Movie education for middle school students comes in a variety of forms. Some middle schools offer film electives to their students, however, those schools are rare. In most cases, students receive education on the basics of film within the confines of their standard academic courses. Many English, history and even science teachers elect to show movies to illustrate academic concepts, and, while doing this, explore the basics of film.
Understanding film can increase a student's ability to think critically. Also, learning to decipher the often complex story line of a film can help students develop language arts skills. The National Council of the Teachers of English endorses the use of film in English classes because of the benefits associated with understanding not only written content, but audiovisual material as well.
Much of the information that people receive comes through audiovisual material. Because of that, the definition of literacy has been expanded. In the recent standards update, the International Reading Association reported that being literate in today's society means being able to understand not only print media, but also to comprehend information presented through "the visual language of film and television."
While studying film at the middle school level can be beneficial to students, it should not completely replace reading. In many schools, teachers ensure that students mix reading with their viewing by having students first read a literary work, then watch the film adaptation. By continually drawing a parallel between written works and movies, teachers can ensure that students do not simply abandon print in exchange for the often more entertaining visual stimulation offered by film.
When many people think of teaching about movies, they pictures students watching film after film with little emphasis being placed on learning. In truth, there are many highly educational lessons that are centered around film available to educators. The Film Foundation offers an assortment of standard-linked lessons to middle school educators that ensure that film education is not simply the watching of movies for enjoyment, but instead a detailed study of the art and language of film.