Methodology:

After suitable titles are chosen from an array of quality age and content appropriate foreign films, Journeys in Film identifies and recruits leading scholars, filmmakers, and media literacy experts to develop a curriculum that includes lesson plans in culture, geography, history, arts, language, media literacy, and film viewing. These lesson plans are the cornerstone of Journeys' work and teach young viewers how to watch a film while reinforcing academic standards and challenging students to examine how their own filters influence their perceptions of others.

  Pre-Film Viewing Preparation

Teachers prepare their students to view a selected film using the lesson plans by implementing two or three pre-film-viewing lesson plans. Themes explored in these preliminary lessons in geography, history, and religion offer students the basic level of knowledge about the country and/or culture and context from which to more easily understand and absorb the content of the film. Remaining lessons plans in other core subjects can be taught in any sequence, collectively or independently of each other, in their entirety or only selected activities.

Setting for Film Viewing

Journeys in Film recommends that the selected film is then viewed in a group setting, ideally on a large screen in a school auditorium or media center. The experience of group viewing on a large screen is critical to the results of the program. It provides an important sense of a shared community, and students, by their own admission in evaluations, say they engage more readily with the film, subtitles, and content when viewed in such a setting. 

Recommended Implementation Methods

As a general rule, we believe that the teacher can best decide what methods of film viewing and lesson implementation are appropriate for each specific class. However, we recommend an interdisciplinary (or cross-curricular) approach in order to make the greatest impact on the student; Journeys in Film curriculum guides makes this easy to facilitate. This also allows a group of teachers to share their efforts and class time for a truly comprehensive, immersive experience, instead of one or two teachers giving up one or two weeks of class time in this current climate of reaching benchmarks and quotas.

Consider devoting an entire day or even several days to one film and its respective curriculum. Cancel all classes, prepare students by having already implemented the pre-film lesson plan(s), view the film together as one entire student body or in large groups, and design a round-robin rotational method for the remaining lesson plans that are deemed as "core" or essential by a school community.

OUTCOME OBJECTIVES FOR "THE CUP"

The introductory film, "The Cup" was filmed in Bhutan and was inspired by true events. The story follows two young Tibetan boys, escaping Tibet and arriving at a Tibetan monastery-in-exile nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas. The lives of teenage monks, living in a remote monastery, are transformed during the broadcast of the world cup soccer playoffs.

 

Outcome Objectives	Activities
Students will explore their own cultural structures and beliefs.	Students will define culture and provide at least five specific examples   Students will identify the cultural groups to which they belong.     Students will identify commonalities and differences among U.S. cultural  groups.   Students will identify essential human needs common to all cultures.
Students will learn specific geographical, social, historical, and cultural facts about other countries.	Students will identify Tibet, Bhutan, China and India on a world map.   Students will summarize major historical events that are critical to the current status of Tibet as an "autonomous region" of China.   Students will research and write five facts about Tibet or Bhutan (i.e. geography, population, ethnic distribution, literacy, imports/exports).
Students will improve their media literacy and their ability to critically view films.	Students will develop skills in analyzing plot and character development.   Students will analyze visual techniques used to advance the plot and story structure.   Students will practice their skills in articulating opinions and analysis.   Students will identify traits of the primary characters.   in the film and follow their development from beginning to end.   Students will recognize and identify cultural and religious artifacts appearing in the film.
Students will examine how their own 'filters' influence their perceptions of other cultures.	Students will discuss elements that make this particular film different from others they have seen.   Students will identify and describe cultural content within each film.   Students will identify their assumptions about Tibet or Bhutan.   Students will identify their assumptions about kids living in a Buddhist monastery.   Students will examine their attitudes about sports, athletes and sports fans.
Students will improve their intercultural understanding and communication.	Students will re-examine their assumptions and attitudes about sports, the country and the kids living in a Buddhist monastery based on the film.   Students will identify at least 3 key similarities and differences amount U.S. and Tibetan or Bhutan cultures.   Students will identify and describe different cultural groups represented in the movie.

Impact Outcomes:

• Students who have fundamental knowledge about diverse regions of the world in terms of geography, language, history and cultural values.
   
• Students who are interested in and motivated by the diverse stories and voices in world cinemas and documentaries.
   
• Students who are media literate, support quality films with a meaningful message, and are equipped to make informed judgments about what they watch, read and hear.
   
• Students with an in-depth understanding and respect of cultural differences, who can foster greater harmony in school, the community and the world.
   
• Students with enhanced English-reading skills (as a result of viewing foreign-language films with English subtitles).