Videotherapy Video: Cool Runnings

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VideotherapyVideo Cool Runnings

• Sixth Grade
• Social Studies Lesson
• By Martha Muñoz
• SPED 620 Education in A Diverse Society
• April 2005

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Cool Runnings ( 1993)

• Cast John Candy, Leon, Doug E. Doug, Rawle D.
  Lewis, Malik YobaDirector Jon
  TurteltaubProducer Dawn SteelScreenplay Lynn
  Siefert, Tommy Swerdlow, and Michael
  GoldbergCinematography Phedon
  PapamichaelMusic Hans ZimmerU.S. Distributor
  Walt Disney Pictures

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Objectives

• Students will learn that effort and
  determination, in the pursuit of ones goals,
  lead to success and achievement.
• Students will understand that resourcefulness in
  finding solutions leads to achievement of ones
  goals.
• Students will realize that acceptance and respect
  of ones own identity obtains the respect of
  society and success.
• Students will observe how oversimplified ideas of
  people leads to stereotypes, affecting the image
  of a group of people.
• Students will understand that fear and ignorance
  are the origin of the defense mechanism known as
  prejudice and stereotyping, which can be overcome
  through show of individual character.

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Grade Level and Classroom Setting

• This lesson has been designed for a sixth grade
  social studies course. It would be adequate for
  the middle grades, 6-8, adapting some of the
  opening and follow-up activities.
• Sixth grade social studies is a general geography
  course.
• This lesson will be part of the unit on cultures.
• Before beginning this lesson students have read
  the chapter on culture found in their textbook
  (Geography Tools and Concepts) and completed
  the review questions found at the end of the
  chapter.

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Required Time

• The opening activities will take approximately
  two 75 minute periods
• Although the movie is 90 minutes long, it will be
  viewed over three 75 minute periods.
• Discussion questions will take two 75 minute
  periods
• Follow up quotation activity and people tags will
  take two 75 minute periods
• Other follow-up activities will vary in time span
  depending on the depth in which they will be
  pursued.

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Synopsis

• Cool Runnings is a fictional movie based
  on the true story of the first Jamaican bobsled
  team participating in the 1988 Winter Olympics.
  It starts out as a comedy making the audience
  laugh during the first half of the movie. Once
  the characters are taken to Canada, the movie
  becomes a bit more dramatic showing strength and
  determination in the characters.
• After a dramatic fall in the final
  Olympic trials, Derice Bannock is convinced he
  needs to go to the Olympic Games. In looking for
  an alternative, he finds out that there could be
  a chance in a totally different sport. He then
  starts his quest to form the first Jamaican
  Bobsled team. Although it seems impossible, he
  is convinced that this Caribbean island can
  participate in the Winter Olympics.
• He convinces Irvin Blitzer, a disgraced
  gold medal bobsledder, to coach him. He finds
  the only three other Jamaicans who are willing to
  join him in this feat. The team is made up of
  Sanka, Derices best friend, Yul Brenner, another
  disqualified sprinter who wishes to change his
  future, and Junior, the sprinter who made both
  Derice and Yul fall during the trials.
• The characters must face all kinds of
  odds such as lack of adequate conditions for
  practice, no budget, unfamiliarity with winter
  conditions, racism, prejudice, humiliation and
  rejection. Despite all of this they are
  determined to prove to themselves and the world
  that they can do it. They manage to qualify and
  though they do not win the gold medal their
  triumph is much greater.

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Themes

• Perseverance
• Setting of goals
• Self determination
• Overcoming odds
• National identity and pride
• Stereotyping

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Introductory Activities

• The first Opening activity
• Students will work on Cultural Features Iceberg
  Activity. They will draw a an iceberg in their
  notebooks, having a great portion underwater and
  part out of the water. Discuss what an iceberg is
  and how part is clearly evident, but another part
  is hidden underwater.
• They will be given a list of 26 culture features.
  As a group we will read the list and discusses
  the different features of culture presented on
  the list, recognizing how they can be considered
  a feature of culture.
• Students will then place the features on the
  iceberg. Those features which are clearly
  evident will be found on the tip of the iceberg.
  Features that are not as evident will be placed
  under water

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Introductory Activities

• Second Opening Activity
• Have the students answer the following in small
  groups
• Locate the following countries on the World map
  Jamaica, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, USA,
  Russia
• Write the absolute location of the capital in
  your notebooks. Write at least one fact for the
  relative location of each country.
• Look at the physical map and name some of the
  landforms for these countries
• Based on these facts explain what type of climate
  these countries could have.
• Discuss their answer and explain that they will
  find members of each of these countries in the
  movie they are about to watch.

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Procedure

• Have the students define the following terms
• Stereotype
• Prejudice
• Give the students the first nine content
  questions and read them together.
• Watch the first 30 minutes of the film.
• Stop the film and let the students get into
  groups of three or four.
• Assign each group two or three questions to
  answer.
• Once each group has answered the questions. Have
  the whole class share their answers.

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Procedure

• Hand the students the second set of content
  questions. Read them together, so they know
  what they need to observe during the film.
• Watch the rest of the movie.
• Divide the class into groups again. Try to get
  the students into different groups this time.
• Have each group answer two or three content
  questions
• Share answers.

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Procedure

• Distribute the discussion questions.
• Read all the questions together with the
  students.
• Have students answer the discussion questions.
• Allow each student to choose one or two of
  his/her answers to share with the class. Let
  others participate with their own ideas and
  connections.

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Content Questions

• How important is it for Derise to win the race
  100 m sprint?
• How do you think Derice feels when he falls in
  the race? If you were Derice what would you have
  done?
• What are the three sports Jamaica traditionally
  considers Olympic Sports?
• What does the President of the Olympic committee
  suggest Derice should do?
• Why does Derice decide to start Bobsledding
• What is Mr. Cooldriges idea of Irvin Blitzer?
• What difficulties does Mr. Blitzer mention for
  starting a bobsledding team in Jamaica?
• How does Derice convince Mr. Blitzer to coach
  him?

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Content Questions

• Why does Yul Brenner join the bobsled team?
• How does Yul react to Junior when he joins the
  Bobsled team?
• Why does Coach Blitzer choose Derise as the
  driver? What has Derise shown in his personality?
• What is the Polices reaction when they are told
  this is a Jamaican Bobsled team?

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Content Questions

• Explain the executives reaction when they are
  asked to sponsor the Jamaican Bobsled team? If
  you were Derice what would you have done?
• How do you think Derice felt when the U.S. coach
  told him Blitzers story? Have you ever felt
  this way about someone you value?
• How does Derice feel about the Swiss and how does
  his behavior reflect this?
• Why do you think they started imitating the Swiss
  team?
• How does Yul and Juniors relationship change
  over time?

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Discussion Questions

• From what you saw in the movie, name at least
  five similarities between Jamaica and Colombia?
• How does the movie use stereotypes to show
  several of the countries participating in the
  Olympics? Give an example of a movie where
  stereotypes of Colombia have been used? Do you
  agree with those stereotypes? Do you think the
  stereotypes this movie uses are accurate?
• Discuss how the following personalities acted in
  stereotypical manner
• The head of the Olympic committee
• Juniors father ( The rich man)
• President of the Jamaican Olympic Committee?
• Explain how prejudice is demonstrated in the
  scene when Coach Blitzer goes to ask the alliance
  why they have been disqualified? Has prejudice
  of any kind ever affected your own decisions?

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Discussion Questions

• How does the relationship of Coach Blitzer with
  Kurt show how revenge affects others that are not
  part of the problem?
• When does the way the public views the Jamaican
  team change? Do you think that determination
  made a difference in this?
• Was national pride important for the success of
  the team? Do you think that as Colombians you
  have to show national pride when you are
  somewhere else? Give examples of how you could
  do this if you were in another country?
• How did losers turn into champions at the end?
• How did determination make heroes?

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Discussion Questions

• How does seeing and taking a chance make a
  difference in life? Think of a time when you had
  a chance to make a difference in your life? Did
  you take it or not?
• How was perseverance important to achieve
  success? Think of a time in your life when you
  did or did not demonstrate perseverance? How did
  this affect you?
• Explain how each of the characters change and
  grew during the movie. How did the different
  events in the movie help them change? Choose one
  of the characters. Describe his personality.
  Explain how he is similar or different to you.
• At the end, what was more important to win the
  gold medal or return as equals? Why?

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Follow-up Activities Quotation Activity

• Have students write a paragraph interpreting each
  quote from the movie and relate it to your own
  experience.
• 1. Sanka They hate us.
• Yul Were different. People are
  afraid of what's different
• 2. Yul talking with Junior
• It is what you see in yourself that counts
• 3. Coach Blitzer to Derice
• If your not enough without a gold medal than
  you wont be enough with it
• 4. Zanka to Derice
• The right foot for us is not the Swiss foot
  The best we can be is Jamaican. If we look
  Jamaican, eat Jamaica, walk Jamaican, than we
  better bobsled Jamaican.

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Follow up ActivitiesPeople Tags

• Do the People tags Activity from the Peace
  Corps Educational lessons.
• Students will be given various items they have
  bought as gifts for people. Then they will be
  given the names of these people, their age,
  relationship or job. They must decide which gift
  belongs to whom.
• Then they will be given a more detailed
  description of each person including hobbies and
  special tastes. This will let them realize how
  they can make mistakes when they try to judge
  someone because of their label. They will
  understand how important it is to really get to
  know someone before they come up with general
  assumptions.

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Follow up ActivitiesResearch

• Students research the true story of the Jamaican
  bobsled team and what has happened to them since
  1988. Find out about this sport in Jamaica today
  and its participation in other Olympic games.
• Choose a country you know very little of to
  develop your research project.
• Write as many preconception about this country.
• Put your preconceptions into your folder in the
  filing cabinet.
• After you finish your research you will look at
  your preconceptions and explain how these have
  changed after finishing you research on that
  country. Include an explanation of how getting
  to know a culture will prevent stereotypes and
  prejudice.

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Bibliography

• Jacobs, Heidi. Geography Tools and Concepts.
  Massachusetts. 1998.
• Peace Corps. Looking at Ourselves and Others.
  World Wise Schools. http//www.peacecorps.gov/wws/
  guides/looking/index.html (accessed March 2005)
• Siefert, L, Swerdlow, T and Goldberg, M. Cool
  Runnings. Walt Disney Pictures. 1993.