Glory Movie Viewing Guide and Permission Form (The Civil War)

This movie can be used as a review for your Civil War unit and the viewing guide is designed to help insure that students are paying attention and thinking about the information presented in the film.

The viewing guide is split into four sections to go along with the movie. Each of the four sections contains questions that are designed to make students think about the people and ideas at play in the film as well as to ensure that students are paying attention to the plot.

I show this movie after showing “Death and the Civil War” with History Through Film and US History Classes. The ending to the film ties into the content presented in the documentary.

Included Documents
★ A Parent Permission form to send home with students before viewing the film.
★ A document of editing notes that can be used to edit the film for content. (I use this to edit the film in iMovie to make it suitable for viewing with my school standards.)
★ The Viewing Guide is split into four sections with short answer, true/false, and multiple choice questions from the movie.

Movie Synopsis:
One of the very best films about the Civil War, this instant classic from 1989 is also one of the few films to depict the participation of African American soldiers in Civil War combat. Based in part on the books Lay This Laurel by Lincoln Kirstein and One Gallant Rush by Peter Burchard, the film also draws from the letters of Robert Gould Shaw (played by Matthew Broderick), the 25-year-old son of Boston abolitionists who volunteered to command the all-black 54th Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. Their training and battle experience leads them to their final assault on Fort Wagner in South Carolina, where their heroic bravery turned bitter defeat into a symbolic victory that brought recognition to black soldiers and turned the tide of the war. With painstaking attention to historical detail and richness of character, the film boasts superior performances by Denzel Washington (who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor), Morgan Freeman, Cary Elwes, and Andre Braugher. Directed by Edward Zwick (co-creator of the TV series thirtysomething), this unforgettable drama is as important as Schindler’s List in its treatment of a noble yet little-known episode of history.

Note: Please be aware of that there are instances of language and violent battle sequences in this film. Please screen the movie before showing it to your students.

Required Materials:
★ Glory (1989) DVD or Streaming Capabilities
★ Note: Pepsi did release an “Edited for Education” Version in 1991 that will also work with this Viewing Guide.