Reel Character Education

A Cinematic Approach to Character Development

By:
William B. Russell III, University of Central Florida
Stewart Waters, University of Central Florida

Published 2010

Values, attitudes, and beliefs have been depicted in movies since the beginning of the film industry. Educators will find this book to be a valuable resource for helping explore character education with film. This book includes an overview of the history of character education, a discussion of how to effectively teach with film, and a discussion about analyzing film for educational value. This book offers educators an effective and relevant method for exploring character education with today’s digital and media savvy students.

This book details how film can be utilized to explore character education and discusses relevant legal issues surrounding the use of film in the classroom. Included in this book is a filmography of two hundred films pertaining to character education. The filmography is divided into four chapters. Each chapter details fifty films for a specific educational level (elementary, middle, high school, and postsecondary). Complete bibliographic information, summary, and applicable character lesson topics are detailed for each film. This book is clearly organized and expertly written for educators and scholars at the elementary, middle, high school, and postsecondary levels.

CONTENTS
Preface and Overview. Acknowledgments. 1. An Overview of Character Education. 2. Film Pedagogy. 3. Examining Films for Educational Value. 4. Character Education Films for the Elementary Classroom. 5. Character Education Films for the Middle School Classroom. 6. Character Education Films for the High School Classroom. 7. Character Education Films for the Postsecondary Classroom. Appendix A. Film Ratings. Appendix B. Film Analysis Sheet. Appendix C. Film Terminology. References. About the Authors.