Hollywood or History?

An Inquiry-Based Strategy for Using Comic Based Stories to Teach Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Edited by:
Adam P. Zoeller, St. Xavier High School
Thomas E. Malewitz, Spalding University

A volume in the series: Hollywood or History. Editor(s): Scott L. Roberts, Central Michigan University. Charles J. Elfer, Clayton State University.

Call For Papers or Manuscripts

Teaching and learning through Hollywood, or commercial, film and television productions is anything but a new approach and has been something of a mainstay in the classroom for nearly a century. However, purposeful and effective instruction through film is not problem-free and many challenges accompany classroom applications of Hollywood motion pictures. In response to the problems and possibilities associated with teaching through film, we are developing a collection of practical, classroom-ready lesson ideas that might bridge gaps between theory and practice and assist teachers endeavoring to make effective use of film in their classrooms. We believe that film can serve as a powerful tool in the social studies classroom and, where appropriately utilized, foster critical thinking and civic mindedness. The NCSS College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) framework, represents a renewed and formalized emphasis on the perennial social studies goals of deep thinking, reading and writing. Our hope is that this edited book might play a small role in the larger project of supporting practitioners, specifically 6-12 teachers of liberal arts and social studies content, by offering a collection of classroom-ready tools based on the Hollywood or History? strategy and designed to foster inquiry through the careful use of selected motion pictures and television productions.

TOPICS OF INTEREST:
• Psychology/Motivation
• Historical Parallels
• Minority Voice/Storytelling: Feminism/African American Perspectives
• Religious, Spiritual, and/or Theological Implications
• Many Worlds Theory/Multiverse

PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS:
We are seeking lesson plan proposals for middle and secondary grades using the Hollywood or History? strategy. Proposals should include a 1-2 page narrative providing background on the chosen film and a general description of the lesson idea. Include a brief explanation of specific film clip(s) and tentative references for primary and secondary sources. Indicate the placement of the lesson within one of the five thematic chapters and demonstrate connections to relevant state and national standards, both literacy and content.

CHAPTER SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Authors of accepted proposals will be notified by October 15, 2023. Full lesson plans using the Hollywood or History template should be submitted as a Microsoft Word email attachment by January 2, 2024. We are looking for middle (6-8) and secondary (9-12) lesson plans that address teaching liberal arts and social science issues through the use of comic-based stories. Please consider film and television productions that are: (a) based on a comic book or graphic novel and (b) directly connect/parallel curriculum topics from liberal arts or the social sciences.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE FOR PUBLICATION:
Call for Proposals: May 1, 2023
Deadline for Submitted Proposals: October 1, 2023
Submission of Full Lesson Plan: January 2, 2024
Reviews of Book Chapter Manuscripts Sent to Author(s): January 30, 2024
Receipt by Editors of Final Draft of Book Chapters: June 1, 2024
Final Book Submitted to Publisher: October 1, 2024
Anticipated Publication: Winter/Spring 2024/2025

Send all inquiries to the editors: azoeller@saintx.com and/or tmalewitz@spalding.edu