Review the Academic Content Standards related to this lesson. Write a journal response discussing definitions and examples of terrorism. Assess the role of films and other media in representing real events and the influences of the society on the topics and characterizations in movies. New York as Battleground of Terrorists and Troops. Maintain a viewing log of television shows and movies over the course of a week, noting how heroes and villains are characterized based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, and actions.
Students share their responses, and the teacher writes responses on the board.
Terrorist violence targets ethnic or religious groups, governments, political parties, corporations, and media enterprises. Organizations that engage in acts of terror are almost always small in size and limited in resources compared to the populations and institutions they oppose. Through publicity and fear generated by their violence, they seek to magnify their influence and power to effect political change on either a local or an international scale. Discuss how and why student responses differed. Discuss whether or not movies are a good source for accurate information about history, society, and current events.