Forrest Gump Worksheet

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Forrest Gump Movie Worksheet

Forrest Gump is a made-up character (fictional) but he and his friend Jennie live through many major historical events. This movie is actually a tricky way to introduce you to the historical events and issues we study in US History B! HAHA. Pay attention to the cars, clothes, music, Jennie’s haircuts, etc. It is all chosen carefully to portray the different decade accurately. Don’t miss anything while you enjoy the story.

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Most answers are found in the movie…some will require additional research after you watch the movie. Those are the questions in italic font.

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1. How does Forrest pay for college? With a football scholarship ! 2. What college does he attend? When was their heyday in football? He attends the University of Alabama. Their heyday was on January 1, 1962.!

3. Who are the “coons” trying to go to school? Two African-Americans! 4. When were schools in Alabama desegregated? How was this done? Schools in Alabama were desegregated on June 10, 1963. President John F. Kennedy federalized National Guard troops and deployed them to the University of Alabama to force its desegregation.! 5. What is a co-ed college? A co-ed college is an educational institution that teaches both males and females.! 6. Why does the Army think Gump is a genius? Gump is very obedient and follows automatically without thinking every order. Besides, he can assemble a rifle very quickly.! 7. Who teaches Gump about shrimpin’? Bubba 8. What does Gump know about Vietnam before he goes? He knows practically nothing. The only thing he knows is that “it’s hot”. ! 9. What is Jennie’s advice about Vietnam? Jenny’s advice is to run if trouble happens.! 10. When did we start fighting in Vietnam? November 1, 1955.! 11. Describe the fighting conditions in Vietnam (at least what this movie shows). U.S. troops fought a jungle war against the well-supplied Viet Cong hidden in the dense brush. U.S. troops thus had difficulty in finding their enemy, who attacked in ambushes and escaped through a network of underground tunnels. Besides of the mental pressure, soldiers were confronted to the harsh tropical climate (extreme heat, monsoon, red dust…) and were constantly threatened by poisonous creatures (snakes, scorpions, spiders, leeches…).! 12. Lt. Dan has only a few rules - what are they? To keep your head down and change your socks regularly.! 13. What is the family tradition that Lt. Dan has to live up to? Lieutenant Dan’s family tradition is that a member of his family has fought and died in every single American War.! 14. Who was the “Charlie” they were looking for? Charlie is an American slang nickname that stands for Viet Cong enemies. !

15. Lt. Dan calls in an air-strike. They are going to “Nape” the area. Nape is a nickname for Napalm - What is napalm? How would war protestors back home use this issue to help make their case against this war? Napalm is a mixture of a gelling agent and petroleum. It creates a jelly-like substance that, when ignited, sticks to practically anything and

burns up to ten minutes. As images of bombed villages were published, napalm’s deadly effects created public outrage in the U.S.. When it was proved that napalm killed innocent civilians, war protestors used this issue to denounce America’s interference in the internal conflict of a foreign country and criticized its entanglement in this “quagmire” by showing that the Vietnam War was morally unjust.!

16. It might seem random that Gump learns ping-pong; but there was actually “Ping Pong Diplomacy.” Look this up, learn about it, and write a paragraph summarizing what it was and why it was important. Ping-pong diplomacy refers to the exchange of table tennis players between the United States and China in the early 1970s. It facilitated the beginning of a friendlier relationship between the US and China. The U.S. table tennis players were among the first Americans to visit China.!

17. Gump meets Nixon and shows him his wound - what years was Nixon the President? 1969-1974.

18. There was a protest at the Capital that Gump gets swept into…what were they protesting? Gump gets swept into an anti-war protest criticizing America’s involvement in the Vietnam War.!

19. In addition to the “hippies” what other social-reform group does Gump meet during this time (introduced by Jennie)? The Black Panther Party.! 20. Find a reliable source on the Black Panthers. When were they most active? Name some of their leaders. What was their purpose? Does this group still exist today? The Black Panther Party (1966-1982) was a revolutionary black nationalist organization led by Huey P. Newton. It is considered as the most influential black movement organization of the 70’s. The Black Panther Party's core practice was its armed citizens' patrols to monitor the behavior of police officers and challenge police brutality. The Party fought to establish revolutionary socialism by advocating the use of violence and guerrilla tactics to overthrow the government.! 21. Why is it important that Jennie’s boyfriend is from Berkley during this time? The University of UC Berkley was popular among young adults for its civil unrest and protests. There was abundant sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll. Jennie’s boyfriend is part of that counterculture movement - the hippies - which criticizes the Vietnam War and promotes “peace and love” instead.!

22. Jennie says that Gump’s uniform is a “trip.” What other “trips” has Jennie learned to take? What drugs were used during the late 60s and early 70s and are associated with the Hippie movement? Jennie’s learned to take “trips” (meaning she’s high) by using LSD and other common drugs associated with the hippie movement such as marijuana, methamphetamine, and cocaine.! 23. When did American astronauts walk on the moon? Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins walked on the moon in July 1969.! 24. When was the Captain Kangaroo program on TV? What kind of show was it? Captain Kangaroo is an American children's television series that aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for nearly 30 years, from October 3, 1955 until December 8, 1984, making it the longest-running nationally broadcast children's television program of its day.! 25. Gump meets John Lennon…who was John Lennon? John Lennon was a famous British musician, member of the group “The Beatles”.!

26. Lt. Dan represents the disgruntled Vietnam War veterans. Why was it difficult for soldiers that returned from Vietnam, esp. compared to WWII veterans? While WWII veterans

came back as heroes, Vietnam War veterans were perceived as “baby killers” after atrocities like the Mai Lay Massacre were revealed to the public.! 27. Why did Lt. Dan say he would be the first mate on Gump’s shrimp boat? Lt. Dan didn’t believe Gump when he first told him about his plans and made a sarcastic joke. Gump being his only true friend, he nonetheless agrees to support him. !

28. What does Forrest name his boat? He names his boat “Jenny”.! 29. Next we see Jennie in a disco scene. How is her life going? Jenny takes a lot of drugs and is obviously not well (she almost kills herself unconsciously when she tries to jump off her apartment balcony). Her life takes no definite direction : she seems completely lost.! 30. Even with the singing and praying, they aren’t catching any shrimp. Then “God shows up.” What is the name of the hurricane they luckily survive? Hurricane Carmen 31. How did Bubba Gump Shrimp finally find success? Forrest’s boat was the only one to survive from the hurricane. Gump quickly monopolized the shrimp market and Bubba Gump Shrimp Company became very successful.!

32. What fruit company is he talking about…that they invested in? When was this company first created? He’s talking about Apple Inc., an American multinational technology selling computers founded by Steve Jobs in 1976. He thinks Apple is a fruit.!

33. How did Forrest use the money from selling his shrimping business? Forrest leaves his shrimping company in the hands of Lt. Dan and returns home to Greenbow when he learns that is mother is dying of cancer. He uses the money to give Mrs. Bubba a large share, to renovate the local church,and to establish a medical center at Bubba’s hometown.!

34. Jennie is really tired…what disease do you think she has? (think of the time period) Jenny probably has AIDS, since the virus spread during the 70’s and the 80’s. Besides, she had sex many times and shared needles with other people.! 35. What kind of shoes did Jennie give to Forrest? What year did this company start? Jenny gave Forrest white Nike running shoes. The company was founded in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports but officially became known as Nike Inc. on May 30, 1971.!

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