers endeavoring to make effective use of film in their classrooms. We believe that film can serve as a powerful tool in the social studies classroom and, where appropriately utilized, foster critical thinking and civic mindedness. The NCSS College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) framework, represents a renewed and formalized emphasis on the perennial social studies goals of deep thinking, reading and writing. We believe that as teachers endeavor to digest and implement the platform in schools and classrooms across the country, the desire for access to structured strategies that lead to more active and rigorous investigation in the social studies classroom will grow increasingly acute. Our hope is that this edited book might play a small role in the larger project of supporting practitioners, specifically K-6 teachers of social studies content, by offering a collection of classroom-ready tools based on the Hollywood or History? strategy and designed to foster inquiry through the careful use of selected motion pictures and television productions.

Teaching and learning through Hollywood, or commercial, film and television productions is anything but a new approach and has been something of a mainstay in the classroom for nearly a century. However, purposeful and effective instruction through film is not problem-free and there are many challenges that accompany classroom applications of Hollywood motion pictures. In response to the problems and possibilities associated with teaching through film, we are developing a collection of practical, classroom-ready lesson ideas that might bridge gaps between theory and practice and assist teachers endeavoring to make effective use of film in their classrooms. We believe that film can serve as a powerful tool in the social studies classroom and, where appropriately utilized, foster critical thinking and civic mindedness. The NCSS College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) framework, represents a renewed and formalized emphasis on the perennial social studies goals of deep thinking, reading and writing. We believe that as teachers endeavor to digest and implement the platform in schools and classrooms across the country, the desire for access to structured strategies that lead to more active and rigorous investigation in the social studies classroom will grow increasingly acute. Our hope is that this edited book might play a small role in the larger project of supporting practitioners, specifically K-6 teachers of social studies content, by offering a collection of classroom-ready tools based on the Hollywood or History? strategy and designed to foster inquiry through the careful use of selected motion pictures and television productions.

In response to the limitations associated with teaching through film, we sought to develop practical lesson ideas that might bridge gaps between theory and practice and assist teachers endeavoring to make effective use of film in their classrooms. One of the more interesting sources of visual media many authors in the previous volumes elected to use as the focus of their lesson plans were cartoons. These lesson plans have been some of the more popular in the series and are often easier to adapt for a variety of grade levels. In conducting research for this volume, we learned that cartoons are an often-used media sources in the classroom. They have similar strengths and weaknesses in not only the teaching of history, but other social studies disciplines as well. While in many cases their intended audience is younger children, people of all ages enjoy cartoons. This makes them useful for teaching students at all grade levels, as well as adults, as there will be immediate buy-in if used as a source of analysis for inquiry-based lessons.As with live action film, we believe cartoons can also serve as a powerful tool in the social studies classroom and if appropriately utilized can foster critical thinking and civic mindedness. The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) framework, adopted by the National Council for the Social Studies in 2013, represents a renewed and formalized emphasis on the perennial social studies goals of deep thinking, reading and writing. The C3 is comprehensive and ambitious. Moreover, we believe that as teachers endeavor to digest and implement the platform in schools and classrooms across the country, the desire for access to structured strategies that lead to more active and rigorous investigation in the social studies classroom will grow increasingly acute. Our hope is that the present volume might play a small role in the larger Hollywood or History? project of supporting practitioners, specifically teachers of preK-12 social studies disciplines, by offering a collection of 19 classroom-ready lesson designed to foster social studies inquiry through the careful use of selected cartoons.

In response to the limitations associated with teaching through film, we sought to develop practical lesson ideas that might bridge gaps between theory and practice and assist teachers endeavoring to make effective use of film in their classrooms. One of the more interesting sources of visual media many authors in the previous volumes elected to use as the focus of their lesson plans were cartoons. These lesson plans have been some of the more popular in the series and are often easier to adapt for a variety of grade levels. In conducting research for this volume, we learned that cartoons are an often-used media sources in the classroom. They have similar strengths and weaknesses in not only the teaching of history, but other social studies disciplines as well. While in many cases their intended audience is younger children, people of all ages enjoy cartoons. This makes them useful for teaching students at all grade levels, as well as adults, as there will be immediate buy-in if used as a source of analysis for inquiry-based lessons.As with live action film, we believe cartoons can also serve as a powerful tool in the social studies classroom and if appropriately utilized can foster critical thinking and civic mindedness. The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) framework, adopted by the National Council for the Social Studies in 2013, represents a renewed and formalized emphasis on the perennial social studies goals of deep thinking, reading and writing. The C3 is comprehensive and ambitious. Moreover, we believe that as teachers endeavor to digest and implement the platform in schools and classrooms across the country, the desire for access to structured strategies that lead to more active and rigorous investigation in the social studies classroom will grow increasingly acute. Our hope is that the present volume might play a small role in the larger Hollywood or History? project of supporting practitioners, specifically teachers of preK-12 social studies disciplines, by offering a collection of 19 classroom-ready lesson designed to foster social studies inquiry through the careful use of selected cartoons.

At the most basic level, the purpose of this book is to help classroom teachers include more (accurate) Latinx stories in their classroom. We believe that when used intentionally, and critically, media representations of Latinx communities and histories are powerful tools of and for high-quality curriculum and instruction. In line with previous iterations of the Hollywood or History? series, we believe inquiry-based lessons are well-suited to capitalizing on this potential. Still, we emphasize that inquiry be rooted in critical approaches and theoretical underpinnings that invite rich discussion on social justice over ephemeral nods to diversity, inclusion, and recognition. Latinos deserve complexity and nuance, truth and beauty. Hence, as we explain throughout the book, students and teachers must examine the historical accuracy of events and the ways (our) stories are told – how, why, where, and on what/whose terms Latinx are represented in film and television. Representation, like education itself, is a political project that is entrenched with systems of power and inequality. This general approach provides a path that, we hope, meets teachers where they are, providing avenues to better learn and refine knowledge of Latinx history for some, and to incorporate additional criticality and perspectives for others. We know most teachers are working hard (often in perilous situations) to include Latinx stories. As such, we hope that the lessons and ideas provide comfort and assurance as well as the opportunity to sit with and better teach the lasting impacts of many uncomfortable, yet often consequential histories. While it is well-established that Latinx histories are marginalized and over-simplified in social studies curricula, we aim to support teachers in breaking a vicious cycle of exclusion (or suspect inclusion) as Latinx histories are largely absent in textbooks and teachers are unsure to include new stories because the curriculum they learned didn’t have them. For those teachers who do feel confident centering Latinx media, this book is for you as well. While the adage don’t preach to the choir makes sense, it also bears mentioning that there are times when the choir needs rehearsal to gather, re-group, expand, and challenge the repertoire. In sum, we sought to create a book that would house a collection of stories that featured a variety of Latinx worlds, histories, and experiences. We hope that we not only provide pathways to increase the diversity of Latinx stories, but give tools for teachers and students to grapple with various projects of Latinx representation.