A new class that Jackson Prep is offering this year is Intro to Film in the fixed carrier elective spot. The class takes students on a journey throughout decades of film history and exciting movies. Taught by Mr. Lawrence Coco, the class explores movies not solely as entertainment but also from a historical perspective. Before showing every movie he gives the students an introduction to the movies and tells them about who made it, when it was made, and cool facts about or from the production of the movie.
And for many students, like Olivia Mitchell (11), it has become the highlight of their school day. “I love this class; it’s my favorite thing ever,” says Olivia, one of the students from Mr. Coco’s class. “I look forward to coming to it every day.”
Mr. Coco had previously taught and Introduction to Law class for several years and decided to change things up by trying to teach something new. “The law class had gotten a little stale for me,” he explains. “I wasn’t as excited about it as I had been for the last 5 years and I wanted a different challenge.”
He decided to teach a movie class because he thought it would be entertaining for not only the students but also himself. The class has shown to be a refreshing change of learning for students and the traditional lessons of school. During each class students will watch a movie then at the end they take a test to reflect on their thoughts from the movie. Some examples of test questions are what prop would you take from set and why, and what was your favorite scene.
For Olivia, the class has opened her eyes to analyzing the deeper meanings of movies. “I’ve learned a lot about analyzing movies and really paying attention to the underlying meanings,” she says. “It’s been easier to notice parallels in scenes and understand the symbolism. I’ve also learned a lot about myself by answering questions about my opinions on parts and characters in these movies, which has been really cool.”
Although Mr. Coco is taking the class one day at a time, he hopes for the future of the class. “I’m definitely planning on teaching the class for a second semester. I’ve really enjoyed it, and the students seem to enjoy it too.” Mr. Coco’s movie class is proving to be a hit as it offers students away to unwind at the end of the day and also offers an enriching experience in the classroom.
