Created by, Lily Moore and Michelle Jaluvka
Overview of Learning Experience
A pre-viewing question is provided for the first viewing of the clip. This question gives the students a chance to be excited about watching Mulan and be attentive to what will be asked of them. Students will be encouraged to take notes on the clip the first time we view it. Their notes should include anything they see that sticks out to them. After we have watched the clip once we will begin to watch it again, except this time we will pause ask a question, watch the section of the video that corresponds with the question, stop ask the question again, and then have a class discussion. We will do this for each question. If the students don't quite give the answer we are going for additional questions will be asked to encourage them to broaden their thinking. For example, when students are asked the question about light verses darkness, they might not quite be able to understand or explain what lightness and darkness represent. To help them, and teach them, they might be asked to think about how they usually feel when they're in the dark and how they feel when they're in the light. Having them think about their own feelings should help them be able to relate better to the feeling of the characters in the clip. Challenging them with questions like this one is going to not only allow them to learn something new, but is also teaching them how to use their own feelings to decipher literature.
Questions
Pre-viewing Questions: While viewing, pay attention to any items or events that may serve as symbols for something else in the plot of the clip and think about what they may mean. (pay attention at 2:12-2:23 and 3:00-3:23)
1. Can you describe the role of each person at the dinner table? How is it like your dinner table, how's it different? 0:00-0:20
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2. How does the camera angle make Mulan appear? How does it make her father appear? 0:30-0:42
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3. What do you notice about the use of lightness and darkness in this section of the clip? How does relate to the plot of this section? Based on this section, what do you think lightness and darkness typically represent? 1:35-1:55
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4. While viewing, pay attention to any items or events that may serve as symbols for something else in the plot of the clip and think about what they may mean.
Possible Student Responses
1. Mulan is serving her family members, she serves herself last, no one is talking. Students might go into detail about what happens at their own dinner tables.
2. It makes her father appear big and powerful and it makes Mulan appear small and weak
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3a. What do you notice about the use of lightness and darkness in this section of the clip? It's very dark and scary at the beginning of the section, and then a fire is lit and the whole screen lights up.
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3b. How does it relate to the plot of this section? When it's dark, she's still very worried and doesn't have hope, but when the screen lights up she starts her plan to take her father’s place.
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3c. Based on this section, what do you think lightness and darkness typically represent? Lightness usually represents hope and darkness typically represents worry or fear.
4a. Hair comb: (specifically when it's left behind) represents Mulan growing up and leaving her family, leaving her old role behind, etc. specifically 3:00-3:23
Cutting her hair: going against her father, changing her role in the family and society, etc. 2:12-2:23
NC Curriculum and Teaching Standards
The NC 2nd Grade course curriculum is the basis of this activity. Curriculum standards 2.1 and 2.2 are evident in this activity
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RL.2.1. Answer who and what, where, questions to demonstrate understanding of details in a familiar text.
RL.2.2 Recount events from familiar stories from diverse cultures.
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Our questions have the students identify details from the movie clip and encourages them to provide proof of their statements, deepening their understanding and strengthening their media literacy skills. The questions also have students identify characters and their role, thus, fulfilling the first curriculum standard. This a familiar film, but it takes place in a culture different than most student's cultures. So, having them be able to recount this story fulfills the second curriculum standard.
Media Integration
Our media is integrated into our lesson by frequent pausing, asking higher-order thinking questions, and having class discussions. The first time the video is played there will be no pauses for questions, this first viewing is to give the students a chance to take notes of what they think might be important. The second viewing is when students will be asked questions and to discuss their thoughts.
References
http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/docs/curriculum/languagearts/scos/extended-k12.pdf
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THl8KYiAIXA&feature=youtu.be
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Meme picture taken from:
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Meme made with Meme Producer app