Tips for Using New Day Films in the Classroom

October 2, 2014

Filmmaker Kristy Guevara-Flanagan fields questions at a student-led Q&A.

Choose films that tell a compelling story. Stories provide the conduit for conveying information. Most people don’t remember pure facts - but we are hard-wired to remember stories. Ask students to share their own stories as a counterpoint to the film’s stories.

Check if the film has a companion study guide. Many New Day films include guides that offer detailed background information on the film’s subject, notes on running a successful discussion, a sample lesson plan, and additional resources.
Frame the film prior to viewing. Explain which elements relate to the course, e.g. anthropology students might identify moments of cultural significance and their relationship to the topic of study. Film is a rich medium, and students often need framing to notice and process the types of information most relevant to their learning.
Assign a feature film like you would assign a book. Use class time for discussion and collaboration. This allows students to time-shift their learning, review the film on their own, and take notes at their own pace. Most New Day titles are available via online streaming.
Don’t discount the power of the moving image. Students often learn in a deeper and more thorough way through visual media!
Pair two films together. Contrasting films on similar subjects from different regions, eras, or cultures can highlight commonalities and differences across a wide spectrum of issues.
Use a film to open up discussion on a difficult topic, such as race, gender, religion, adoption, or sexuality. Film is an emotional medium, and social justice documentaries can often elicit deeper and more thoughtful classroom discussions than texts.
Ask students to write down three quick “take-aways” from the film, before discussion starts. What did they find enlightening, compelling, or relevant? Collect the statements and share them aloud. The variety of observations may be surprising.
Organize a cross-disciplinary screening series. Including multiple departments helps save funds in tight budget times, and also inspires rich interdisciplinary discussions about issues that can be looked at from many points of view.
Use a film as a starting point for research or project assignments. Films are a powerful tool for getting students interested in a particular topic. Ask students to identify an element in the film - a character, a group, a location - and create an independent project around it.
Invite the filmmaker to your class, to enrich the students’ understanding of the material. Ask students to turn in questions for the filmmaker ahead of time, and prepare a few questions of your own. Many New Day filmmakers are available for Q&A, either via Skype or in person.