This resource from the AMERICAN MASTERS documentary Becoming Helen Keller features Keller's work around social justice and the disability movement. Using video, discussion questions, teaching tips, and activities, students explore how Keller used her platform to support her advocacy and activism, and her lasting impact on American society. [4:14]

In this resource from the AMERICAN MASTERS documentary Becoming Helen Keller, examine Keller's advocacy for the Blind through her 40 years of work with the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). Through video, discussion questions, teaching tips, and activities, students analyze primary source documents to help them understand the impact of Keller's advocacy for the Blind - and how it was her life's work. [5:06]

The National Humanities Center presents collections of primary resources compatible with the Common Core State Standards - historical documents, literary texts, and works of art - thematically organized with notes and discussion questions. Topics discussed in this unit include the following: Becoming Modern: America in the 1920s: Movies. As movies came to center the mass-culture universe, two major questions came to the fore: how did movies influence modern youth, and how would the introduction of sound affect the silent film industry? Here we consider pronouncements on these two questions from a sociologist and a Hollywood producer. Also included are samples of films and cartoons, silent and with sound.

The National Humanities Center presents collections of primary resources compatible with the Common Core State Standards - historical documents, literary texts, and works of art - thematically organized with notes and discussion questions. Topics discussed in this unit include the following: Becoming Modern: America in the 1920s: Modern City in Film. Presents a collection of films and newsreels about New York City from the 1920s.

The National Humanities Center presents collections of primary resources compatible with the Common Core State Standards - historical documents, literary texts, and works of art - thematically organized with notes and discussion questions. Topics discussed in this unit include the following: Becoming Modern: America in the 1920s: Modern Youth. A collection of commentaries and films from the 1920s on perceptions about youth at that time.

As part of a revision and writing section of BBC Bitesize, this site goes over several tips involved in writing a a script. The information includes plot, radio script, sound effects, and TV or film script.

This video [1:57] from the American Masters film Ralph Ellison: An American Journey explores the relationship between the fictional Brotherhood in the novel Invisible Man and the real-life Communist Party. Both Ellison and his literary mentor Richard Wright were associated with the Communist Party earlier in their careers, but later left because of political and artistic differences. Teaching materials are included.

Along with information about Directors, this site evaluates the Nature of Work, Working Conditions, Employment, Training, Other Qualifications, Job Outlook, Earnings, Related Occupations, and Additional Information for Actors and Producers.

This resource provides the most recent statistics and information on the careers of directors and producers. Topics covered include working conditions, training, job outlook, earnings, and links to related careers.

Learn about Keller's large donation and letter of support for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1916. Through video, discussion questions, teaching tips, Keller's original letter to the NAACP, and vocabulary, students explore what it means to be an anti-racism activist in the Jim Crow era.[1:38]

Analyze the filmmakers' choices when adapting a Dickens novel into a film. In this pivotal scene from the 2000 Masterpiece production of "David Copperfield," David, destitute and desperate, approaches his formidable Aunt Betsey for the first time. The director and screenwriter had to make tough choices about what to keep and what to change or delete. As students analyze the scene by comparing Dickens's original text with the film adaption, they explore the challenges that confront filmmakers when interpreting a literary work for the screen. [2:05]

In this video [6:54] from the American Masters film Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun explores Hurston's celebrated anthropological research of rural Southern Black culture in the 1920s. Using video, discussion questions and associated activities, students will learn about Southern Black culture and New Deal programs like the Works Progress Administration.

Examine how Emma's surprising views on marriage reflect the limited opportunities for women in Regency England, in this excerpt from the 2009 Masterpiece adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma. In this scene, Harriet is shocked to hear Emma proclaim, "...I have very little intention of marrying at all." For a woman in Regency England this is an almost radical proclamation. This resource is part of the Masterpiece Collection. [1:05]

The 12th grade learning experience consists of 7 mostly month-long units aligned to the Common Core State Standards, with available course material for teachers and students easily accessible online. Over the course of the year there is a steady progression in text complexity levels, sophistication of writing tasks, speaking and listening activities, and increased opportunities for independent and collaborative work. Rubrics and student models accompany many writing assignments.Throughout the 12th grade year, in addition to the Common Read texts that the whole class reads together, students each select an Independent Reading book and engage with peers in group Book Talks. Language study is embedded in every 12th grade unit as students use annotation to closely review aspects of each text. Teacher resources provide additional materials to support each unit.

Students will consider the different ways that humor can be used by a writer to criticize people, practices, and institutions that he or she thinks are in need of serious reform. Students will read satirists ranging from classical Rome to modern day to examine how wit can be used to make important points about culture.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Students research an aspect of modern life that they would like to lampoon.
Students read from satirists across history to absorb the style and forms of humor and institutions satirized.
Students write their own satire, drawing on techniques of famous satirists to criticize their targets.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

These questions are a guide to stimulate thinking, discussion, and writing on the themes and ideas in the unit. For complete and thoughtful answers and for meaningful discussions, students must use evidence based on careful reading of the texts.

What is satire, and when is it too harsh?
How can humor and irony make you more persuasive?
What do you think is funny? How far would you go to satirize it?
Who gets more reaction—satirists or protestors?

Students plot the six most important events in “Once Upon a Time” and discuss what they think the author is saying about life in South Africa. Then they look at how the story made them feel and where it seemed particularly Juvenalian.Lesson PreparationRead the lesson and student content.Anticipate student difficulties and identify the differentiation options you will choose for working with your students.

Learn about the controversial Baby Bollinger case (1915) connected to the eugenics movement and Helen Keller's decision to comment publicly on the case in this video adapted from the AMERICAN MASTERS film Becoming Helen Keller. Use this resource to learn more about the case, namely Dr. Haiselden's decision about the life of a newborn with multiple disabilities, and examine how the media covered this gruesome event in American history. Support materials are provided. [2:35]

These videos and support materials explore the intense division experienced by those who testified before and blacklisted by HUAC during the Cold War, focusing on the testimony of Elia Kazan. The videos are from American Masters None Without Sin. Using video, text, and text-dependent discussion questions, students will better understand the public investigation in allegations of Communist activity in the US during the early years of the Cold War.

Discover the role of women in World War II in this video [1:55] from the American Masters film Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story. Hedy Lamarr invented frequency hopping-a technology that could have provided a significant advantage to the United States military in the war-but the Navy shelved her idea and told her to sell war bonds instead. By selling war bonds, she engaged in something deemed more appropriate for a woman, especially a glamorous actress. In this resource, students explore the opportunities open to women during the war through discussion questions, a background essay, a student handout analyzing primary sources, and other tips for extending learning.

In this resource from the AMERICAN MASTERS film Becoming Helen Keller, learn about the history of oralism and its impact on Deaf culture. Using video, discussion questions, and short activities, students examine primary source materials and commentary that help them understand important aspects of Deaf culture and how oppressive practices like oralism impacted the Deaf community. [2:57]