Monochrome Films in the Classroom : An Investigation of Black-and-white films in Swedish Junior High Schools

The focus of this essay is to investigate if old monochrome films can be beneficial to use in the classroom. The aim is to research how (if at all) old monochrome films can affect students’ possibilities of learning from film. To investigate this matter, three fields will be of interest: First, how students respond to films according to ideas of identity; secondly, how films teach students about history; third and finally, qualities of monochrome films and how students might understand and relate to them. The findings in this essay suggest that old monochrome films are viable to use in the classroom, as they can teach students about history and previous cultures by being created in history themselves. The essay also suggests that old black-and-white films and newer films are quite similar, suggesting that monochrome films are just as adequate material to use in the classroom as newer films.