The concept of the motion picture study guide used here is taken from those developed by The Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM) and more recently in the United States by Walden Media. The approach is also consistent with the series, Film Clips for Character Education, sponsored by The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (www.filmclipsonline.com). Appalachian State University has pioneered this work in the U.S. and our curricular work with movie guides has been featured in The Middle Ground and The Journal of Media Literacy among other publications.
Using AIME
Effective instructional strategies for teaching and learning with film will be accomplished through techniques of the AIME approach. In using film and other media in the classroom, research suggests that students learn more and are more engaged if:
This technique is based on a concept called AIME, which was developed by Gavriel Salomon (1984). The term stands for the Amount of Invested Mental Energy or Effort. Salomon’s work proved that students engage in ‘shallow processing’ or ‘cognitive economy’ if they have not been told what to focus on during the viewing of a scene.When teachers preview a scene or clip ahead of time they are able to provide significant viewing guidance that results in higher student expectations, recall, and comprehension.
Effective instructional strategies for teaching and learning with film will be accomplished through techniques of the AIME approach. In using film and other media in the classroom, research suggests that students learn more and are more engaged if:
- View short scenes followed by activities.
- Prompt students with pre-viewing or post-viewing cues, clues, or questions so that they have to look and listen activity during viewing. For examples they might be asked to make inferences about characters, or comment on how different media techniques contribute to the mood created in a scene.
- Students focus on dialogue as evidence of story structure and characters' personalities, motives, etc. Dialogue provides information and motivation and students should be able to select specific statements as evidence for their interpretations when working with key scenes.
This technique is based on a concept called AIME, which was developed by Gavriel Salomon (1984). The term stands for the Amount of Invested Mental Energy or Effort. Salomon’s work proved that students engage in ‘shallow processing’ or ‘cognitive economy’ if they have not been told what to focus on during the viewing of a scene.When teachers preview a scene or clip ahead of time they are able to provide significant viewing guidance that results in higher student expectations, recall, and comprehension.
Using the film "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone" as a learning tool
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is an engaging and enjoyable film that has appeal to middle level learners while also being relevant to several areas of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. Some subject areas addressed in the study guide include Common Core Standards of Language Arts, Social Studies, Health Education, and Visual Arts.
The guide is organized to clearly connect scenes to state standards. For example, connecting seventh grade Language Arts common core standard of Reading Literature CCS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.7 where students apply methods of, “Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film.)
This film guide also responds to some of the developmental dimensions of early adolescence described in Nation Middle Schools Association’s, This We Believe.
In the movie, much of Harry Potter’s time is dedicated to learning something, whether it is how to produce a spell, how to fly a broom, or how to build healthy relationships. The instructional relevance of combining relatable curriculum content to standards-based activities with the movie connects with student in many ways. A survey done by the Kaiser Family Foundation indicates that 8-to-18 year-olds spend an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes using entertainment media in typical day (Kaise Family Foundation, 2010). A major concept of the rational for our film guide is to engage students by using material and are familiar with and use on an everyday basis. This guide is meant to use the film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as relative media to enhance learning in the classroom.
The guide is organized to clearly connect scenes to state standards. For example, connecting seventh grade Language Arts common core standard of Reading Literature CCS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.7 where students apply methods of, “Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film.)
This film guide also responds to some of the developmental dimensions of early adolescence described in Nation Middle Schools Association’s, This We Believe.
- Commonly face decisions that require more sophisticated cognitive and social-emotional skills.
- Prefer interaction with peers during learning activities.
- Believe that personal problems, feelings, and experiences are unique to themselves.
- Tend to be self-conscious and highly sensitive to personal criticism.
- Are psychologically vulnerable, because at no other stage in development are they more likely to encounter and be aware of so many differences between themselves and others.
- Have a strong need for approval and may be easily discouraged.
In the movie, much of Harry Potter’s time is dedicated to learning something, whether it is how to produce a spell, how to fly a broom, or how to build healthy relationships. The instructional relevance of combining relatable curriculum content to standards-based activities with the movie connects with student in many ways. A survey done by the Kaiser Family Foundation indicates that 8-to-18 year-olds spend an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes using entertainment media in typical day (Kaise Family Foundation, 2010). A major concept of the rational for our film guide is to engage students by using material and are familiar with and use on an everyday basis. This guide is meant to use the film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as relative media to enhance learning in the classroom.
