American Music: David Grisman
Musician David Grisman combines bluegrass with elements of swing, jazz and gypsy music as he prepares for a performance at Berkeley's Freight and Salvage. This Educator Guide is about the history of bluegrass music.
Coastal Clash: Understanding Private Property Rights
"Coastal Clash" is a one-hour documentary focusing on the urbanization of California's coastline. The activities and lesson plans for the film "Coastal Clash" target students at the high school level and align with the California State Standards for Government. Students will study the concept of "private property" and the Fifth Amendment, analyze arguments, and evaluate evidence to develop their own opinions.
Experimenting: Kunst-Stoff
Kunst-Stoff is an experimental dance company based in San Francisco that explores the intersection of dance with other art forms, such as visual arts and film. This Educator Guide introduces students to experimental dance, and provides strategies to explore movement.
Forbidden Territory: Traveling Jewish Theatre
SPARK visits the ensemble of the Traveling Jewish Theatre in a bold and moving play about the Middle East conflict called Blood Relative. This Educator Guide addresses collaborative theatre, political theatre, and the history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
History Retold: Berkeley Repertory Theatre's "The People's Temple"
SPARK follows the creation of the documentary theatre project The People's Temple Project from its original conception by David Dower to opening night of play written and directed by Leigh Fondakowski at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. This Educator Guide addresses the history of the Peoples Temple.
Home, Sweet Home: headRush
SPARK explores the work of theatrical performance group headRush. This Educator Guide is about the exploration and history of experimental, political theater and performance art.
Home, Sweet Home: Lorraine Hansberry Theatre
SPARK follows Jared "Choclatt" Crawford as he prepares for his foot-tapping new musical theater production "Hit It!" at the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre. This Educator Guide is about the history of drumming, street performers, and African American musical theater.
Kids on Stage: Marsh Youth Theater
SPARK goes backstage as 40 5th-9th grade students in the Marsh Youth Theatre (MYT) Mainstage Performance Ensemble prepare for the premiere of Jip, His Story. This Educator Guide is about the history of children's theatre in the US.
La Ciudad: The Immigration Experience
La Ciudad tells four separate but interconnected stories of Latin American immigrants struggling to survive in New York. This lesson plan includes activities inspired by the film including internet research, writing, and poetry analysis.
La Ciudad: Using Literature and Poetry
La Ciudad tells four separate but interconnected stories of Latin American immigrants struggling to survive in New York. This lesson plan includes activities inspired by the film including writing poetry, reading related texts and creating videos and performances.
Looking East: Thai Bui
Vietnamese born sculptor Thai Bui's extraordinary objects simultaneously communicate a witty humor and penetrating sense loss. This Educator Guide explores the history and traditions of Bay Area Funk, Conceptual art and Minimalism.
Masterworks: Terry Riley
SPARK follows pioneering composer Terry Riley as he works with David Harrington and the Kronos Quartet on "The Cusp of Magic". This Educator Guide traces the history of minimalism and serialism in music, highlighting key contributions by noted composers such as Riley and Kronos Quartet.
Musical Instruments: Wil Blades
Spark visits organ player Wil Blades as he jams with Dr. Lonnie Smith at San Francisco's Boom Boom Room. This Educator Guide is about jazz, the history of the Hammond B3 organ, and the science of electronic instruments.
Percussion: San Francisco Taiko Dojo
SPARK follows Sensei Seiichi Tanaka and Taiko Dojo as they prepare for the 36th annual International Taiko Festival at Berkeley's Zellerbach Hall. This Educator Guide is about the history and traditions of the ancient art of Taiko drumming in Japan and the contemporary innovations of a global music culture.
Performance Ideas: Matt Davignon
SPARK explores experimental music with Matt Davignon as he curates "Live Play" at Artist's Television Access, the first event in San Francisco's Soundwave Series. This Educator Guide is about the history of experimental music and sound art.
Refugee: From Phnom Penh to San Francisco
The film "Refugee" follows three young Cambodian American men on their journey to Cambodia to find family members. This lesson challenges students to examine historical and contemporary topics from multiple perspectives.
Refugee: Revisiting the Killing Fields
The film "Refugee" follows three young Cambodian American men on their journey to Cambodia to find family members. Students are invited to investigate individual experiences and develop critical thinking skills to analyze the choices individuals have during wartime. Students will also evaluate the sacrifices and benefits of becoming a refugee in another country.
Resettlement to Redress: Role-Playing
"Resettlement to Redress" recounts the history and experience of Japanese Americans after they were released from the internment camps when World War II ended. This lesson involves role-playing around the redress movement. It presents a different perspective on the redress movement and the issue of redress/reparations.
Resettlement to Redress: Tea Party
"Resettlement to Redress" recounts the history and experience of Japanese Americans after they were released from the internment camps when World War II ended. This lesson allows students to become familiar with the main characters of the video in an interactive and engaging way.
Strange Fruit: Analyzing the Lyrics
The film "Strange Fruit" looks at the history of the anti-lynching campaign in the United States, the history of the song Strange Fruit and explores the impact of Strange Fruit today. This lesson plan includes critical thinking and writing activities related to the song's lyrics.
