Monday, May 4, 2015

English 4: Spring Documentaries


30 for 30: Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau (2013)—follows the life of lifeguard, surfer, and adventurer Eddie Aikua who disappeared at sea in 1978
  • Pre-watching questions––
    • What does it take to be a hero? Explain.
    • How do you inspire others? Good or Bad.
    • Who inspires you? How?
  • Post-watching questions––
    • What qualities made others listen to Eddie Aikau?
    • Why did people latch on to the tagline "Eddie Would Go"? How does it represent part of Eddie Aikau's legacy?
    • What made Eddie Aikau insist on becoming the first North Shore lifeguard? What did it say about him as a person?
    • Why did the film maker choose to "re-enact" certain events? What impact did that have on the way you reacted to the film?
    • What was the purpose of this film? How do you know?
  • Read, answer questions, and discuss the related articles––
    • Why is it important for people who are native to an area to keep their cultural traditions? Support and explain.
    • Why was it so important for the Polynesian Voyaging Society to make their trips? To continue on after the first, unsuccessful, voyage? Support and explain.
    • Why is it important to try to make a positive difference in your community? How did Eddie Aikau do this? How and why did others do this in his name? Support and explain.

30 for 30: Hillsborough (2013)—In the news on April 15, 1989, one of the lead stories was about a riot in a soccer stadium that killed nearly 100 people; originally, the deaths were blamed on rowdy fans. The truth is a little different. 
  • Pre-watching questions––
    • Why did it take 25 years between the events in Hillsborough and a documentary about it? Best guess (amend your answer after the documentary)
    • Why do these deaths matter? Explain.
  • Post-watching questions––
    • Were the deaths in Hillsborough preventable? How?
    • Who was ultimately responsible for how wrong things went? Explain.
    • What was the purpose of this film? How do you know?
    • Should the film maker have used more graphic imagery? Explain.
    • Can you think of any other situations where families have had to fight so hard or wait so long for justice/compensation? Explain.
    • What impact on sport stadiums and crowd control worldwide are evident based on the events of Hillsborough? Explain.
  • Read, answer questions, and discuss the related articles––
    • What information was omitted from the original coverage that could changed opinions? [Give an example of information omitted from many news sources that could change public opinion. Why do you think this happens?]
    • How did media bias affect this tragedy and the public’s perception? How does media bias affect other newsworthy events? Why do you think this happens?
    • What programs that touch on current news topics are clearly biased? How do you know? 
    • Were these articles biased? How do you know?
    • Where do you get your information? Is it from reliable sources? How do you know?


Other documentaries to follow
Pre-watching questions––
Post-watching questions––
Read, answer questions, and discuss the related articles––

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