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ARMY OF ONE
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE
This project was made possible with the support of the Department
of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy
WWW.HOTDOCS.CA
ARMY OF ONE
Directed by Sarah Goodman
Canada | 2003 | 59 min
TEACHER’S GUIDE
This guide has been designed to help teachers and students enrich their experience of
documentary film by providing support in the form of questions and activities. There are
a range of questions that will help teachers frame discussions with their classes, activities
for before, during and after viewing the film, and some web links that provide starting
points for further research or discussion. In separate packages, there will also be support
materials available with information regarding general viewing and teaching principles for
documentary film and the fundamental aspects of making documentary films.
The Film
The Filmmakers
In the wake of 9/11, three young Americans join the
U.S. Army, seeking direction in their lives. They discover
that unless they conform fully to the Army values, their
personal issues are only magnified within the military.
What unfolds is an intimate and heartbreaking account
of their two-year wayward journeys, starting with the
harshness of basic training. In stark contrast to the
portraits of willing patriotic soldiers that America sells at
home and abroad, these recruits’ stories reveal the more
realistic, troubled conflict of American youth trapped
within a military mission much larger than themselves.
Sarah Goodman graduated from Concordia University’s
Fine Arts program, where she studied painting and
drawing. She was assistant producer for playwright Israel
Horowitz’s film Three Weeks After Paradise, which won
the award for Best Documentary at the Back East Film
Festival, Jersey City, New Jersey, in 2002. The film aired
on Bravo in 2002. She directed the short films Concoctions
(2000) and The Juice Man’s Daughter (2001), and was
assistant director on the feature film Acceleration (2000).
Army of One, Goodman’s first feature documentary, won
the award for Best Documentary at the Hot Docs Canadian
International Documentary Film Festival in Toronto in
April 2004. She was the recipient of a Jerome Foundation
Grant and the Bronx Council of the Arts Award and was
nominated for a Gemini (Canadian television award) for
Best Director for Army of One. Goodman’s most recent film,
feature documentary When We Were Boys (2009), follows
two students during their time at an elite independent boys
school in Toronto.
Educational package written and compiled by Trena Evans
[email protected]
Viewing the Film with Students
There are important themes in this film that have broad implications for students and their futures.
Take time to activate your students’ background understanding of these themes before viewing.
This will help them as they come to their own understanding and develop their critical abilities.
The following three subsections on this page are intended to provide you with a range of
pre-viewing, viewing and post-viewing activities. They are followed by a set of questions based
upon the film’s larger thematic domains, some follow-up questions and quotations, sample
curricular outcomes, and a page of web links for further investigation.
Pre-Viewing Activities
Have a whole-group discussion to determine what
preconceptions students have about military life and service,
using the following questions:
•W
hat are your preconceptions of military life and service?
Describe the life of a soldier.
• What would motivate someone to join the military? What
are some of the reasons someone might choose to become a
soldier and commit to military service?
• What experiences and representations of military training and
service have shaped your current understanding of military life?
Have you or your family members had a direct experience with
military service or war? Consider different media representations
of military life and war (in the news, on TV shows, commercials,
print advertisements, in films, or video games, for example).
Divide the class into small groups, asking each group to use
the enclosed worksheet to identify what they think have been
influential media representations of military life and war for their
generation. Ask them to analyze some specific examples of media
representations. For each example, have them describe how that
text (i.e. film, video game or news story) represents war and/or
military life. Prompt them to compare and contrast the different
media texts’ messages and purposes. Have each group share its
insights with the rest of the class.
shape our perception and understanding of each character?
What new information or insight does each section show us
about the three subjects (Thaddeus, Sara and Nelson)? Ask
students to write down their impressions of each character.
Compare the characters’ goals and desires in joining the Army,
their preconceptions of basic training and military life and how
their expectations are affirmed or challenged.
Prompt students to consider the ways in which the documentary
stories follow the same narrative arc that most fiction or genre
films do: we meet characters whose desires or goals drive the
narrative, they face obstacles or challenges that produce conflict
and suspense and their stories end with some kind of resolution.
Post-Viewing Activities
Discuss with students their initial reactions to the characters
and their experience of military life.
Ask students to recall their preconceptions of army life and
to consider to what extent their preconceptions are affirmed
or challenged by the three characters’ stories featured in the
documentary. How do Thaddeus, Sara and Nelson conform to or
challenge their preconceptions of soldiers?
Viewing Activities
Ask students to consider why Goodman begins the film with
the then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s address to the
military in the Pentagon, and then the U.S. Army’s commercial.
Why does she preface her characters’ stories with the
commercial? (This is the script for the commercial: “The Army
is made up of different people from different backgrounds.
We possess different skills and capabilities, but we share one
common set of values, one mission, one goal. Together, we’re
the strongest and most professional army in the world. We are
an army of one.” Which scenes in the documentary support this
slogan, and which scenes in the film contradict it?
Have students take notes on, or jot down connections to, one
of the thematic domains on page four of this guide. Ask
students to find proof or specific references in the film that
support their connections.
Ask students what argument Goodman’s film is making about
the relationship between the commercials and recruiting
practices that the Army uses to represent itself and soldiers’
actual experience of basic training and military service?
Have students use a graphic organizer to summarize the film as
they watch it.
For further ideas around how to explore this documentary, use
the guiding questions on page four.
Have students visit the U.S. Army’s website (www.goarmy.
com) and analyze the site’s representation of military life.
What information does the site provide potential recruits?
What arguments for joining are presented on the site? What
persuasive techniques are used by the site to make military life
seem like an attractive or worthy life choice?
Stop the film at various points and have students provide
summaries at each point. How does each section of the film
Comparison of Mass Media Representations of Military
Life and War
Type of Mass Media
Specific Examples
TV shows
(e.g. Band of Brothers)
Video games
(e.g. Call of Duty or Medal of
Honor)
Feature films
(e.g. The Hurt Locker, Brothers,
Saving Private Ryan, Flags of
our Fathers, G.I. Jane)
News
(e.g. CNN, CBC, FOX)
Websites
(e.g. www.goarmy.com)
Others
(e.g. propaganda posters)
Messages
Purposes of the Representation
The Big Questions/Ideas/Themes
Multiple Perspectives
Culture and Community
What is the subject of this film? Can you determine the
filmmakers’ perspective on this subject? What evidence
can you find in the film to support your view?
Which aspects of a people’s culture does this film focus
on? Why do you think the filmmakers focused on those
aspects?
How does this film help you analyze and interpret points of
view about issues that concern people?
How do the images, themes and message of this film help
you understand the filmmakers’ attitude towards the
subject? What do you think might have been the intended
audience’s attitude towards the documentary subject?
Does the filmmakers’ perspective foster respect for
diversity and an inclusive society? If so, how?
Identity
Whose story is told in this documentary? Whose story is
not told? How does this story, and the way it is told, help
you understand your own community/life?
How do the people in this film identify with their
community? What are the common bonds among the
people in this film? What challenges do they face in
expressing their identity?
What film techniques do the filmmakers use to convey the
identity of the people in this film?
Individuals, Societies and Economic
Decisions
What economic systems are at work in this film? What are
some of the causes and effects of the economic decisions
made by the people in the film’s community?
Does money play a part in the decisions being made in the
film and what does it tell you about their local culture?
Power and Governance
Citizenship
What system of government control do we see in this
documentary? How is power distributed within this
society? What are the implications of that distribution on
issues affecting the people’s well-being and freedom?
What insights does this documentary offer about the ideals
of good citizenship in the community depicted in this film?
Global Connections
How does the film deal with issues of freedom, equality,
human dignity, and individual and collective rights and
responsibilities?
What global issues are addressed in this film? What is
the filmmakers’ point of view on the opportunities and
challenges of those issues?
Change and Continuity
Adapted from NFB Documentary Lens: http://www.nfb.ca
How does this film help you understand a community’s values
and its attitudes towards an issue at a particular time?
What changes do the people in the film experience? What
causes those changes? What are the consequences of
those changes for the people in the documentary?
Extension Activities
Additional Questions for Pre- or
Post-Viewing Activities
Analysis of Commercials, Media Bias and War
Propaganda
Watch the opening sequence of the film again. Why do
you think Goodman begins her film with the Department
of Defense’s broadcast about the Acquisition and
Logistics Excellence Week Kickoff event? How does this
broadcast compare to mainstream news broadcasts that
you would see on TV stations like CBC, CTV or CNN?
How does the quality of the broadcast affect viewers’
sense of the Department of Defense’s credibility and
professionalism?
What is the effect of following Rumsfeld’s description of
the U.S. military as “the finest military in the history of
the world” and his claim that “we must assure that the
noble cause of military service remains the high calling
that will attract the very best” with the commercial
ending in the slogan, “We are an army of one”? What
does the film suggest is the role played by advertising in
recruiting soldiers?
Analyze the commercial in detail. What images of
military life are represented in the commercial? Describe
the soldiers shown (race, gender, posture and facial
expressions). What kinds of things are they doing? In
what contexts or settings are they shown? What kinds of
preconceptions or misconceptions about military life and
service could this commercial produce in viewers’ minds?
Recall some of the key scenes of Thaddeus, Sara
and Nelson’s training and service. What elements of
military service and life does her film show that are not
represented in the opening commercial?
In the scene with the recruiter interviewing a potential
candidate, we are given the visual of a poster of the
financial incentives for joining the Army ($20,000
enlistment bonus or $50,000 for college or $65,000
to pay back your college loan). Consider these
contemporary financial incentives with the persuasive
techniques used in historical propaganda posters. What
kinds of appeals are made in historical propaganda
posters? Visit PBS’s website (www.pbs.org) and select
the PBS’ Teachers link for a wealth of excellent resources
and lesson plans on war propaganda, including activities
and lessons on the representation of the war with Iraq
(see Art and Propaganda, Buying the War, Message
Control).
In talking with his mother about the fact that his
recruiter did not divulge all the correct information
about military service, Thaddeus reminds his mother
that he worked in retail when he was younger. He insists
there’s no difference between retail and recruiting, and
that Army recruiters, like retailers, are selling a product
that they know has its problems. How is a life of military
service not a product? What ethical obligations does
the Army have to disclose to potential recruits a fuller
account of what military life may involve?
Have students reflect on the role that recruiters play in
selling images and values. In addition to Goodman’s film,
have students view the HBO feature documentary, The
Recruiter (2008). Consult the excellent Curriculum and
Teacher’s Guide on the film’s website.
Have students watch Michael Moore’s documentary
Fahrenheit’s 9/11 (2004) to consider Moore’s challenge
to and criticism of the U.S. government’s representation
of the rationale for the “War on Terror.”
Have students explore media bias. Show them Robert
Greenwald’s documentary that critiques the Fox News
Channel for its biased coverage of the U.S. government’s
war initiative: Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on
Journalism (2004).
Have students focus on the effects or consequences of
war by watching Christian Frei’s feature documentary
War Photographer (2001) about American war
photojournalist James Nachtwey. The film is a portrait
of Nachtwey and an exploration of his work, which he
views as “a powerful ingredient in the antidote to war.”
Nachtwey reflects on the challenges of representing
the horrific effects of war in a world saturated with
mass media that focuses on entertainment and
that sensationalizes war. Students could also study
Nachtwey’s online photographic galleries; his 9/11
photography in particular, are available on his website.
There are numerous feature films and television shows
that could be viewed and analyzed in detail for the
purposes of comparison with Goodman’s documentary:
Band of Brothers (episode one “Currahee”), The Hurt
Locker, Saving Private Ryan, Flags of Our Fathers, and
G.I. Jane are a few examples.
Extension Activities CONTINUED
Media and Society
Quotations from the Film to Explore:
Is it ethical for a government to recruit potential soldiers
with persuasive advertising techniques? Is it ethical for a
government to use taxpayers’ money to create propaganda
designed to influence their opinions?
“In certain ways, I feel like I’m getting hard, hardened and
chillier, but that’s part of growing up. You can’t be a happy
little wuss for the rest of your life.” Sara
What responsibilities does an individual have to be a
critical consumer of all media texts?
What options does an individual have in a democratic
society if he or she wants to test a government’s claims
to the truth? What non-governmental media sources
can you read or watch to supplement the government’s
representation of an issue or event?
Based on what the film’s subjects say are their
preconceptions of military life and war, how do you think
the media influenced their expectations of military life and
war?
Individual and Group Identities
There is an Army commercial with the slogan, “You can still
be an individual and be in the Army.” Does Goodman’s film
support or challenge this claim?
Goodman shows all three of her subjects in the context
of their families. What role do family relationships play in
Thaddeus, Sara and Nelson’s decision to join the Army and
pursue a military life?
How important is global and political awareness to the
subjects of the film? Do they have a sense of national
identity?
To what extent does the film show that the Army can
become a family or community to people who, as civilians,
may not have a strong sense of group identity?
How does Goodman use framing and editing to define
her subjects as individuals and/or as part of a family or
community? When are the characters separated from
others through edits or framed alone? When are they
framed as part of a group?
“I think the idea [of war] can be glorious, but I don’t think
that war itself is glorious.” Thaddeus
“I want [Nelson] to find himself on his own, which is very
hard to do. And when you talk to all these other kids, they
will be like, ‘You know, I always had somebody there,’ but
I wasn’t that kind of parent, because I didn’t want to get
close to him, because I wanted him to find himself without
depending on somebody else.” Nelson’s father
“Clothes do make the man.” Nelson
“The uniformity here makes me feel very comfortable,
because I don’t have to worry… whether I’m fitting in or
not…. It just makes everybody equal.” Sara
“I wasn’t going to let nobody disrespect me…. They were
going to have me working like a… slave.” Nelson
“When you get deployed, when you’re probably going to
be in a position of danger, you have to steel your mind and
emotion. You can’t think like a human or a civilian.” Sara
“I thought I was partaking in a noble cause; now I think I
just drive trucks.” Thaddeus
“You can be all you can be if you want to.” Nelson’s friend
“There’s a whole lot to the Army that you didn’t want to
think about and didn’t think about that can drive anybody
crazy—would have driven me crazy, but it’s still the
foremost army in the world, and you are going off to do
something that, I think, is very noble and very important
to do, and I think you should think about it in that way….
It is a noble thing to be doing, and you can hold your head
up high and be proud of yourself that you chose to do that
when others didn’t.” Thaddeus’s father
“A boy becomes a man or a girl becomes a woman—to
me—when they think they are comfortable with what they
are doing, and are more comfortable within themselves, not
at a job.” Nelson
“I definitely want to change the world in some shape or
form, and maybe that’s too grand an idea.
Maybe I should stick to individual people.” Thaddeus
Examples of Curriculum Expectations
COURSE
OVERALL EXPECTATIONS
Understanding and Responding to Media Texts
•d
emonstrate understanding of a variety of media texts.
Deconstructing Media Texts
•d
econstruct a variety of types of media texts, identifying the codes, conventions and techniques used and
explaining how they create meaning.
Grade 11 Media
Studies, Open
Understanding Media Perspectives
• analyze and critique media representations of people, issues, values and behaviours.
Understanding the Impact of Media on Society
• analyze and evaluate the impact of media on society.
Metacognition
•d
emonstrate an understanding of their growth as media consumers, media analysts and media producers.
Power, Influence and Resolution of Differences
• a nalyze the factors that determine the power and influence of a country.
Grade 12 Canadian
and World Politics,
University Preparation
• analyze how international organizations, the media and technology are able to influence the actions of
sovereign states.
Values, Beliefs, and Ideologies
• e xplain the role and function of ideologies in national and international politics.
• analyze how social and cultural beliefs and political ideologies influence national and international politics.
Self and Others
Grade 11 Introduction
to Anthropology,
Psychology, and
Sociology, University/
College Preparation
•d
emonstrate an understanding of the social forces that influence and shape behaviour as described by
anthropologists, psychologists and sociologists.
Social Structures and Institutions
• c ompare how selected social institutions function in a variety of cultures.
Social Organization
• a nalyze the psychological impact of group cohesion and group conflict on individuals, groups and communities.
Social Change
Grade 12 Challenge
and Change in
Society, University/
College Preparation
• a ppraise the differences and similarities in the methodologies and strategies of anthropology, psychology
and sociology applied to the study of change.
Social Trends
•d
emonstrate an understanding of the social forces that influence and shape trends.
Social Challenges
•d
emonstrate an understanding of the social forces that shape such challenges.
Communities—Local, National, and Global
• a nalyze the interactions among major groups and communities in the United States throughout its history.
Change and Continuity
Grade 11 American
History, University
Preparation
• a nalyze the historical process of change in the context of events that have transformed the United States.
• analyze the historical process of continuity in the context of the development of American history.
• analyze aspects of the history of the United States by using concepts of chronology and cause and effect.
Citizenship and Heritage
• e xplain how American social and political identity has changed over time.
Social, Economic and Political Structures
• a nalyze the forces that have influenced the development of American society.
Websites and Online Resources
About the Film and Filmmaker
There is an Army of One portal on the website of the
Canadian production company Red Storm Productions,
with further information about the film and the filmmaker,
including director’s notes, production notes and a “where
are they now?” section with information about the film’s
subjects.
http://www.redstorm.ca/armyofone
About the Army, Recruiting and War
The U.S. Army’s website for recruiting contains links that
are useful for pre-viewing and post-viewing activities,
including About the Army, Careers & Jobs, Benefits and
Soldier Life. The site includes numerous video commercials.
www.goarmy.com
The PBS website: Click on the PBS Teachers link for a
wealth of excellent educational resources and lesson plans,
including guides for analyzing war propaganda and media
representations of the War with Iraq.
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/search/resources/
?q=war+propaganda
HBO’s Recruiter: The portal for Edet Beltberg’s feature
documentary features the film trailer, synopsis and an
excellent Educator’s Guide, with numerous classroom
activities, including detailed plans for analyzing war
recruitment strategies and posters.
http://www.hbo.com/docs/docuseries/therecruiter/index.
html
Various Links for Lesson Plan Ideas,
Media Awareness, Critical Literacy and
Documentary Films
How to Evaluate War Movies is especially useful for asking
students to compare genre film representations of military
life and war with that of Army of One.
Using Documentaries in the Classroom: This teacher
librarian’s personal website contains excellent resources for
teaching with documentary films.
http://www.frankwbaker.com/using_docs_in_the_
classroom.htm
Media Awareness: A Canadian non-profit media education
and Internet- literacy resource library.
http://www.media-awareness.ca
Center for Media Literacy: A U.S. website which provides
several resources for making, understanding and criticizing
media.
http://www.medialit.org
The National Film Board of Canada website: On this site is
an area with teaching resources and short documentary
films that can be used as teaching aides.
http://www.nfb.ca
War Photographer website: The official website for
Christian Frei’s film about American photojournalist James
Nachtwey’s work.
http://www.war-photographer.com
James Nachtwey’s website: An excellent online gallery of
Nachtwey’s photography.
http://www.jamesnachtwey.com
Fahrenheit 9/11 website: The official website for Michael
Moore’s documentary.
http://www.fahrenheit911.com
Outfoxed website: The official website for Robert
Greenwald’s documentary.
http://www.outfoxed.org/