Lucille Ball was a great comic actress. After starring in more
than 60 movies and being known as the “Queen of the B-movie”,
she found her identity as a clown on the long running TV series
I Love Lucy. In this lesson plan, students study images of
women in movies and television, contrasting the ideal of physical
beauty with the risks an actress takes to be funny. They also learn
about physical comedy, discuss what makes clowning funny, and get
to try it themselves.

Grade Levels

5-6

Subject Areas

History, Drama

Objectives

Students will:

• learn about images of women in Hollywood cinema, in the 40s and
  50s and today
• participate in a warm-up and comedy improv exercise

Materials

• Video of episode(s) of I Love Lucy (or you can use video
  clips from the web — see Selected Websites, below.
• Optional: A videotape of American Masters: Lucille Ball
• VCR and monitor
• Internet-connected computers in the classroom for student research.
  Alternatively, you can print materials from the web for handouts
  – see Selected Websites, below.
• For the improv exercise, it will help to have a list of emotional
  states written up in advance. See the improv exercise for some ideas.

Selected Websites

Bookmark or print pictures of female actresses from
these sites. The goal is to contrast pictures of glamourous actresses
of the 30s and 40s and 50s with pictures of Lucille Ball, as a comic
actress. This will be part of a discussion activity.

I
Love Lucy still pictures

I
Love Lucy video clips

I
Love Lucy episode guide: with stills and video clips

Lucy
video clips

Internet movie database
(IMDB): search for Judy Garland, Lucille Ball and others to find
movie stills.

Jean
Harlow: click on Photos

Ingrid
Bergman

Reel
Classics: Classic Actresses

Standards

Historical Understanding:

Understands
the context in which theatre, film, television, and electronic media
are performed today as well as in the past.

• Understands the knowledge, skills, and discipline needed to pursue
  careers and avocational opportunities in theatre, film, television,
  and electronic media
• Understands the emotional and social impact of dramatic performances
  in one’s own life, in the community, and in other cultures
• Knows ways in which theatre reflects a culture
• Knows how culture affects the content and production values of
  dramatic performances
• Understands how social concepts such as cooperation, communication,
  collaboration, consensus, self-esteem, risk taking, sympathy, and
  empathy apply in theatre

Understands
the historical perspective

• Knows how to view the past in terms of the norms and values of
  the time

Grade Level:
6th through 8th grade
(Note: This lesson can easily be adapted for high school level)

Time Allotment:

• Two hours for viewing the American Masters episode about Paul Robeson
• Four to six sessions for group work and preparation
• 90-minute session for debate

Subject Matter:
American History, Music, Theater, Civil Rights, Social Activism

Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to:

• Learn about how sports, music, and theater have affected the Civil Rights Movement.
• Understand the social, cultural, and political climate in America in the 1920s to 1950s.
• Research the impact of racism in the early part of the 20th century.
• Work together in small groups.
• Make a persuasive argument.
• Use Internet sources and primary source material.
• Present a thesis using multimedia software.
• Participate in a question-and-answer session during an in-class debate.

Standards:

MCREL MUSIC, Level 4, Standard 7
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/standardDetails.asp?SubjectID=11&StandardID=7 Understands the relationship between music and history and culture

MCREL LANGUAGE ARTS, Level 4, Standard 5
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/standardDetails.asp?SubjectID=7&StandardID=5 Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process

MCREL THINKING AND REASONING, Level 4, Standard 2
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/standardDetails.asp?SubjectID=21&StandardID=2 Understands and applies basic principles of logic and reasoning

MCREL LANGUAGE ARTS, Level 4, Standard 8
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/standardDetails.asp?SubjectID=7&StandardID=8 Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes

MCREL LANGUAGE ARTS, Level 4, Standard 9
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/standardDetails.asp?SubjectID=7&StandardID=9 Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media

MCREL LANGUAGE ARTS, Level 4, Standard 2
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/standardDetails.asp?SubjectID=19&StandardID=2 Knows the characteristics and uses of computer software programs.

MCREL WORKING WITH OTHERS, Level 4, Standard 1
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/standardDetails.asp?SubjectID=22&StandardID=1 Contributes to the overall effort of a group

Paul Robeson Web sites

American Masters – Paul Robeson Web site
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/robeson_p.html
The companion site to this episode of American Masters features an overview of Paul Robeson’s life, as well as a timeline of his achievements and information on obtaining the video.

This lesson was prepared by: Anna Chan Rekate

Grade Level:
9th to 12th grade

Time Allotment:

• Eight to twelve class periods for introductory activities, video, and subsequent discussions.
• One to two class periods for presentations, depending on class size
• Teachers should be aware that students will have to do a majority of the preparation for the Reader’s Theater unit and the final project for homework.

Subject Matter:

• English, Drama, American History

Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to:

• Develop a stronger understanding of the text through repeated readings and interpretation.
• Relate information and context of a text through dialogue rather than pure narration.
• Hone their decoding and reading fluency skills.
• Adapt a chapter of narrative into script form.
• Work cooperatively in a team situation.
• Use various types of presentation software.

Standards:

National Standards:

MCREL LANGUAGE ARTS, Level 4, Standard 1
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/standardDetails.asp?subjectID=7&standardID=1
Writes fictional, biographical, autobiographical and observational narrative compositions.

MCREL LANGUAGE ARTS, Level 4, Standard 6
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?SubjectID=7&StandardID=6
Uses reading skills and strategies to understand a variety of literary passages and texts (e.g., fairy tales, folktales, fiction, nonfiction, myths, poems, fables, fantasies, historical fiction, biographies, autobiographies, chapter books)

MCREL LANGUAGE ARTS, Level 4, Standard 5
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?SubjectID=7&StandardID=5
Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process

MCREL LANGUAGE ARTS, Level 4, Standard 8
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?SubjectID=7&StandardID=8
Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes

MCREL LANGUAGE ARTS, Level 4, Standard 9
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?SubjectID=7&StandardID=9
Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media

MCREL TECHNOLOGY, Level 4, Standard 2
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?SubjectID=19&StandardID=2
Knows the characteristics and uses of computer software programs.

This lesson was prepared by: Anna Chan Rekate. Anna Chan Rekate is currently a High School English Teacher at Trevor Day School in New York City. Previously, she was the Upper School Coordinator at the Manhattan School for Children. She has also taught all subjects for the sixth and eighth grades at the City & Country School in New York City. Rekate has a master’s degree in Educational Policy from Columbia University’s Teachers College and a master’s degree in Leadership and Supervision from Bank Street College of Education.

Organizers for Students
Print out and make copies of these organizers for your students:

• Questions about the McCarthy Era (pdf)
• Rubric for Reader’s Theater (pdf)
• General Assessment Rubric for the Arthur Miller and Elia Kazan Exhibition (pdf)

Overview

Lon Chaney was the “man of a thousand faces.” The legendary character actor — known for the title roles of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, as well as for the role of Fagin in OLIVER TWIST — developed his craft by mimicking and doing pantomime to amuse his deaf parents. Though he is most often remembered for his work in horror films, he firmly established himself as a character actor, makeup artist, director, and screenwriter. In this lesson, students will watch the Lon Chaney episode of American Masters, read chapters from three original books on which Chaney’s films were based, and use a reading strategy called Reader’s Theater to adapt each chapter into a script. After performing their interpretations of the chapters, students compare their own work to Chaney’s.

Grade Levels

High School (Grade 9 to 12th)

Time Allotment

4 lessons

Subject Matter

English, Drama

Learning

Students will be able to:

• Work on comprehension and understanding of text through repeated readings and interpretation
• Relate information of a text through dialogue rather than pure narration
• Hone decoding and reading fluency skills by emphasizing reading and repetition
• Adapt a chapter of narrative and turn it into script form
• Work cooperatively in a team situation

Materials

• Pencils and/or pens
• Highlighters
• Each group should have a computer to download the chapter from the Internet. They will then use the file to adapt the chapter into their own script.
• Make sure that the computers are networked with a printer because all of the students will need a copy of the script.

Media Components

Computer Resources:

• Modem: 56.6 Kbps or faster
• Browser: Netscape Navigator 4.0 or above or Internet Explorer 4.0 or above. Macintosh computer: System 8.1 or above and at least 32 MB of RAM
• Personal computer (Pentium II 350 MHz or Celeron 600 MHz) running Windows 95 or higher and at least 32 MB of RAM
• Software: Any word processing software like Microsoft Word

Selected Web sites

• American Masters site for Lon Chaney episode
  Thirteen WNET New York’s site for the American Masters Series
• litrix.com site
  This is the chapter from THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA that students will be performing for the Reader’s Theater.
• Bartelby.com site
  This is the chapter from THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME that students will be performing for the Reader’s Theater.
• Classics at the Online Literature Library — Chapter 9 of OLIVER TWIST by Charles Dickens
  This is Chapter 9 from OLIVER TWIST, which students will be performing for the Reader’s Theater.

Standards

Language Arts:

Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of literary texts

• Uses reading skills and strategies to understand a variety of literary texts (e.g., fiction, nonfiction, myths, poems, biographies, autobiographies, science fiction, supernatural tales, satires, parodies, plays, American literature, British literature, world and ancient literature)
• Relates personal response or interpretation of the text with that seemingly intended by the author

Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process

• Understands writing techniques used to influence the reader and accomplish an author’s purpose (e.g., organizational patterns, such as cause-and-effect or chronological order; imagery, personification, figures of speech, sounds in poetry; literary and technical language; formal and informal language; point of view; characterization; irony; narrator)
• Understands the philosophical assumptions and basic beliefs underlying an author’s work (e.g., point of view, attitude, and values conveyed by specific language; clarity and consistency of political assumptions)

Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes

• Adjusts message wording and delivery to particular audiences and for particular purposes (e.g., to defend a position, to entertain, to inform, to persuade)
• Uses a variety of verbal and nonverbal techniques for presentations (e.g., modulation of voice; varied inflection; tempo; enunciation; physical gestures; rhetorical questions; word choice, including figurative language, standard English, informal usage, technical language) and demonstrates poise and self-control while presenting
• Understands how style and content of spoken language varies in different contexts (e.g., style of different radio news programs, everyday language compared to language in television soap operas, tones of news bulletins on Aserious@ and youth-oriented stations) and how this influences interpretation of these texts

Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media

• Adjusts message wording and delivery to particular audiences and for particular purposes (e.g., to defend a position, to entertain, to inform, to persuade)
• Understands effects of style and language choice in visual media (e.g., use of long-shots to signify both real and metaphoric isolation; rapid editing in a television commercial; juxtaposition of text and color in a billboard; words in headlines intended to attract attention)

Knows the characteristics and uses of computer software programs

• Uses desktop publishing software to create a variety of publications

Walter Cronkite was an eyewitness to the most important events of the latter part of the 20th century. With his desire to be first with a story and his commitment to solid background research, he came to be known as The Most Trusted Man in America. His reporting of news stories was considered to be fair and balanced, and when he did editorialize, as he did after the Tet Offensive, his views had the power to change governmental policy.

Much has changed since Walter Cronkite signed off in 1981. In order to examine how news reporting has evolved in the 21st century, students will explore the state and purpose of media today, research the history of the media and learn how to write using the journalistic style.

Grade Level:

9-12

Time:

• one class period to craft interview questions.
• one hour outside class for interviews.
• one class period to debrief interviews.
• one class period to introduce and set up You Are There skits
• three class periods for research on time periods and media
• two class periods to rehearse You Are There skits
• four class periods to present and debrief You Are There skits
• two class periods to explain, write and assess news articles

Subjects:

Media, History, Language Arts

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to do the following:

• devise well-crafted questions.
• gather information from interview subjects.
• draw conclusions.
• use the Internet for extensive research.
• work together in groups toward a coherent outcome.
• conduct research.

Standards:

MCREL ARTS AND COMMUNICATION, Level 4, Standard 4
Knows ways in which various media forms throughout history (e.g., broadsheets, photography, newspapers, news broadcasts) have reflected or conveyed human events

MCREL ARTS AND COMMUNICATION, Level 4, Standard 5
Knows a range of arts and communication works from various historical and cultural periods

MCREL CIVICS, Level 4, Standard 19
Understands what is meant by “the public agenda,” how it is set, and how it is influenced by public opinion and the media

MCREL UNITED STATES HISTORY, Level 4, Standard 2

Understands the historical perspective

MCREL UNITED STATES HISTORY, Level 4, Standard 27

Understands how the Cold War and conflicts in Korean and Vietnam influenced domestic and international politics

MCREL LANGUAGE ARTS, Level 4, Standard 1

Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process

MCREL LANGUAGE ARTS, Level 4, Standard 2

Uses the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing

MCREL LANGUAGE ARTS, Level 4, Standard 3

Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions

MCREL LANGUAGE ARTS, Level 4, Standard 4

Gathers and uses information for research purposes

MCREL LANGUAGE ARTS, Level 4, Standard 10

Understands the characteristics and components of the media

Grade Level:

9-12

Time Allotment:

• One hour for an introductory lesson about icons
• 90 minutes to view “Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows”
• Two sessions to explore Clint Eastwood’s icon status and for presentations
• Two sessions to work on final project and presentations

Subject Matter:

American History, World History, Film

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to:

• Understand the concept of icons and its relationship to ideals that are valued in American culture.
• Work together in small groups.
• Practice writing persuasively and for presentation purposes.
• Conduct research using Internet sources and primary source material.
• Share what they have learned in an oral and visual presentation.

National Standards:


MCREL LANGUAGE ARTS, Level 4, Standard 5 http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?SubjectID=7&StandardID=5
Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process

MCREL THINKING AND REASONING, Level 4, Standard 2

http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?SubjectID=21&StandardID=2

Understands and applies basic principles of logic and reasoning

MCREL LANGUAGE ARTS, Level 4, Standard 8

http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?SubjectID=7&StandardID=8
Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes

MCREL LANGUAGE ARTS, Level 4, Standard 9

http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?SubjectID=7&StandardID=9

Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media

MCREL WORKING WITH OTHERS, Level 4, Standard 1

http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?SubjectID=22&StandardID=1
Contributes to the overall effort of a group

Introduction

In this lesson plan, students compare and contrast the Hollywood
film industry of the 30s and 40s with Hollywood today. They conduct
research, present it in a creative posterboard project, and follow
up with a discussion of the findings of the entire class. How has
the Hollywood movie industry changed since the 30s?

Grade Levels

6-8

Subject Areas

History, Language Arts, Media

Objectives

Students will:

• Research a specific film, actor, or director from the past and
  present.


• Present their findings in the form of a creative posterboard project.


• Discuss overall conclusions that can be drawn from the class research.

Materials

• Materials for a creative posterboard collage. Each group needs
  a posterboard, newspapers & magazines containing information
  about Hollywood movies, markers, glue & other collage materials.
  Students can also print out collage materials from websites.
• Optional: A videotape of American Masters: David O.
  Selznick & Alfred Hitchcock
• VCR and monitor
• Internet-connected computers in the classroom for student research.
  Alternatively, you can suggest these links to students for research
  at home or at a library with Internet-connected computers.

Selected Websites

You can bookmark these sites for student research.

The
Hollywood Studio System (article)

The
Bill Douglas Centre for the History of Cinema and Popular Culture
– Alfred Hitchcock

Filmsite.org:
The Greatest Films

Movie
Genres

Learner.org
– Cinema: How are Hollywood films made?

About.com

Filmmaking Resources

Movie
Industry Jobs

Movie Genres

Classic
Film Actors & Actresses

Classic
Film Directors & Composers

Cinema
History, by Robert E. Yahnke

Internet Movie Database

More
Movie Genres

Film
Terms

Standards

Historical Understanding:

• Understands patterns of change and continuity in the historical
  succession of related events
• Knows how to impose temporal structure on their historical narratives
  (e.g., working backward from some issue, problem, or event to explain
  its causes that arose from some beginning and developed through
  subsequent transformations over time)
• Knows how to periodize events of the nation into broadly defined
  eras

Language Arts:

Gathers
and uses information for research purposes

Understands
the characteristics and components of the media

• Understands aspects of media production and distribution (e.g.,
  different steps and choices involved in planning and producing various
  media; various professionals who produce media, such as news writers,
  photographers, camera operators, film directors, graphic artists,
  political cartoonists)
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