Suggested Viewing for Students

The Moderate Separatist ^ | May 23, 2010 | Leigh Patrick Sullivan

[Leigh Patrick Sullivan]

...Pointing out that I have made no secret about films I have issues with, she asked what films I would consider ‘acceptable’ for classroom viewing.

I thought you’d never ask…

[Theo]

Um, Clockwork Orange is for “students”?

[FrdmLvr]

The reason high schools and colleges don’t require reading that was required when we were in high school and college such as Orwell novels, Brave New World, etc, is because those in charge of the high schools and colleges ARE who Orwell and Huxley wrote about.

[LibFreeOrDie]

Schools shouldn’t be taking up valuable class time by showing Hollywood movies, period. Students can borrow/buy DVDs and watch on their own time.

[Leigh Patrick Sullivan]

University students for that one, to be clear.

[call meVeronica]

ping & bump

[buccaneer81]

Show them "Seven Days In May," (realizing that the "bad guy" is the hero)

"Red Dawn"

"Glory."

[kalee]

Twelve Angry Men

[YHAOS]

Another reason for the separation of school and state.

[ARepublicanForAllReasons]

Um, Clockwork Orange is for “students”?

The graphic violence and sex is a distraction from the somewhat morally ambiguous message. I've seen the 'Alex with switchblade' logo tatooed on the arms of a few punks/goths.

A much better idea is to make students read books. The best way to improve literacy and writing skills is by reading good literature. Here are a few recommendations:

Lord of the Flies - William Golding
The Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane
Up From Slavery - Booker T. Washington
Starship Troopers - Robert Heinlein (Don't let them watch the movie!)
Just about any of Louis L'Amour's Western novels. There's one called Fallon about a crook/gambler who becomes reformed when thrown in with a party of lost pioneers. Also, his Last of the Breed is great reading for any age from about 13 upwards.

Ayn Rand's novels (The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, We, The Living) are good for mature, advanced students, but a little philosophically weighty for most grade school students.

[NavyCanDo]

In 1976-77 we had an optional course in High School called Film Studies. We would review movies shown in the auditorium discuss them afterward and write reports on them. Fun stuff for a 16 years old kid with a skull full of mush. But when I look back on it this many years later at the movies we reviewed, I ask my self what the heck were they thinking. Two I remember: Soldier Blue and Little Big Man. Both bloody, and both depicting white man as evil.

[Theo]

Gotcha. I was thinking high school.