When "Kung Fu Panda 2" is released later this month, the young and the young at heart will find in the midst of roundhouse kicks and flying wild animals the potential to learn about a culture and history that is often misunderstood.
The movie, which features a panda bear and his animal friends, is set in ancient China. The sequel to "Kung Fu Panda" features Po and the Furious Five, kung fu masters who must protect China and the art of kung fu.
Chinese audiences generally viewed the original "Kung Fu Panda" favorably for its faithful portrayal of Chinese culture.
While the current trend in movies is to focus on the future or on the seemingly impossible ("Megamind", "Meet the Robinsons"), older children’s movies, such as "Pocahontas" or "Ice Age", have a distinctly historical feel.
Children’s movies, while rarely historically accurate, may still be used as a starting point for parents to teach their children about history and unfamiliar cultures to which children may not otherwise be exposed.
In 2008, The Future of Children reported that, while violence and pure entertainment viewed at a young age is associated with poorer cognitive development, appropriate programming could aid children of all ages.
In an age of superheroes and villains, alien spaceships and invisibility cloaks, it can be difficult to find an appropriate movie that has historical and cultural significance. Many movies are best used to inspire a young one to learn more about a certain subject. "Ice Age", for example, may inspire in a child curiosity about the most recent ice age that occurred 20,000 years ago. Other movies are a little truer to the history and culture they portray.
Some parents use films to teach their children lessons about the past and about unfamiliar cultures because many children more easily understand films than books.
"I think a lot of children are visual learners," said Sandy Jensen, a Lehi, Utah, resident and mother of five. "Movie adaptations give children a better idea of what they are reading and allow them to see things from different angles."
While Jensen often chooses films based on the history they portray, she says that she sometimes finds opportunities to teach in more popular children's films, such as Disney's "Mulan".
"Those types of movies are good starting points because they're simple," Jensen said. "They open the subject for conversation."
Film can be used outside of the home as well to foster children's understanding of history and culture.
"Movies help children to gain interest in the subject matter," said Douglas Forsgren, assistant principal at Lakeside Elementary in West Point, Utah. "Depending on the movie, there are a lot of inaccuracies. If I'm going to use media to teach, I'm going to use other media to reinforce the concepts being taught."
In using film to teach children it is important to find the reality within the storyline. While relying on a largely fictional plot, "National Treasure" presents parents with the opportunity to teach their children about locations pertinent to United States history. While the conspiracy and action present in the movie may have been absent from Revolutionary America, locations such as the Library of Congress and Independence Hall remain an important part of the American story.
Movies may be helpful in teaching children about historical events and unfamiliar cultures, but parents may wish to use film as a starting point for a broader discussion. In an age of technological innovation, parents may wish to take advantage of children's attachment to technology.
"Movies help children to gain interest in the subject matter," said Forsgren. "They hook the kids on the topic at hand."
Stephanie Grimes (@limsteph) is a student at Brigham Young University studying history.