Discussion Guide
Grades 6-8
Grades 9-10
Grades 11-12

Black Snow: Discussion Guide

Using This Guide

This guide is an invitation to dialogue. It is based on a belief in the power of human connection and is designed for people who want to use Black Snow to engage family, friends, classmates, colleagues, and communities. In contrast to initiatives that foster debates in which participants try to convince others that they are right, this document envisions conversations undertaken in a spirit of openness in which people try to understand one another and expand their thinking by sharing viewpoints and listening actively.

The discussion prompts are intentionally crafted to help a wide range of audiences think more deeply about the issues in the film. Rather than attempting to address them all, choose one or two that best meet your needs and interests. Be sure to leave time to consider taking action. Planning next steps can help people leave the room feeling energized and optimistic, even in instances when conversations have been difficult.

For more detailed event planning and facilitation tips, visit https://communitynetwork.amdoc.org/.

Sources

About the authors

Marc Weingarten

Marc Weingarten is a writer and filmmaker. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, The Wall St Journal,  The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Economist, Monocle, Globe and Mail,  Boston Globe, Salon, and Slate, among others.

Among his books are Thirsty: William Mulholland, California Water and The Real Chinatown, an LA Times bestseller;  Station to Station: The History of Music on Television, an LA Times bestseller and a finalist for the Ralph J. Gleason award for music book of the year.  The Gang That Wouldn’t Write Straight: Thompson, Didion, Wolfe and the New Journalism Revolution,  a history of New Journalism which, wrote Mark Bowden in his review, “captures the swirl of youthful energy that produced…the prose equivalent of hand grenades.”

Weingarten also worked as a producer on Shane Salerno’s film SALINGER and as a creative consultant on Jeff Berg’s PBS documentary THE GREAT THIRST.

Marc Weingarten

Marc Weingarten is a writer and filmmaker. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, The Wall St Journal,  The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Economist, Monocle, Globe and Mail,  Boston Globe, Salon, and Slate, among others.

Among his books are Thirsty: William Mulholland, California Water and The Real Chinatown, an LA Times bestseller;  Station to Station: The History of Music on Television, an LA Times bestseller and a finalist for the Ralph J. Gleason award for music book of the year.  The Gang That Wouldn’t Write Straight: Thompson, Didion, Wolfe and the New Journalism Revolution,  a history of New Journalism which, wrote Mark Bowden in his review, “captures the swirl of youthful energy that produced…the prose equivalent of hand grenades.”

Weingarten also worked as a producer on Shane Salerno’s film SALINGER and as a creative consultant on Jeff Berg’s PBS documentary THE GREAT THIRST.

Author photo