Tag Archives: Dan Gillmore

The Twilight Zone (ELA)

Step into The Twilight Zone, where stories of mystery, morality, and imagination become tools for understanding our world today. In this course, students will watch a different episode each week and explore how Rod Serling’s iconic series uses science fiction and fantasy to examine human nature, justice, fear, technology, prejudice, and hope. We may include episodes from more recent iterations of the show, each of which carry on Serling’s powerful storytelling methods.

Together, we will analyze the central theme of each episode, whether it concerns conformity, greed, paranoia, identity, or compassion, and connect those ideas to contemporary issues facing society. Students will discuss how Serling’s storytelling continues to resonate in a world shaped by social media, rapid technological change, political tension, and global interconnectedness.

Weekly short essays will give students the opportunity to reflect on each episode’s message, evaluate its relevance to modern concerns, and develop their skills in critical thinking, interpretation, and concise writing.

 

 

Parable of the Sower (ELA)

“All that you touch You Change. All that you Change Changes you.
The only lasting truth Is Change.”

This term, all middle and high school students (and all staff!) will read and analyze Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (PSCS will provide the book when we return from Winter Break). Dan and Sieg will co-teach and hold three class meetings + one class slot per week for “office hours/reading time.”

HS and MS will spend some time all together and some in grade-specific cohorts. We’ll read the book together, practice close reading and annotation for context, theme, character development, personification, metaphor/simile, connections to self- & community-awareness, as well as personal connection, noticings, and questions.

We’ll also watch videos, listen to music, and more!

Film History & the Power of Community (ELA)

From the silent era of the early 1900s to the blockbusters and global streaming stories of today, film has always reflected the communities that create it, and the communities it hopes to inspire. In this course, students will explore major moments in film history while examining how movies portray connection, solidarity, conflict, and collective action.

Each week, we will watch a film and clips from influential films, analyze key innovations in cinematography and storytelling, and discuss how filmmakers across different eras have represented the bonds between people, from smalltown friendships to movements that reshape society. Students will develop critical viewing skills and learn how film both reflects and shapes cultural values.

Weekly writing assignments will have students respond to films through short reflections and essays, focusing on scene analyses, thematic presentation as well as creative comparisons across decades. By the end of the course, students will understand how cinema has evolved, how technology and culture have influenced that evolution, and how stories on screen continue to remind us of the importance of community.

Some films we may cover include:

It’s a Wonderful Life – 1948 (Will still be slightly “Tis’ the Season” in January)
12 Angry Men – 1957
To Kill a Mockingbird – 1962
Spirited Away – 2001
Whale Rider – 2002
Black Panther – 2018

Reservation Dogs (ELA)

In this course, students will explore the groundbreaking series Reservation Dogs, a coming of age comedy/drama about four Indigenous teens navigating loss, identity, and the ties that hold their community together. Through weekly episode viewings, we will examine how the show blends humor and heart to highlight themes of self-awareness, friendship, cultural heritage, and collective responsibility.

Students will discuss how each character grows by understanding their place within a larger community, such as family, friends, ancestors, and the land itself, and how those connections shape their choices. Along the way, the class will analyze storytelling techniques, representation, and the importance of indigenous voices in media.

Weekly writing assignments, both short form responses and long form essays will have students respond to characters’ journeys, explore moments of personal insight, and reflect on how community supports healing and growth.