Classroom to Screening Room Grades 5 — 12
Through film screenings and discussions, Classroom to Screening Room enriches students' study of literature, history, science, world languages, and the arts. The program provides a unique opportunity to address issues relating to citizenship, current events, and human rights. Education faculty and special guest speakers provide social, historical, and aesthetic context for the film, and facilitate post-screening discussions.
The opportunities the JBFC provides our students to engage with extraordinarily important material and issues is unparalleled, and the educational enrichment this program offers our students is incalculable.Samuel North, Social Studies teacher, Ossining High School
Educational Objectives
- Understand the language of film, including cinematography, editing, lighting, framing, and point of view
- Learn to read and analyze documentary and narrative films
- Experience world languages and cultures in the context of international film style, history, and artistic movements
- Enjoy enhanced study of historical events and figures through viewing documentaries and historical narratives
Participation
- Feature Films
Teachers can select a feature film from our curated Education Film Library. Feature film screenings are followed by a facilitated discussion with JBFC faculty. This year, we will feature six films in our Classroom to Screening Room Film Library that can be viewed throughout the year. These films include favorites such as Brooklyn Castle, Somewhere Between, Song of the Sea, Louder Than a Bomb, Landfill Harmonic, and a new Documentary Shorts Program that includes Inocente and Andrew With Great Fanfare. Additional film offerings this year include limited-run screenings that must be scheduled at least 3 months in advance, featuring films such as Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Kid with a Bike, Rabbit-Proof Fence, and Wadjda
- Workshop: Introduction to Film Language
This introductory workshop sets out to transform students into critical viewers of what they see on screens every day. Students will be familiarized with the key elements and core techniques of film language and criticism, and will explore how filmmakers employ these elements to reveal character, convey plot and theme, and create meaning. Participants play an active role in this discussion-based experience.
- Workshop: Innovative Nonfiction, Evolution of the Form
In recent years, documentary filmmakers have departed from traditional styles of storytelling and begun to experiment with innovative ways to captivate audiences. This workshop tracks the evolution of the form from simple documentation to immersive multimedia experiences. Students will actively view clips spanning classic documentaries (The Thin Blue Line, 1988) to independently produced and distributed web videos (The Longest Way, 2009), then participate in a guided discussion about the various methods of production and representation used in the films. - Workshop: Persuasive Media
This presentation takes students through the history and evolution of persuasive advertising. Through a series of clips spanning from early commercials and wartime propaganda to present day ad campaigns, students investigate how gender and race are represented in these mainstream media forms, as well as the devices used to effectively sell, advocate, and persuade viewers. This program offers students the opportunity to think critically about and engage with material they interact with on a daily basis. Special Screenings
In addition to the above feature films and workshops we will schedule a variety of special event screenings throughout the year. Upcoming special events include films from our annual Focus on Nature Series and other films from our regularly scheduled programming. These events will be announced on our website and The Schools and Teachers E-Bulletin. If you are interested, please contact Sarah Lempke O'Hare at education@burnsfilmcenter.org.