Popular media has become a common means by which students understand both the present and the past. Consequently, more teachers are using various forms of popular culture as pedagogical tools in the history classroom. Science fiction is one of the most popular genres of contemporary film, a genre that permeates much of the current culture. In order to facilitate the use of science fiction films as learning tools, teachers of history need a dependable resource. Teaching History with Science Fiction Films is a guide for teaching U.S. and world history. In addition to covering key themes and concepts, the volume provides • an era-by-era overview of significant issues and related films, • a tutorial in using film in historical methodology, • user guides for 10 key science fiction films, and • sample exercises and assignments for direct classroom use. Among the films covered in this book are staples of American cultural literacy, including Things to Come, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Soylent Green, and Independence Day. Covering conceptual topics such as geopolitics, environmental consciousness, imperialism, immigration, gender roles, and technological innovation across the decades, Teaching History with Science Fiction Films will enable classroom teachers to effectively use movies to examine key social and cultural issues, concepts, and influences in their historical context. With a list of more than 90 recommended films, this volume will be an invaluable asset to any teacher of history.

Science fiction literature and film are an underappreciated source for the teaching of history. Finding material that can excite a student’s curiosity can be a key towards greater student engagement, especially among students who are taking history as a requirement, rather than from interest. The discovery that they can read or watch science fiction as part of their classwork often comes as a pleasant surprise. Beyond its popularity, however, utilizing science fiction for class assignments has certain pedagogical advantages: it introduces students to new vistas in historical thought, helps them learn how literature and film can be applied as a primary source, and can encourage participation in projects that are enjoyable. Each chapter provides case studies focusing on a different subject in the modern history curriculum and in addition to providing an analysis of specific texts and/or cinematic sources, gives suggestions on assignments for the students.

This volume serves as a guide for teaching history with sci-fi films. In addition to covering key themes and concepts, it provides an overview of significant issues and related films, a tutorial in using film in historical methodology, user guides for 10 key sci-fi films, a model syllabus, and sample exercises and assignments for classroom use.

Produced for the Council of Europe project " Learning and teaching about the history of Europe in the 20th century", this book concentrates on the how rather than the what of teaching. Besides a study of selected themes and topics, it covers the teaching of sensitive issues, the reading of visual archives, analysing history on television and the Internet and assessing new technologies. Some of these new sources have not been made part of standard teacher training, yet they have a powerful role in the way young people perceive the past. The author is a Senior Research Fellow at Leirsinn Research Centre, University of Highlands and Islands Millennium Institute.

From body art to baseball cards, comics to cathedrals, pie charts to power ballads . . . students need help navigating today’s media-rich world. And educators need help teaching today’s new media literacy. To be literate now means being able to read, write, listen, speak, view, and represent across all media—including both print and nonprint texts, such as film, TV, podcasts, websites, visual art, fashion, architecture, landscape, and music. This book offers secondary teachers in all content areas a flexible, interdisciplinary approach to integrate these literacies into their curriculum. Students form cooperative learning groups to evaluate media texts from various perspectives (artist, producer, sociologist, sound mixer, economist, poet, set designer, and more) and show their thinking using unique graphic organizers aligned to the Common Core State Standards

"Science Fiction Film: A Teacher's Guide to the Genre and Classroom Resources provides complete scheme of work for the teaching of science fiction film, including: Guidelines for practical tasks including storyboarding, designing a film poster and developing a marketing strategy A detailed history of science fiction film and its place both within the industry and the wider culture of the twentieth century A thorough grounding in all the theoretical concepts of Media Studies A focus on familiar and easily accessible texts such as Metropolis, The Terminator, the Alien quartet, Men in Black and Galaxy Quest. "