<p>I won’t take the bet. My kids have watched a number of film adaptations in class. Sometimes they even have interesting discussions about how the versions differ. I remember being amazed when I read The English Patient. I’d enjoyed the movie, the plot elements were all there, but they had somehow managed to completely miss the whole point of the book. (IMO anyway.) </p>
<p>But I think all the P&P versions are pretty good with the exception of the goofy American ending to the Kiera Knightly version.</p>
<p>Back when one of my son’s classes were reading Romeo and Juliet, the teacher would have them read part of the play, then they would watch that part of the movie (the latest movie, modern version). Son said usually the class understood maybe 50% at best of what they’d read the night before, but watching the movie made it clearer.</p>
<p>I am well aware of all this. However, it doesn’t make it not the assignment, and it doesn’t mean there won’t be assignments like this in the future. Unfortunately there will be. I was just suggesting strategies. I do not care if the OP’s son uses them, I was just saying what I thought was the best way to complete the assignment well. I did not say it was a well designed assignment or that the schedule is optimal. The schedule is not optimal, but that is what we get with the NCLB culture because it is optimal for the cramming strategies used to get lower level classes to pass state exams. For more advanced teachers, they are stuck cramming the full curriculum in the second half of the year, even though they will likely lose a lot of time at the end as students are pulled out for IB exams, there are year end parties, people stop being motivated and counting down the days, etc. Whether or not it is summer it is not surprising they would try to get a head start on the curriculum. </p>
<p>There are choices here. You can choose to do the assignment however you wish. Or not do it at all, if you choose. And I honestly think everyone can make their own choices about that. It is not the best strategy for success, and it isn’t helping to build coping skills for the future. That is just the way it is. But nevertheless, we are not nearly as obligated to anyone as we are to ourselves, at least in this case, so if he can do as pleases here. I do not think watching the movie is the best strategy for learning to work with the text, that is my opinion, I honestly don’t think it is a terrible opinion but they can do whatever works for them. I thought the thread was for suggestions. </p>
<p>I realize some teachers in some courses can allow for a variety of summer reading. I have no problem with this. I am not a teacher and I never will be, and if I was it sure wouldn’t be for high school, I can tell you that. So it’s not like I’m about to go assign specific books to people. But I don’t think it’s that terrible of a thing. Actually I’d rather do it during the summer, it is really hard to press through five books in a quarter like we did this year before the exam. If they would have just assigned one more of those books over the summer, life would have sucked a lot less during the year on top of all the other work and the fact that instead of reading it at your leisure over three months, you had to do it all in the specific timeframe which is much less convenient. The books are even less enjoyable then.</p>