Classes don’t have to be a waste of time when the teacher is away. Most teachers have movies they’d like to show their students, if only they could find the time. Films that further curriculum goals can keep students engaged and advance learning.
TWM suggests that teachers have a movie and a lesson plan in their desk drawer ready for a substitute to take up and teach a class.
TWM provides four model Set-Up-the-Sub lesson plans:
ELA: Have the substitute introduce students to the child savior myth and literary archetypes using a 22-minute snippet of a non-violent portion of the film “Man on Fire.” This will take up one class period.
ELA: Provide an in-depth lesson on expository phase, motif, symbol, theme development, and dramatic irony using the film “Cast Away”. This can occupy one to three weeks and the teacher can pick up the lesson when he or she returns.
U.S. History: The sub can teach a lesson on the Civil Rights Movement and The Nashville sit-ins using “A Force More Powerful”. The film provides original footage of high school and college students being trained in the techniques of non-violent demonstrations and then putting that training into practice at segregated Nashville lunch counters. This is a one-period lesson.
World History: Non-violence and the Indian Independence Movement is the basis for a lesson using “A Force More Powerful.” This is a one-period lesson.
Using these lesson plans as templates, teachers can easily create their own set-up-the-sub lesson plan for any film want their classes to watch.
When class time is well spent, everyone benefits. A substitute teacher wants a class in which students are occupied and don’t get into trouble. The teacher needs to know that class time won’t be wasted and that attention will be paid to meeting educational goals. Students benefit when their attention is focused on curriculum-related topics.
Be sure to set up your sub!
