Teaching+Context

**//The authority of government . . . is still an impure one: to be strictly just, it must have the sanction and consent of the governed.//**
//-//Henry David Thoreau, //Civil Disobedience//

**Content-Based Framework**
This series of short documentary films, representing the people’s revolt against a government they see as unjust, is applicable to many different teaching contexts. Used to spur class discussion and debate, the films could easily fit into a thematic unit that deals with oppressive governments. That is not to say, of course, that the Greek government is oppressive, but the subject matter expressed in the film certainly yields itself to such categorization. Students could explore questions that address the proper role of government and what right—or obligation—the people have to combat injustice through rebellion. The class might also investigate the role of violence in society, addressing how people justify the use of violence as a means for social change. Can we ever be certain that no nonviolent option remains? At one point do we resolve to risk bodily harm or impart the same on others? The problem of strife between rulers and their subjects is an ancient one that finds expression in multiple forms among many genres, and these short films provide an accessible entry point for students to begin considering serious, complex issues.

To examine the question of duty to one’s government, students might read Thoreau’s //[|Civil Disobedience]// and explore how his refusal to be complicit in American slavery and the invasion of Mexico compares and contrasts with the riots in Greece. Thoreau’s emphasis on the power wielded by any one individual is incommensurate with the current notion of the many overthrowing the few, and students could mine this particular difference for cultural and historical meaning. Working with that framework, the class might hypothesize about how Thoreau would react to the riots. On one hand he might applaud individuals moved to action by a sense of justice, but he would also likely condemn the Greek citizens for relying so heavily on the machine of government.

This series of films is also apposite to the study of any number of dystopian texts. The discussions provoked by the films could shed light upon ideas and themes from novels like //[|1984], [|Fahrenheit 451],// and //[|Brave New World]//. Teachers could also use the films to supplement a study of the [|most popular dystopian series today], which I hardly need to name.

**Skills-Based Framework**
The critical evaluative skills employed in the analysis of digital nonfiction texts are directly applicable to the study of literature. Digital media analysis is a valuable classroom activity because it provides a familiar and engaging context for students to exercise critical reading skills. Through examining editorial decisions, students have the opportunity to engage in interpretive practices that may uncover layers of meaning that had previously been latent. Upon first viewing of a digital text, it is very difficult to account for many of the strategies that filmmakers utilize to create meaning. A soundtrack can accomplish subtle changes in mood while hard data and facts might establish a sense of authority, but a viewer (reader) of the text will undoubtedly miss many of these elements after just one viewing (reading). Teachers, therefore, have a great opportunity to illustrate the importance of rereading as a critical skill. Having to reread a text is not an indication of stupidity or ineptitude; rather, it is to be expected because many texts—digital and print-based—are simply too complex for a single reading to yield sufficient understanding.

Analyzing documentary-style nonfiction films is also quite appropriate for a study of rhetorical strategies and the elements of persuasive writing. As we have seen, documentary films are made with a purpose in mind; there is a conclusion or set of conclusions that the filmmaker wants viewer to take away from the work. To that end, the rhetorical appeals that students study in class come to play a significant role in the composition of digital nonfiction texts. The rhetorical strategies evident in a densely written essay are often difficult for students to unpack, but analogous elements in film can be more transparent and accessible, and growing accustomed to identifying them in film will help prepare students to encounter them in print. Further, situating students in the role of a filmmaker (see entry activity) can really help to crystallize abstract concepts like //ethos, pathos,// and //logos//. Having students make decisions about how to mix those elements in an effective way will develop a conceptual understanding that is transferable to many future academic and professional situations.