Student version

Flags of Our Fathers Online Worksheet

Write brief answers during viewing, then use scenes for analysis. You do not need to describe graphic violence.

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Before viewing

1. What can a photograph show about an event, and what might it leave out?

2. Why would a government ask civilians to buy war bonds?

Part A · Battle and the photograph

3. How does the landing sequence challenge an easy picture of victory?

4. What role does Doc Bradley play among the Marines in the film?

5. Why is a second, larger flag raised on Mount Suribachi?

6. Why does the flag photograph become valuable to officials at home?

7. Which three men does the film send on the bond tour?

Part B · The bond tour

8. What are the touring men expected to do for the war effort?

9. How does the stadium reenactment differ from the battle experience?

10. Why is Ira uncomfortable with the public hero narrative?

11. How does the film show racism affecting Ira during the tour?

12. How do flashbacks interrupt the apparent celebration?

Part C · Memory after combat

13. How do the men’s responses to attention differ?

14. What happens when the tour no longer meets officials’ expectations?

15. How does the film portray the lasting effect of losing comrades?

16. Why are later interviews and recollections important to the story?

After viewing

17. Choose one scene that contrasts public celebration with private memory. Explain it.

18. What definition of heroism does the film invite viewers to consider?

19. What must we distinguish when discussing Doc or Rene as flag raisers today?

20. How could you investigate a detail that a famous photograph cannot explain?

Final written response

How does Flags of Our Fathers reveal the gap between a public image of heroism and individual experience? Write a paragraph with a clear claim, evidence from two scenes, reasoning, and one limitation of using this film to learn history.

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