Teacher's Guide for FOOTSTEPS At the Movies

• to develop an appreciation for the contributions made by African Americans to the motion picture industry
• to develop an understanding about how movies have opened the door for dialogue about race
• to develop an awareness of how stereotypes are both reinforced and countered in the movies
• to practice reading comprehension skills such as organizing facts from text, scanning, using graphic organizers, following study guides, etc.
• to develop team-work skills by participating in pairs and in larger groups
• to practice composition skills in a variety of assignments

1. After reading the article, pair students (or make groups of three depending on the size of the classroom) and
2. Assign each team one question on page 47. Teams present the questions to entire class by writing the words with blanks on the board, reading the rest of the sentence, and giving hints one letter at a time ("Wheel of Fortune" style) until the answer is guessed.

1. Perk interest in Micheaux by reading (or telling) the plot line of "Within our Gates," which can be found in the second column on page 6. Also, direct students' attention to the box in the bottom left on page 12.
2. Ask students to prepare two sheets of paper following these directions: Title the front of one sheet "Dates," title the back "Numbers." Title the front of the other sheet "Italics," title the back "Quotation Marks."
3. Reading from pages 6 through 11, instruct students to find from three to five examples of each of the categories to note on their papers and to be prepared to explain the significance of each.

Here are some examples to get them started:

• Italics: Chicago Defender (the name of the newspaper which helped attract a black audience)
• Dates: 1951 (date of Micheaux's death)
• Numbers: 7 (number of novels written by Micheaux)
• Quotation Marks (as well as another example for the italics column): "the most sensational story of the race question since Uncle Tom's Cabin" (what was said about the movie)

Give students the following list; ask them to both match the terms and their definitions and then to put them into the chronological order in which they are discussed in the article.

Praxinoscopes	pictures painted on glass slides
Magic Lanterns	spinning plate-shaped discs
Kinetoscopes	spinning plate-shaped discs
Phenakistoscopes	spinning mirror, carousel trays
Mutascopes	flip cards
Zoetropes	open cylinders

1. This article, story-like as it is, could be read aloud by students, round-robin fashion.
2. Assign students to groups and ask them to turn to pages 22-23. Give them this premise:

   "The Learning Tree" is to be re-made, produced by class members.

   Discuss as a class first whether the movie should take place today or if it is a story which could only be set many years ago.
3. Then ask each group to address six of the "behind the scenes" roles and decide what they would take into consideration if they were directing the movie.

   For example: as casting director,

   • What current actors and actresses would best suit each of the roles?
   • Where would they film the movie?
   • What kinds of costumes would be appropriate?
   • etc.

   Other possible tasks

   • Write a 50-word tribute to Gordan Parks
   • Create a movie poster advertising the new film
   • Research reviews of the "The Learning Tree" from when it first opened at theaters

4. Have groups give presentations to the class (a point rubric might be designed to facilitate understanding of how many elements would be needed for a presentation to be considered "complete" for various numbers of points).

After students read this article (as well as other references to the subject in this issue), hold a class discussion about current television shows and movies. Ask students to give their views on which, if any, of these shows might fit the "blaxploitation" label in the sense that they perpetuate stereotypes.

Ask students to answer these questions as a guide to reading the article.

1. From the first paragraph on page 30, find the who, where, and when of the scene described.
2. From the same paragraph, find the name of the lead actor in the movie, the director, and the year it was made.
3. From the same paragraph, explain what happens in this scene.
4. From the last paragraph on page 30, state a fact about Malcolm X by filling in the following " . . . was a _____________ _________ of the _______ of __________."
5. From the same paragraph, write what Malcolm X called himself.
6. From page 31:
   Who killed Malcolm X and why was he killed?
7. Why did Spike Lee want to make the film about Malcolm X?
8. About Malcolm X, the article says, " . . . the civil rights leader was a ______ to some and a _________ to others."
9. From page 32:
   Malcolm X turned out to be the most expensive movie ever directed by an African American. Why did making the movie cost so much to make and how was Spike Lee able to come up with all that money?
10. From page 33:
    What real-life event made Lee's movie particularly relevant? Why?

1. Ask students to scan the article to find the names of the three African American women who have won Oscars, along with the names of the movies in which they appeared.
2. Discuss the idea of minority actors playing stereotypical parts in the movies and on television by first reading aloud Hattie McDaniels words: she said she "would rather play a maid for seven hundred dollars per week than be a maid in real life for seven dollars a week." Ask for comments.

Home

Back

Print

Updated: 9/2/10 10:26 am
Log In