Educational film magazine; (19-)

MOTION PICTURES TO TEACH CIVICS Lecture and Screen Demonstration by F. S. Wythe, California Pro- ducer, Whose Principles Are Considered Peda- gogically Sound THAT motion pictures may be used as a valuable aid in civics instruction was demonstrated at the last meeting of the New York City Visual Instruction Association in the Washington Irving High School, when several reels of films designed for this purpose were shown by F. S. Wythe, California producer. They brought home their lessons in story form, but, unlike the movie designed for pleasure alone, they did not tell the full story. They left many details to be supplied in the classroom through questioning by the teacher or discussion among the pupils. The titles were purposely indefinite, making it necessary to judge by the pictures the names of the scenes and places por- trayed. For instance, the first scene was entitled "In Western Europe." It was laid in Belgium. Before the class could decide this fact it had to reason that though the people were attired similarly to the Hollanders, the land was hilly instead of flat and there were no windmills, so the country could not be Holland and must therefore be Belgium. Mr. Wythe, who was introduced by President Ernest L. Cran- dall, said that the commercial motion picture could not be suc- cessfully used for educational purposes. For a public optience, he pointed out, every detail of the story told by a motion picture must be supplied or the picture cannot be a success, as the public pays to be amused and not to be made to think. Such pictures used in the classroom, he said, would hj^ive a similar effect on the students, which would be contrary to the purpose desired. Mr. Wythe said that he had a difficult time getting his director to realize that educational films should be different from movies designed for entertainment alone. Fundamentals for Civics Films Motion pictures for use in teaching civics, he said, must aim to develop citizenship, good civic ideas and to inspire the student. Some of these aims, he declared, it was hard to teach from a book over the teacher's desk, though he never expected to see the day when children could be taught without a teacher. On the contrary, he_ felt that films should be used only as one of the tools in teaching. Films, he said, should utilize the power of personality by bring- ing into the clas^om the kind of people it was desired to have the children meet. He also said they brought real life and real situations into the classroom, and by making the pupil grapple with the picture made him a part of it with the result that he would be apt to be led into active participation in the civic life of the community. "Twentieth Century Pilgrims" Half a dozen reels of an eighteen reel film, Twentieth Cen'.t^ry Pilgrims, were thrown on the screen. They told of how a j)easant family in Belgium came to this country to escape the drudgery and long hours on farms there. The trip across the Atlantic was portraved, the surprise of the immigrants on beholding the skyline of Manhattan Island and their passage through Ellis Island. Then 'he father was shown working on the construction of a railroad, after which he purchased a farm with his earnings and again took up the occupation of his native land, for which he was better fitted than for railroading. Here he told of the good roads in Belgium and led to the organization of a good roads asso- ciation to the benefit of the community. The last reel showed the necessity of forming habits conducive to good health and physical development. The daughter of the immigrant performed all her "health chores," but the son neglect- ; ed his, with the result that in an interclass meet of his school he ' lost a race in which he was entered, though much dependence had been placed on him. Chagrined by his defeat, he was spurred I on to do his best thereafter, with the result that in his next contest ! he carried off the honors. Appropriate text is provided to be used in conjunction with the films. !iiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii)Miitiiriiiuimrii(iijirimti(iiitiii i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiii«ji|i TEMPUS OMNIA KYNYLkl—(Continued from page 3) Summarizing the tendencies in the non-theatrical branch of the film industry, we find more and more a distinct line of cleavage between the entertainment and strictly educa- tional sub-divisions of this branch. This is a healthy sign of progress, and shows that when the educational sub-divi- sion attains its full momentum nothing can stop it and it will become, in the course of a few years, a commercial factor of the very highest importance. This year promises to yield some interesting developments of the kind; but as has been frequently pointed out by keen observers, no conspicuously large and important development in the school and col- lege field may be looked for until some real, concerted, concrete effort on a vast scale is made by those vitally inter- ested in such development. Some beginnings have been made in both the school and the church field, but they are the merest beginnings. Per- haps the time is not yet ripe for this larger development. Perhaps it is a matter of evolution rather than revolution in educational methods. Of one thing we are certain, how- ever: the hands of the clock will not be turned backward so far as visual education is concerned. We can afford to wait in patience and in confidence the coming of that great day when every school, and every church, and every com- munity institution and organization — yes, and every home—will have its own motion picture equipment and will make full use of one of the most valuable inventions man has ever given to his fellows. We can well afford to subscribe to this sentiment of faith and trust; Ideals are like stars. You will not succeed in touching them with your hands; but like the seafaring man on the desert of water you choose them as your guides, and, fol- lowing them, you reach your desliny. DoLPH Eastman.