Many students find it difficult to fulfill the 10 Visual Arts credits required for the Universities of California.
A frequent savior for them is the popular class History in Film, started 15 years ago and taught by history teacher Kim Anzalone.
Students learn about historical events through movies such as “The Godfather,” “True Grit” and “Cinderella Man.” After watching the film, they discuss and analyze the authenticity of the story and the various characters as well as the historical context. Anzalone said that through the visual medium, the students are more inclined to engage in understanding aspects of history they may have never considered.
While teaching the class over the years, she has come to enjoy the flexibility of the class’s curriculum, as there are neither state standards nor time constraints.
“I do not need to hold the students for more structured, stressful assignments like essays, research reports or even homework,” Anzalone said.
Senior Gautham Arunkumar is one of the 66 students who selected the class this year as one of his electives. Arunkumar said he has enjoyed it thus far, as it is not only low-stress but also helps deepen his understanding of history.
While it may seem that Anzalone would not play a large role in such a documentary-dependent class, Arunkumar sees how crucial her role is.
“If there is a key line in a film, Anzalone will pause it and explain the connotations of that line in history,” he said.
While it is still considered a history class, History in Film is vastly different from traditional history classes, such as AP US History and World History.
Arunkumar said the course brings history alive, providing an interactive curricula that allows students to experience past events from multiple perspectives. He attributes this benefit not only to Anzalone, but also to filmmakers and scriptwriters for producing accurate, entertaining depictions of various eras and situations.
“This class is interesting and informative at the same time,” he said, “so I would definitely recommend it to others.”