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And the Honors Go To
February 26, 2007





Newspapers around the country are reporting on The Academy
Awards. The New York Times is running an article entitled, "'The
Departed' Wins Best Picture, Scorsese Best Director."

Ellen DeGeneres made her first appearance as the host of the program.

According to the article, "Ms. DeGeneres said it had been a lifelong
dream of hers to be host for the Oscars, rather than to win one. 'Let
that be a lesson to you kids out there: Aim lower,' she said, sounding a
theme for the evening’s opening, which was designed to honor the
many nominees, 177 in all, rather than focusing on the winners."

Read the Article!!


Discussion-Starters for Younger Children

  • Ask your students to name their favorite movie. Why did they
    choose this movie?
  • Consider asking students to nominate their favorite
    movie for a "Kids' Oscar." Students could defend their
    choices. Then as a class students could select the
    winner. Consider writing letters to the movie's producer
    announcing the award.

  • If your students could give an award to one actor/actress, who
    would they give it to? Why? Bear in mind that it might be easier
    for students to consider the characters that people play than the
    actors/actresses themselves.
  • Here too, the class could select one actor/actress to
    which to give an award.

  • Do your students think it's important to give people trophies
    and awards? Why/why not?
  • Students might select categories of students that deserve
    awards, for example "Student who Does the Nicest
    Thing," "Student who Makes the Smartest Comment,"
    and "Student who Says the Funniest Appropriate
    Comment."

  • Do your students think that it's OK to feel proud if they don't
    win in a game or a contest? Why does somebody who does not
    win have the right to feel proud?
  • Ask students to make a list of reasons or make a list
    together. Remind students that it takes initiative to
    participate in the first place. Not everybody's willing to
    play.

  • Select an old movie from the Warner Bros. Studio website, to
    show your students. (They are free.) Ask students to compare
    the movie that they watch to movies made today that they
    could see at home or at a movie theater. Consider using a Venn
    Diagram for this activity.


Discussion-Starters for Older Children

  • Vocabulary terms to discuss: Snub; Quipped; Cunning; and,
    Irony.

  • The Academy of Motion Pictures issues many awards related
    to specific films. Do your students think that it's appropriate
    for the Academy Awards to honor an individual for a long
    history of accomplishments even if the movie for which he/she
    is being honored is not the best in the category in which the
    award is received? Why/why not? Do your students think that
    judges ever pick winners because of their long history of
    accomplishments? Why might the judges do this?
  • Consider asking students to write a paper in response to
    this scenario: If they were a judge would they vote for a
    70 year old director who had never received an Oscar
    but had an illustrious career or a 35 year old director
    who's movie was a little better than her main competitor?

  • After Forest Whitaker won the Oscar for Best Actor he said,
    “Receiving this honor tells me that it’s possible. It is possible,
    for a kid from East Texas, raised in South Central L.A., and
    Carson, who believes in dreams, who believes them in his
    heart, to touch them and have them happen.” Do your students
    agree that it's possible for the common person, or the majority
    of people, raised in poverty to achieve great things in their
    lives? Why/why not? What types of characteristics does
    somebody need if they are to fulfill their dreams?
  • Consider asking students to define the words "Dream"
    and "Success" in groups of three or four. What does it
    mean to be a successful person?

  • After "An Inconvenient Truth," Al Gore's movie on global
    warming won best documentary, the director Davis
    Guggenheim said, "I made this movie for my children." What
    do your students think he meant by this statement? This
    documentary tries to convince the public to take better care of
    the environment. What else might Vice President Gore, or
    somebody else, have done to encourage the public to do
    something?
  • In groups of three or four ask students to select one
    message that they would like the entire world to "hear."
    What would the message be? How would they
    communicate the message? Encourage students to try
    and communicate this message.

  • Ellen DeGeneres told kids to "aim lower." What did she mean?
    Do your students think that Ms. DeGeneres really believes that
    people should have lower expectations for themselves? Is this
    appropriate? Why/why not? Would it ever be appropriate for
    people to have lower expectations? When?
  • These questions might make for an interesting class
    discussion.

  • Take a look at the Academy's website here.
  • Consider asking students to develop a motto of five
    words or less for the Academy.
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