Embedded Files
Understanding Multiple Perspectives is a crucial translanguaging purpose because it expands and deepens students knowledge of identity, culture, language, and their impact on society. Students can analyze primary sources to have a critical lens to further understand multiple perspectives.
Students can understand multiple perspectives regarding Italian culture and the horrors that many Italian Jews faced during the Holocaust. They also observe a variety of other languages and cultures displayed in the movie and their roles and beliefs during this important part of history.
La Vita è Bella - Movie Analysis
The movie La Vita è Bella (2007) is a primary source that is filmed in Italian with English subtitles. Students will watch the film and be given general questions to answer about the story in any language. Then, students will read two reviews about La Vita è Bella and discuss in small groups what they agreed and disagreed with regarding the review. As an individual assessment, students will create a movie review that answers the following questions.
1) Do you think Life is Beautiful should be classified as a comedy or a tragedy? Why?
2) In your opinion, is the film more of a celebration of the human spirit or a story about the Holocaust? Explain.
3) You probably noticed that the film lacked explicit scenes of violence. Did you expect to see more violence based on the time period
and setting of the film? Does the lack of violence appeal to you?
4) Were the comedic scenes appropriate for the subject matter?
5) What is your opinion about the first and second half of the film? Was the beginning necessary to better appreciate the “game” and
the conclusion of the film? Explain.
6) Do you see Guido as a heroic figure? Why or why not?
7) What do you think is the overall purpose of the film? Does the film achieve its purpose?
8) Does Benigni prove in the film that life really is beautiful? Explain.
9) In your opinion, what are the film’s greatest strengths and weaknesses?
10) On a scale of 1-5 stars, how many stars would you rate Life is Beautiful and why?
Día de Muertos Activities and Formative Assessment
For students to understand multiple perspectives in Spanish, El Día de Muertos, is a fun way to show students a variety of texts regarding this important aspect of hispanic culture. The first presentation is taught to the students as a whole group. Students are provided fill-in notes to follow along with the teacher. At the end of the presentation, there are three videos that talk about various parts of Día de Muertos such as ofrendas, the beliefs of the afterlife, and more. Here is a link to the questions students are asked to answer in pairs.
To further extend students knowledge of this cultural tradition, students engaged individually with a primary video source that is spoken in Spanish. Students view the video on Día de Muertos en español and answer questions in English an Edpuzzle to check for comprehension.
References
Cecchi Gori Group. (1997). La Vita è Bella [DVD]. Italia.
Hamman-Ortiz, L. & Hesson, S. (2023) 10 Purposes for Pedagogical Translanguaging
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