Intergenerational Programming Curriculum to Accompany Books and Films
Updated: Mar 23
Brad Montegue's not the only author/video producer who welcomes curriculum designers, like the iTeach Team at Kennewaw State University in Atlanta, to create lesson plans, based on his books and YouTube presentations (view The World Needs Better Grownups!).
The New York Times featured today an article on this year's New York International Children's Film Festival, which, like the Legacy Film Festival on Aging, seeks, not jut to entertain audiences, but also to expand our worldview. More and more film festivals, including the Mill Valley Film Festival, are including film-based curriculum for schools.
What's missing is intergenerational book and film-based curriculum for families and other adults and children. Why is this needed?
Because we can learn and expand our worldview at any age, stage or ability.
What better way to expand our worldview than by watching and discussing films and reading and dsicussing books with individuals of different generations?
Welcome To My Life – A Mocumentary
Film or book-based intergenerational, programming can include meaningful activities and conversations among children and family members, friends, volunteers, elders, and, of course, teachers, based on films and books, or a combination of films and books. Here's an example: Welcome To My Life, https://classroom.nyicff.org/films/welcome-to-my-life-3-5/. Yesterday, I shared this under-9-minute, animated short film with my 8-year-old grandson. After viewing the film about monsters & sterotypes and assumptions, we discussed such themes as being different, inclusion, bullying, bias, and self-identity. We ended our conversation discussing why the filmmaker wanted to share this story. Then we talked aobut our own experience dealing with these issues. After about a half hour, he want back to his computer games.
The NY International Children's film Festival curriculum is provided by NYICFF. Go to https://classroom.nyicff.org/lesson-plans/ to sign up for their email newsletter. The organization's motto is: FIND YOUR STORY. EXPAND OUR WORLD. Are you in?