Pre-AP History 9

CNGC Summer Assignment 2018-19 Pre-AP American Government/Oklahoma History

The first step in completing your summer assignment is to join our class in Google classroom. You can join our class by going to www.classroom.google.com. The class you will choose is “2018-19 Summer Assignment AP History.” Click on the + button, and enter the class code: em8wpo. BOOM! You’re part of the class. Joining the class will allow you to submit your assignment when you’re done, and to communicate with other students, see what films they have chosen, and bounce ideas/questions/concerns off of them and me.

The next step is to choose and view one of the following movies (if you’ve already seen the movie you select, watch it again):

• All the President’s Men (1976) – Rated PG

Parents need to know that All the President's Men is a classic drama based on the true story of the reporters who uncovered the Watergate scandal. It has some tense moments, strong language (including "s--t" and "f--k"), smoking, and drinking. Kids may need some historical context in order to understand the story's complex characters and situations, but those who stick with it will take away positive messages about persistence and dedication to the truth.

• Lincoln (2012) – Rated PG

Parents need to know that Steven Spielberg's Lincoln isn't a biographical chronicle of Abraham Lincoln's (Daniel Day-Lewis) life in office but rather a political drama about the passing of the 13th Amendment and the end of the Civil War. The most sensitive issues in the movie are its depiction of war (severed limbs and bloody battlefields filled with dead soldiers are seen) and occasional strong language, including many era-accurate (but hard to hear today) racial epithets. But overall, the violence is much tamer than in war movies like Saving Private Ryan or Glory, and Lincoln is an educational, entertaining drama that even some mature 5th graders might be ready to handle, if they watch with their parents. (That said, it does move somewhat slowly, so kids hooked on fast-paced entertainment may not be interested.)

• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) – Not Rated

Parents need to know that this classic gem from 1939 includes lots of smoking (cigarettes, pipes, cigars) consistent with the era and some drunkenness. Even though much of the movie takes place in Senate chambers, there are still a few violent moments including a gun shot, paper boys punched and nearly run down by goons, and the main character punching crooked reporters. Punching aside, the titular Mr. Smith is an otherwise great role model, holding onto his strong convictions even when it seems like everyone is against him. Kids will not only get to see the Lincoln Memorial but learn a bit about how the Senate operates and see a filibuster in action.

• Charlie Wilson’s War (2007) – Rated R

Parents need to know that this Tom Hanks/Julia Roberts movie is decidedly adult. For starters, it deals with complex issues connected to political wrangling and Middle Eastern power struggles. And then there's the booze, gunfire, and sexual content (including some brief nudity), strong language (be ready for lots of "f--k"s) it's all here and then some. That said, the movie is also smart, with a main character who is infinitely more interesting than many other people in movies. While it is not perfect, it's still a worthy watch, especially for older teens and adults interested in the political process.

• Clear and Present Danger (1994) – Rated PG-13

Parents need to know that Clear and Present Danger is a spy thriller adapted from the Tom Clancy novel of the same name, and it’s the sequel to Patriot Games with the same lead actors. It contains numerous scenes of violence and bloodshed, dozens of deaths, high peril, and frequent use of weapons, particularly assault rifles. Language is an issue: Explicit profanity, such as "f--k," appears. Elsewhere, milder profanity and harsh, threatening language is used, from expressions such as "Jesus" and "bastard" to threats of "slit his throat" or "put a bullet in his head."

• The Pelican Brief (1993) – Rated PG-13

Parents need to know that this film is relatively free of foul language, violence, or explicit sex. But one brief scene features a murder in a porno theater; the main character is shown in a heavy clinch with a boyfriend, and several characters are killed over the course of the film (though gore is at a minimum).

• Enemy of the State (1998) – Rated R

Parents need to know that Enemy of the State is a 1998 action movie with frequent profanity, action-style violence, and sexual content, including references to infidelity. While the movie does show the machinations of a pre-9/11 government agency determined to a ruin the life and credibility of a man in possession of filmed evidence of spies killing a Congressman, the primary focus is on the nonstop action. There are also racial slurs: an African-American lawyer is referred to as an "eggplant," and Italian-American mobsters are called "guidos."

• The Hunt for Red October (1990) – Rated PG

Parents need to know that The Hunt for Red October is a tense submarine drama based on a Tom Clancy novel. There are a couple of gunfights; blood is seen two or three times, although it's not gory; and one character murders by breaking another's neck. Profanity is infrequent but varied, with "hell" half a dozen times and stronger words such as "s--t" and "ass" once each. It's a good starting point for talking about the Cold War since the story arises entirely from tense Soviet/American relations, with each regarding the other as the enemy.

• Patriot Games (1992) – Rated R

Parents need to know that Patriot Games is a spy thriller adapted from the Tom Clancy novel of the same name, and it's the sequel to The Hunt for Red October with different lead actors. It contains numerous scenes of violence and bloodshed, dozens of deaths, high peril, and frequent use of weapons, particularly assault rifles. It depicts multiple scenes of a pregnant mother and her child put in grave danger, including their injury and near-death. Language is an issue: Explicit profanity, such as "f--k," appears. Elsewhere, milder profanity and harsh, threatening language is used, from expressions such as "Jesus" and "bastard" to threats of "slit his throat" or "put a bullet in his head." There are several suggestive scenes but no nudity.

• Amazing Grace (2006) – Rated PG

Parents need to know that a former slave and a former slave ship captain describe slavery in direct, no-holds-barred language. Flashbacks and dream sequences also involve slavery. A horse is beaten in an early scene. Instruments of physical abuse -- chains, restraints, clamps -- appear on screen. Men smoke pipes, and several characters drink liquor at parties and sometimes alone. Wilberforce suffers from colitis and takes opium-based medicine to treat it. Mild language ("hell" and "damn"), plus one very pointed use of the "N" word.

• Hacksaw Ridge (2016) -- Rated R

Parents need to know that Hacksaw Ridge is based on the true story of Desmond Doss, a pacifist who enlisted in World War II but refused to carry a weapon or kill, preferring to save wounded men as a medic. Director Mel Gibson doesn't shy away from showing extremely graphic war violence. Bullets pierce flesh in slow motion, explosions toss men in the air, bleeding leg and arm stumps are shown, throats are slashed, soldiers bayonet each other to death, and men are graphically gutted, disembodied, and beheaded, with entrails and ligaments left hanging. Doss is also beaten by his fellow soldiers during basic training due to his refusal to carry a weapon. And his superior officers jail and put him on trial. Doss kisses and marries a nurse; they're seen (him shirtless, her clothed) on their wedding night. Doss' father is an abusive alcoholic. Adults smoke cigarettes and use language including: "s--t," "ass," "t--ties," "bitch," and xenophobic terms such "Japs" and "Nips" are used. Ultimately, though the movie's message is one of courage, integrity, and sticking to your convictions.

• Bridge of Spies (2015) -- Rated PG-13

Parents need to know that Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies is a tense, taut Cold War thriller inspired by real-life events. Tom Hanks stars as James Donovan, an upstanding American insurance lawyer who's assigned to defend a Soviet spy captured in Brooklyn, events that lead to a hostage exchange. Expect occasional swearing (including a couple of "f--k"s during a tense scene, plus "son of a bitch" and "goddamn hell"), a fair amount of era-accurate smoking, celebratory toasting, and some brief, intense violence -- most notably scenes in which a prisoner is harshly interrogated and others in which people are shot while trying to flee East Germany.

Not all of these films will be considered appropriate for you by your parents, and I make no claim that they are. There are enough choices on here that you should be able to find a film on which you and your parents can agree. I have included the description from Common Sense Media so you can make a more educated choice.

Watch the film, then answer the questions I have provided as best you can, in essay form. By the time you have answered the questions, you should have an essay, and it should look like one. As you answer the questions, you may (and will) find the need to use outside sources. Cite these sources as you write, and list them at the end, in the form of a bibliography.

When you are finished, upload your paper through Google Classroom. Other students will be able to read your paper, and respond to it. Maybe you will read someone else’s paper, and it sparks your interest and makes you want to watch the film they watched. We will have periodic discussions throughout the summer, and you will get credit going into the fall semester for participating.

Essay Questions:

Using your computer, create an essay about the film you chose, in which you answer the following questions:

• Did you learn anything from this movie? If you did, what was it?
• What is the message of this movie? Do you agree or disagree with it?
• Was there something you didn't understand about the film? What was it?
• What did you like best about the movie? Why?
• What did you like least about the film? Why?
• Who was your favorite character in the movie? Why?
• Who was your least favorite character in the film? Why?
• Did anything that happened in this movie remind you of something that has occurred in your own life or that you have seen occur to others?
• What were you thinking as you finished watching the film?
• Would you recommend this movie to a friend? Explain your reasons.
• What part of the story told by the movie was the most powerful? Why?
• If you had a chance to ask a character in this movie a question, what would it be?
• If you had a chance to ask the screenwriter a question, what would it be?
• If you were writing the screenplay for this movie, would you have changed the ending? Explain your answer.
• What feelings did you share with any of the characters in the movie?
• Did any of the characters in this movie make you angry? Tell us why.
• Did you come to respect any of the characters in this movie? Who was it and why did you come to respect that character?
• What comment is the author trying to make about the culture of the characters in this story?