Hollywood or History?: An Inquiry-Based Strategy for Using Television Shows to Teach Issue-Centered Curriculum

Teaching with film in social studies classrooms has been around for a while, but Hollywood or History has bridged the gap with challenges attached to using historical film and engaging students through inquiry. This text uses television shows (sitcoms) to bring issue-centered curriculum to middle and high school classrooms, exploring issues in specific episodes and developing critical thinking, reading, and writing skills. The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) framework is an integral part of the exploration of issue-centered curriculum, and this text can help practicing teachers walk through the C3 framework while allowing students to learn about issues that affect society and their communities.

Format: Hardback
Length: 164 pages
Publication date: 11 May 2022
Publisher: Information Age Publishing

Teaching with film is not a new approach in the social studies classroom, and various publications, such as Hollywood or History, have bridged the gap with challenges attached to using historical film and engaging students through inquiry, not entertainment. To continue with the Hollywood or History strategy, this text uses television shows (sitcoms) to bring issue-centered curriculum to middle and high school classrooms. By exploring issues in specific episodes, students can learn the history behind an issue, relate it to their lives, and develop an informed decision associated with the issue.

The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) framework is an integral part of the exploration of issue-centered curriculum. In each chapter, the students will work through the four dimensions and develop critical thinking, reading, and writing skills. My hope is that this text can play a small role in walking practicing teachers through the C3 framework while allowing students to learn about issues that affect society and the communities where they live.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781648029585