Webquest+-+Fritz+Lang's+Metropolis,+A+Reimagining

= **WebQuest - Fritz Lang's //Metropolis//: A Reimagining** =

For more information on WebQuests visit www.webquest.org For a definition of a WebQuest please listen to the short podcast below: media type="file" key="EDT6010 podcasting assignment.mp3" align="center" width="240" height="20"

Teaching film history to college-age students can sometimes be a daunting task. Much of the material deals with black and white silent films, and it can be very difficult to engage the class in content they consider "boring." In my class, The Early History of Film, I cover cinema history from roughly 1890-1960, so it is only in the last few weeks of class that we even watch and discuss films shot in color. To help connect the students more with the material I point out pop-culture influences from important films and directors whenever possible. Fritz Lang and his 1927 masterpiece //Metropolis// is one of the most significant parts of my class, and the impact of the film can still be seen in cinema and all of pop-culture today. In the past I have lectured about Fritz Lang and //Metropolis//, then shown video clips from the film along side clips from modern science fiction films like //Blade Runner// and //The Matrix// as well as several music videos. When brainstorming for ideas for a WebQuest, //Metropolis// seemed like an optimal topic.

My WebQuest at zunal.com asks students to pitch an idea for a "reimagining" of Metropolis to the heads of a movie studio. They have ten minutes to make a persuasive argument to the studio heads who have no previous knowledge of of Fritz Lang or //Metropolis//. The WebQuest can be examined in detail here: @http://zunal.com/webquest.php?user=40502

The students are divided into teams of three, The Producer, The Historian, and The Pop-Culture Expert. Each role has specific tasks, but they must make a cohesive presentation. The students are encouraged but not required to use support materials like image stills, handouts, and video clips as long as they limit their presentation to the assigned time frame. The task is to present the studio some history on Fritz Lang and //Metropolis//, present some examples of the cultural significance of //Metropolis//, and persuade the studio that now is the right time to revisit //Metropolis//. They also need to field a few questions related to their presentation.

I arrived at this particular task for a WebQuest in the hopes that I could bring a more effective teaching method to presenting Fritz Lang's story in cinema history. //Metropolis// is such an important film that I feel it deserves more attention than I've been able to give it in the past. By incorporating this WebQuest (or a variation of it) I hope to add a new dimension to the way I teach //Metropolis// and hopefully that will lead to more effective learning. Once I determined the topic, the task flowed relatively effortlessly, after a conversation with my EDT6010 professor who had some notes and potential improvements. I was especially inspired to use the idea of an oral presentation and a persuasive argument because I was involved with speech and debate myself, both as a student competitor and later as a coach, and it is a skill that I believe is invaluable in many aspects of life.

Film is important to me because it is an aspect of so many areas of my life. My undergraduate degree is in Film and Media Arts, my professional career is in the entertainment industry, I am an active member of the independent film community, I teach film history in a class I had the privilege to develop, and of course I enjoy watching movies for my own enjoyment. The most rewarding part of film history is when I can see the connection with the students. When a student has that "a ha" moment after seeing a clip or participating in a discussion I really feel like I've achieved something. Crafting this WebQuest gave me my own "a ha" moment, when I saw a new way to present film history to my students. There are certainly more blank-stares than there are "a ha" moments, but developing new lessons like WebQuests will narrow the gap, and ideally achieve more student comprehension of the material and help me become a more effective educator.


 * REFERENCES**

Lichterman, Russ. (2009). //Fritz Lang's Metropolis: A Reimagining//. Retrieved from http://zunal.com/webquest.php?user=40502

Wong, Harry and Rosemary. (2006). //Effective Teaching: How to Write a Rubric//. Retrieved from http://teachers.net/wong/NOV06/

//Metropolis (film)//. (2010). Retrieved from Wikipedia: @http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis_%28film%29

Boyes, Laura. (2003). //Metropolis.// Retrieved from @http://www.moviediva.com/MD_root/reviewpages/MDMetropolis.htm

Areal, Augusto Cesar B. (1996). //Fritz Lang's Metropolis.// Retrieved from @http://reocities.com/Area51/5555/

T.S., (2009, 16 July). //Screen Savour: Metropolis (1927)//. Message posted to http://www.screensavour.net/2009/07/metropolis-1927.html

Grey, Duncan. (n.d.) //Blade Runner Metropolis Page: Using the film Blade Runner for GCSE English//. Retrieved from http://www.putlearningfirst.com/br/metropolis.html

Clements, David. (2003). //From dystopia to myopia: Metropolis to Blade Runner//. Retrieved from http://www.culturewars.org.uk/2004-01/dystopia.htm

Erickson, Glenn. (2003). //METROPOLIS and STAR WARS Sorting out the Pulp: Cousin Films Made Half a Century Apart.// Retrieved from @http://www.dvdsavant.com/s78metro.html

Sweeney, Richard. (2007). //Divergent Futures: Comparing Metropolis to Star Wars//. Retrieved from @http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/302744/divergent_futures_comparing_metropolis.html?cat=9

Squidoo. (2010). //Metropolis.// Message posted to: http://www.squidoo.com/Metropolis