Crecia C. Swaim
I propose a two-part unit that will help my middle-school students succeed on the state-required testing battery, the Connecticut Mastery Test, while absorbing French culture. Although mastery tests vary by state, the skills required by the Connecticut test will certainly prove important and applicable to curriculums across the country.(2) To spice things up a bit, we will explore the idea of film as a visual text, thereby expanding the notion of what a text is, and of what is "worthy" of analyzing. Students will come to understand that analysis can be a natural part of any personal conversation, apart from any test. I will create pre- and post- tests which are in line with the local movement of data collection, to reflect progress and to drive instruction. Assessment will integrate individual writing assignments into a persuasive essay on a proposed topic. As a culminating project, students will participate in a series of simulated "café discussions" on education as it is portrayed in the films explored.
This unit will explore two films written and directed by François Truffaut.(3) They both address universal aspects of childhood, while introducing visual and thematic elements of French culture. They should provide ample occasions for students to draw comparisons and to make contrasts, both between films as well as from our culture to the ones portrayed. The first film we will view is
L'Argent de poche,
1976 (105 minutes). Although it is now 30 years old, the characters and their exploits will draw students in and keep them wondering what will happen next. With this film students will practice the skill of forming an initial understanding through writing responses to the film that show basic aspects of theme, character, and plot. Next we will view
L'Enfant sauvage,
1970 (83 minutes). It was made over 35 years ago, and it takes place about 200 years in the past, at the very beginning of the 19th century. With this film students will practice demonstrating a critical stance through writing responses to the film that examine the purpose and effectiveness of the filmmaker, as determined by student interpretation. Here students will also make predictions about what will happen next; since we have documentation concerning the title character's life, I will be able to give them factual information to validate their predictions and to discuss the logic of the predictions. It is important to note here that even if a prediction did not actually "come true," that doesn't mean it wasn't a good prediction! The order in which the films are viewed is important; on its own, students might have a difficult time relating to the characters in
L'Enfant sauvage
, but after experiencing the more accessible lives of children in
L'Argent de poche
, this should be easier for them.
L'Enfant sauvage
lends itself well to the task of demonstrating a critical stance, as its story is extraordinary, and its themes provoking;
L'Argent de poche
, on the other hand, has a more familiar story that begs to be used to help teach and practice the skill of forming an initial understanding.
Although this unit may be taught according to any useful timeframe, I suggest that it be broken up into two sub-units, with each sub-unit lasting about 2 months, being taught once a week, preferably on Fridays; this should give the unit the flavor of a treat while practicing necessary skills. I like the idea of spreading this out over a period of time because it will develop long-term thinking skills. In particular I want students to learn the value of immediate written reflection to keep memories fresh for a non-immediate use.