To think this is stupid in an English lesson in year 7?

[justmeandmeandonlyme]

My daughter who is 11 years old in year 7 has told me she has been watching hunger games in her English lesson. She said she was nearly crying because of the people dying in it ( I have watched the full series Of hunger games Myself) and she thought it was real.. she is only 11 bad doesn’t watch things like that at home. But am I being unreasonable to think this is not even remotely educational in an english lesson??? I just don’t see how watching a film like that is going to teach kids anything apart from how to sit and cry at a film?

As an English teacher I'm guessing it's part of a scheme of work perhaps looking at dystopian texts. They probably read extracts from it and are now watching parts to reinforce understanding? Or could be a media unit looking at different representations of something in film?

Whatever it is it will be part of a scheme of work which I'm sure you can request information about. It won't just be one teacher being lazy and popping on a film, it will be being taught across the year group.

If you're uncomfortable with it you can ask for your child to be excused (e.g. sit in English office, in another class) while they deal with that part of the unit. I've taught A Christmas Carol and Macbeth at GCSE and have had Christian/Jehovah's Witness parents ask for their children to study a different text nd be excised from lessons because of the presence of the supernatural. I had no problem doing this, just required a bit of extra thought to ensure they covered the right stuff.

People will probably laugh at me but I read HG summer 2012 and I was 30.

It really, really unsettled me. The first part of the book especially. I don't know why. I really don't.

and she thought it was real.

Really??

From BBFC website:

What is the legal position of a teacher who wants to show pupils a film or video at a higher category than their age?

The BBFC's cinema age ratings only apply films shown in licensed cinemas. If you are taking a school group to the cinema for a standard screening where you are paying to view the film, the normal rules and laws apply. You may not take a 14-year-old to see a 15-rated film or a 16-year-old to see an 18-rated film.

The age rating for a DVD, video or Blu-ray explains which audience we believe the film is suitable for, and applies to point of sale or rental rather than to where the material is viewed. It is not actually illegal for schools to show BBFC-rated videos, DVDs or Blu-rays to its pupils of any age, just as parents may also choose to show any material to children in the home. Merely showing an age-restricted film to underaged persons - or allowing them to see one outside a licensed cinema - is not in itself an offence.

We would, however, strongly discourage such a practice unless (a) the children in question are only a year or so below the age stated on the certificate, and (b) there is a serious educational purpose to showing the recording (eg showing well-known works or educational films such as 15-rated Schindler's List to 14-year-old GCSE students). Even in such cases, schools should seek parental consent prior to showing the film. We would also recommend obtaining the approval of the Head Teacher and Governors. It is vital to make sure that any children watching are not likely to suffer any ill effects as a result of seeing the film.

I would love OP to come back and expand on how a child has managed to get to 11 without seeing or reading anything violent or scary.

Almost every 5/6 yr old I know has seen Jurassic Park, some of the Star Wars films etc.

Almost every 10 year old has seen superhero films/ Transformers etc.

Surely by 11 they've seen the news?

Most kids by 10 have read loads of stuff, anyone remember "Point Horror" the "Young Adult" range of books- aimed at 12ish but almost every 9 year old I knew read them.
Or the Goosebump books on almost every 7 yr olds shelf??

Even Disney movies have death/scariness etc, especially the new Live Action ones.

Many posters here seem to fundamentally misunderstand what a 12A means. It basically means "yes, if you must, you can bring your child who is under 12 to see this film. But bear in mind that we, whose job it is to rate these films, don't think it is actually suitable for under-12s. If you do, go for broke, as long as an adult is accompanying your child."

Or in their words:"f ilms classified 12A and video works classified 12 contain material that is not generally suitable for children aged under 12." Not generally suitable.

So OP YANBU and I would certainly not expect a teacher to show a 12 -rated film (yes it's the same as a 12A, just DVD not cinema) to a Year 7 class where some children may only have been 11 for less than two months.

It is not actually illegal for schools to show BBFC-rated videos, DVDs or Blu-rays to its pupils of any age, just as parents may also choose to show any material to children in the home. Merely showing an age-restricted film to underaged persons - or allowing them to see one outside a licensed cinema - is not in itself an offence.

Thanks Bertie that's really helpful.

So it's not illegal to show a 12 to 11 year olds, it would simply be an offence if the child try to buy it themselves, or went to the cinema.

This thread reminds me of this Yahoo answers gem

Almost every 5/6 yr old I know has seen Jurassic Park, some of the Star Wars films etc

The Star Wars films are PG or U, except for the Revenge of the Sith, and the recent films. I don't know about you but I am not mad keen on my five year old seeing Anakin Skywalker slaughtering children and then losing his limbs in a pit of fire. Also, I know very few five year olds who have seen Jurassic Park. Mine certainly haven't and they are 7 and 10.

I wonder if there's another agenda at work here. There are plenty of other good films around the teacher could have shown, without picking something quite so disturbing.

Whether or not it is suitable is beside the point.

How could a child possibly think a film was real? Is the OP's dc protected from any forms of media including the news? All films? As others have said, there is death in Disney films.

Not knowing if a film is fact or fictional is surely a mistake someone from the 1920s first experiencing film might make, not a person - even a child - from 2017.

Now let's see Lady

She might just possibly have additional needs.

Also, I know very few five year olds who have seen Jurassic Park

Well I can promise you every single 5 yr old I know has seen JP.
Mine loved it!

And the Star Wars films in their day were quite scary, but are now seen as quite tame.

I would prefer a 10/11 yr old to watch Hunger Games over fucking Transformers or Spiderman, every single time.

One- based on excellent books, with a clear message and discussions of morality in certain situations - the others- vacuous SuperEffect SuperHero bollocks with a shit ton of misogyny and pointless boob shots.

There are plenty of other good films around the teacher could have shown, without picking something quite so disturbing.

Boy in the striped pajamas?
Woman in Black?
Shakespeare?
History Boys?
Lord of The Rings??
1984??

All film adaptations from books.
All very sad/violent/depressing/disturbing in their own way.

Would any of those be better?

Why is Hunger Games disturbing??
It's written for the young market, it's well written and has some interesting comments on modern life and morality.
Why should an 11 yr old not be given the chance to explore these things?

Dh was doing a looong historical timeline on the board for a GCSE history class once. One of the 14/15 year-old boys said "But sir, when did all of the stuff in Lord of the Rings happen?" .

So people do sometimes think films are true when they aren't!

And if you are studying dystopian fiction....as a huge fan of the genre, let me tell you Hunger Games is nothing compared to say Brave New World, wait till an avid reader gets to the mad bits in that!

I loved reading dystopian fiction at that age, and Sci Fi...think I watched 2001and Silent Running by then as well.
.I even read the book Alive , based on real events of plane crash in the Andes when I was 11 and off school with chicken pox!
Btw I got A at A level in English lit and English language .....

Whatever 'Learning objectives' there are, can be achieved in other ways & other films.

Yes but sometimes both students and teacher want to watch something relevant to learning that isn't full on sitting reading and writing.

I have an English teacher friend who plays the Muppet Christmas Carol when she is teaching Dickens.

Tassle - also a huge Dystopian fiction fan here- I love teaching it, my favourite at the moment is Fahrenheit 451, we're so nearly there with Social Media, the dumbing down of popular culture and a fear of upsetting or offending anyone.
Every secondary student should read it, along with BNW and 1984.

Lana Exactly, I encouraged my daughters to read as widely as their curiousity took them, and let their imaginations feed on what they read, I would have had no problem with Hunger games at 11 and to be honest I think OP seems to have a limited imagination and appreciation of literature herself. My older daughter was the generation that grew up with Harry Potter, she was bereft when the last one came out. So many young people had their love of reading and their imaginations stimulated by the Harry Potter books, many who might not have ever developed an enthusiasm for reading otherwise, and yes there is fear and death in it. My younger daughter was not interested in Harry Potter but went straight on to adult literature at 11, she read the Easter Parade about then which is if anything even more disturbing as it is not Science fiction. However I read what they read so that we could discuss the issues. The older one is a Scientist but stil reads voraciously, the younger one just graduated with a very good degree in English Literature, in spite of Dyslexia.

How terrible to restrict your child's emotional and intellectual development and love of literature......

I taught A Christmas Carol to a low ability group almost entirely through the Muppets a few years ago. Was bloody brilliant fun!

Opalshine - of course I considered Sen, but the OP did not mention that and, if so, it would be a different matter relating less to the showing of the Hunger Games and more to the difficulties of an individual pupil.

That film is ace, fatowl; even serious film critics declare it the best version!

Year 7, just turned 12 yo rarely watches TV, we just don't have it on, she prefers stuff on her iPad as I think many kids do these days. She hears the news on the radio, but doesn't really see it.

We discuss all kinds of things, she's not at all sheltered, but she would still hate violent films. I really don't see that as a bad thing.

People banging on about the Reading list are missing the point. Reading a book is nothing like watching a film. She's read Anne Frank etc. If she had to read THG she would, but she wouldn't choose it off the reading list.

I know some people find it hard to believe that some 11/12 year olds aren't watching violent films, swearing & chugging down cider, but that's not how it is around here.

My child studied HG when in year 5/6 but they didn't watch the film at all. They shouldn't be showing a 12A when many children will still be 11. Your DD shouldn't think it was real though.