Video Resources

The following movie clips are meant to encourage a discussion about topics that are important for all of us. How do we fit in? Why is it so difficult to be different? What does it mean to be responsible for each other? How do we stand up to mean and cruel behavior? How do we keep our eyes focused on the positive and not be defeated by the negative? Each of these clips can help in answering these questions.
These clips can be used in a number of different ways:

1. Ask your teachers if you can use the film clips and the discussion guides as part of an advisory period.
2. Use the clips as part of your regularly scheduled Upstander Alliance meetings as an opening event to get people talking and comfortable with ideas.
3. See if some of the clips fit in with material from some of your classes (for instance, if you are studying a Humanities lesson that deals with human rights, you might incorporate one of the clips into your assignments or classes). This site will provide you with many different scenes from Hollywood movies that will help to promote the important ideas that are part of our tasks as Upstanders. Film clips can be a very powerful springboard for reflection and discussion. Make sure you come back often for new clips that will help you and your Upstander Alliance
4. You might have a special “Respect For All” week or a “Diversity Awareness Campaign” at your school. The clips would be great to start off a program or prepare for important activities you are trying to plan.

1. Make sure you view the clips beforehand to see if they are relevant to your audience (for instance, it might not be a great idea for a middle school audience to discuss about bullying using an animated film…but, then again, it might be!!).
2. Look over the discussion and activity guides for each of the clips.
   a) Can you add more questions that are pertinent to your group?
   b) Can you suggest other activities that are relevant to your school or Upstander Alliance?
   c) Do you need to duplicate any materials or write them on a chart, white board, overhead projector so everyone can participate?
   
3. Do you have the proper equipment to project the clip if you have a large audience?
4. Before viewing the clips, prepare you audience for what you are going to discuss. Let them know what they will be viewing and/or what your ‘big question’ or goal is.
5. After viewing the clips, allow everyone to share ideas and opinions. Many times, the most powerful ideas for discussion don’t come from the activity and discussion guides, but from your audience!

Each of the clips comes with a guide. This guided will provide you with:

• an introduction to the clip.
• some ideas or questions to start you off (these are known as “teaser questions”).
• Questions to use after you view the movie clip.
• Suggested activities to help you get the most out of viewing these clips.
• Related quotes to share and spark further discussion with you group.

Make sure to keep in touch with us and let us know how this works out for you. It would be great to share your challenges, successes, better ideas (or flops!) on the website so we can share them with other Upstander Alliances throughout the country. Who knows? Your intriguing idea in Indiana might importantly influence those in Idaho!

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