Questions
and hypothetical answers
Previewing Questions:
> Research and find historical passages about the European and Native American relationship.
Hopefully students will bring back historical journals/diary/note passages from when European explorers first came to America. A good website to find these at is http://www.americanjourneys.org/texts.asp, http://pocahontas.morenus.org/
> From the research collected, describe how relations between the European explorers and Native Americans.
Again Students will hopefully use the passages/ pictures they found from their research to learn more about the relationship between Europeans and Native Americans. Some students will find out that the relationship was good and some will find out that they had problems with each other.
> Do you think that throughout history the relationship between European explorers and Native Americans has been skewed? Why/Why not?
Because European explorers eventually dominated the Native population, I think that they decided to teach from their point of view. In more recent times I think that the views of the Native Americans has become more visible because of the historical research of the relationship.
> List examples of how Native Americans have been portrayed in the media.
Casinos, Spirit, Pocahontas, Red Ryder comics, Western Movies, sport mascots, tobacco products, etc
> Research and find historical passages about the European and Native American relationship.
Hopefully students will bring back historical journals/diary/note passages from when European explorers first came to America. A good website to find these at is http://www.americanjourneys.org/texts.asp, http://pocahontas.morenus.org/
> From the research collected, describe how relations between the European explorers and Native Americans.
Again Students will hopefully use the passages/ pictures they found from their research to learn more about the relationship between Europeans and Native Americans. Some students will find out that the relationship was good and some will find out that they had problems with each other.
> Do you think that throughout history the relationship between European explorers and Native Americans has been skewed? Why/Why not?
Because European explorers eventually dominated the Native population, I think that they decided to teach from their point of view. In more recent times I think that the views of the Native Americans has become more visible because of the historical research of the relationship.
> List examples of how Native Americans have been portrayed in the media.
Casinos, Spirit, Pocahontas, Red Ryder comics, Western Movies, sport mascots, tobacco products, etc
Viewing Questions:
First watch the video without any sound and discuss the first two questions as a class:
> While viewing the short video clip take note of how the media is constructed and how the way it is constructed portrays feelings, attitudes, and views.
The Europeans had a large fence around their nice tents, they also were wearing nice clothes, and had advanced weapons like guns, swords, and cannons. They were also put in a more red light that portrayed them to be more intense, scary, and intimidating. The animators used the fire as a lighting to make a eerie feeling. They also used low camera angles to make the leaders of each group seem more in charge then the others. The Native American group was portrayed in a blue lighting, which felt like a more calming color even though they were signing about basically the same thing. They also were shown with no fence and tepees, with less advanced weapons like the hatchet and staff.
> Who was the target audience for the purchase of this piece of media?
Because it is an animation film I would think the target audience who be around elementary aged children. It does have so graphic images for really young children like intense fire, rage, and weapons.
Now play the video again but with the volume on.
>What are the elements of the construction (script, music, editing, etc.)? How was this movie crafted?
They needed script writers, storyboard makers, animation artists, voice actors, editors, computer tech, music composer, musicians, etc. Since it is a animated movie there was a lot of planning that went into this, like artistic planning. Deciding on the style of animation, on who's voice to use, what songs to use, who writes the songs, and many more decision had to be made. It took a lot of people to craft this movie.
>What messages does it send about relationships between people or between people and the world?
Well the title of the song "savages" make it clear that the two groups do not like each other if they are calling each other savages. Other things in the clip like when the leader of the European says, "Filthy Heathens", "Skin is hellish red", "only good when dead", and that the Native Americans are "only good when dead". The Native American leader describes the Europeans as, "pale face is a demon", "empty inside", and "killers at the core". I feel like the writers of the movie use the bad relationship between Native Americans and Europeans to make the plot and story more interesting.
> What do you feel is different from watching the clip without sound then watching it with sound? What emotions does the sound add to the clip?
The music and song adds a more intense feeling to the clip. The song is filled with so many powerful words and explains what they are doing in the clip. I did get the feeling that the European side was more intense but both sides were signing about the same thing. The different tones and instruments used while the Native Americans were signing made there side seem less aggressive.
> Did your perception of how Native Americans was portrayed in this video clip or was there a different representation?
In the previewing questions students were asked to think about how Native Americans were portrayed in films. After watching the clips the students should consider the image they had about Native Americans and determine if that has changed or stayed the same after the video clip.
> Did you feel like the music was chosen to make the viewer feel a certain way while watching?
The music choice was very short, and bold. It matched very well with the lyrics. The author was most likely trying to get the viewers to feel uneasy and anxious as to what will happen in the next scene. It also describes the relationship between the Native Americans and Europeans.
>Do you think people still feel this way towards other people who are other different race/ethnicity/religion etc? Why or why not?
This is an opinion question specifically targeted to attract a debate in the classroom.
>Why do you think Disney chose to tell this "historical" story for a children's film?
Well the story they made had conflict and romance which captures the audience. It also has a nice ending when the real story does not. I think that Disney uses the stereotypes of the two groups to better tell a great story sort of based off a real story.
> How can you look at media around you and analyze it to make sure what it's telling you is true?
Well you have to have the knowledge about what it is telling you before hand. Like we conducted research before we saw the clip people today need to educate themselves about media. Media today is giving us so much information we need to be the educated people that are able to sort out what is real and what is fake.
First watch the video without any sound and discuss the first two questions as a class:
> While viewing the short video clip take note of how the media is constructed and how the way it is constructed portrays feelings, attitudes, and views.
The Europeans had a large fence around their nice tents, they also were wearing nice clothes, and had advanced weapons like guns, swords, and cannons. They were also put in a more red light that portrayed them to be more intense, scary, and intimidating. The animators used the fire as a lighting to make a eerie feeling. They also used low camera angles to make the leaders of each group seem more in charge then the others. The Native American group was portrayed in a blue lighting, which felt like a more calming color even though they were signing about basically the same thing. They also were shown with no fence and tepees, with less advanced weapons like the hatchet and staff.
> Who was the target audience for the purchase of this piece of media?
Because it is an animation film I would think the target audience who be around elementary aged children. It does have so graphic images for really young children like intense fire, rage, and weapons.
Now play the video again but with the volume on.
>What are the elements of the construction (script, music, editing, etc.)? How was this movie crafted?
They needed script writers, storyboard makers, animation artists, voice actors, editors, computer tech, music composer, musicians, etc. Since it is a animated movie there was a lot of planning that went into this, like artistic planning. Deciding on the style of animation, on who's voice to use, what songs to use, who writes the songs, and many more decision had to be made. It took a lot of people to craft this movie.
>What messages does it send about relationships between people or between people and the world?
Well the title of the song "savages" make it clear that the two groups do not like each other if they are calling each other savages. Other things in the clip like when the leader of the European says, "Filthy Heathens", "Skin is hellish red", "only good when dead", and that the Native Americans are "only good when dead". The Native American leader describes the Europeans as, "pale face is a demon", "empty inside", and "killers at the core". I feel like the writers of the movie use the bad relationship between Native Americans and Europeans to make the plot and story more interesting.
> What do you feel is different from watching the clip without sound then watching it with sound? What emotions does the sound add to the clip?
The music and song adds a more intense feeling to the clip. The song is filled with so many powerful words and explains what they are doing in the clip. I did get the feeling that the European side was more intense but both sides were signing about the same thing. The different tones and instruments used while the Native Americans were signing made there side seem less aggressive.
> Did your perception of how Native Americans was portrayed in this video clip or was there a different representation?
In the previewing questions students were asked to think about how Native Americans were portrayed in films. After watching the clips the students should consider the image they had about Native Americans and determine if that has changed or stayed the same after the video clip.
> Did you feel like the music was chosen to make the viewer feel a certain way while watching?
The music choice was very short, and bold. It matched very well with the lyrics. The author was most likely trying to get the viewers to feel uneasy and anxious as to what will happen in the next scene. It also describes the relationship between the Native Americans and Europeans.
>Do you think people still feel this way towards other people who are other different race/ethnicity/religion etc? Why or why not?
This is an opinion question specifically targeted to attract a debate in the classroom.
>Why do you think Disney chose to tell this "historical" story for a children's film?
Well the story they made had conflict and romance which captures the audience. It also has a nice ending when the real story does not. I think that Disney uses the stereotypes of the two groups to better tell a great story sort of based off a real story.
> How can you look at media around you and analyze it to make sure what it's telling you is true?
Well you have to have the knowledge about what it is telling you before hand. Like we conducted research before we saw the clip people today need to educate themselves about media. Media today is giving us so much information we need to be the educated people that are able to sort out what is real and what is fake.