Through the generous support of the Chao Minami Family Fund, SPICE has recently launched a new webpage, “Visual Arts and Documentary Film.” Through this resource, SPICE seeks to connect documentary filmmakers with educators across the world.

Harvard professor Howard Gardner—in his book, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences (1983)—put forth the idea that people have “multiple intelligences,” which include linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal intelligences. In terms of “spatial” intelligence, visual imagery plays an important role in the visual/spatial student’s learning process.

Recognizing the role of multiple intelligences and how all learners can benefit from different approaches to content learning, SPICE has partnered with numerous filmmakers to develop curricula to accompany their films. Recent collaborations include teacher’s guides for Far West: The Hidden History, with co-directors Mathilde Damoisel and Tomas van Houtryve (Catchlight Films); and U.S. POWs and the A-Bomb, with director Sachiko Kato (Hiroshima Television Corporation). One of the U.S. POWs who died from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima was Normand Brissette (photo above). Curricula for Baseball Behind Barbed Wire, with Yumiko Gamo Romer (Flying Carp Productions); and The Partition (Project Dastaan and Catchlight Films) will also become available in the near future.

Through this new resource, educators who wish to access upcoming films and guides can complete the Educator Interest Form. Filmmakers who wish to collaborate with SPICE to create teacher’s guides for their documentaries can also do so through the Documentary Filmmaker Form.

Educators can continue to access Free Multimedia Resources through the SPICE website as well. 

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