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by Debra Chasnoff, Helen S. Cohen
It's Elementary takes cameras into classrooms across the U.S. to look at one
of today's most controversial issues - whether and how gay issues should be
discussed in schools. It features elementary and middle schools where
(mainly heterosexual) teachers are challenging the prevailing political
climate and its attempt to censor any dialogue in schools about gay people.
Rather than focusing on the debate between adults, though, the film takes
the point of view of the school children, starting as young as first grade.
The results are surprising and, as the LA Reader says, "funny, touching, and
fascinating." Third graders' jaws drop when they find out some of their
favorite celebrities are gay; second graders react to a book about a girl
who gets teased because she has two moms; fourth graders say it makes them
"feel weird in your stomach" when other kids yell "faggot" on the playground
and teachers don't do anything about it; eighth graders fire a barrage of
poignant questions to the gay guest speakers who visit their social studies
class; third graders passionately debate the current events issue of the
day: should gays be allowed to get married?
It becomes quite clear that most children are affected by anti-gay prejudice
in some way, and that they are very responsive to a curriculum that teaches
respect for everyone, including lesbians and gay men. The San Francisco
Examiner says It's Elementary, with its refreshing child's eye-view of a
topic that sends some adult racing to their school boards, "could become one
of the most important films ever devoted to lesbian and gay issues."
SPECIAL FEATURES
Comes in two versions: original feature length (78") and educational
training version (37"). Both come with viewing/study guide.
Appropriate for:
High School•College/University
78 minutes • VHS • Closed Captioned
37 minutes • VHS • Closed Captioned
ORDER CODE: ND518V
VIDEO
ORDER CODE: ND518DVD
DVD
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