Writing Movie Guides

Bring the heartwarming and inspiring Disney+ adaptation of Out of My Mind into your classroom with this comprehensive movie guide and activity bundle. Perfect for grades 5-8, this resource engages students in thoughtful discussion, critical analysis, and creative reflection while exploring key themes of inclusion, perseverance, and advocacy.

What’s Included:

Pre-Watching Activities:

• Agree/Disagree/Justify Statements: Students reflect on key themes like inclusion, disability, and perseverance before viewing the movie.
• Author Investigation: Research questions about Sharon M. Draper’s life, career, and motivations for writing Out of My Mind.

During-Watching Questions:

• 3 Open-Ended Discussion Questions: Encourage critical thinking and active viewing, focusing on the film’s characters, themes, and key moments.

Post-Watching Reflection:

• Creative Reflection Choices: Students choose from a variety of activities, including:

• A personal essay exploring connections to Melody’s story.

• A diary entry written from the perspective of a character.

• A 6-panel brochure highlighting the movie’s plot, characters, and themes.

Skills Covered:

• Critical Thinking: Through open-ended questions and reflection activities.
• Research Skills: Investigating Sharon M. Draper’s life and work.
• Creative Expression: Writing diary entries, essays, or designing brochures.
• Empathy and Inclusion: Exploring themes that challenge perspectives and foster understanding.

Why Teachers Love It:

Engaging & Flexible: Perfect for a wide range of learners with multiple activity options.
Low Prep: Ready-to-use activities designed for easy implementation.
Standards-Aligned: Meets objectives in reading comprehension, writing, and critical thinking.

Perfect For:

• Movie Companion Activities
• SEL Lessons on Inclusion and Perseverance
• Sub Plans or Flexible Learning Days
• Cross-Curricular Connections in ELA and Social Studies

This complete guide offers everything you need to turn Out of My Mind into a powerful teaching moment. Inspire your students to think deeply, reflect creatively, and grow in understanding with this must-have resource. Grab it today!

Additional resources with similar themes: 18-Day Disabilities & Equity Unit Grades 6+ Project, Essay, Assessments, Seminar

Step-by-Step How-To for complete film writing analysis. This 36 page guide has two parts: Getting Started and Writing Your Essay. This easy-to-follow guide includes: What is film analysis? Literary Analysis and Film Concepts Getting Started How to Watch and Take Notes Audience Theme Emotions Writing Your Essay Introduction Plot Summary Body Paragraphs Setting Mood Characters Film Techniques Sound Lighting Symbolism Foreshadowing, Directors and Writers Using Film Quotes Conclusion Peer Workshopping Activity slides for: planning, writing theme and subject, introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion Excellent for flipped classrooms, homeschooling, online learners, literacy centers, individual and group learning.

This is a collection of activities that can be done while watching the movie The Lorax. Each activity focuses on a different skill for ELA. These include Story Elements, Characters, Sequence of Events, Main Idea and Theme, and Point of View and Attitude.

These would be great for a fun Friday, connection from book to movie, and even an assessment for these different skills. I hope you enjoy it. Please rate and review.

Not sure what to do after state testing? Dive into the futuristic world of Ray Bradbury with our week-long dystopian unit plan centered around his intriguing short story, "The Pedestrian." This meticulously crafted resource is specifically designed for middle school humanities teachers looking to inspire and engage their students in deep, meaningful discussions about technology, society, and individuality.

Product Features:

• Complete Text & Accompanying Slides: Includes a full copy of "The Pedestrian" and visually engaging slides that complement the reading, ensuring students understand the setting, plot, and key themes.
• Socratic Seminar Guide: Detailed procedures and prepared questions for a Socratic seminar that encourage students to delve deeper into the text. Our guide helps students articulate their thoughts using claims, evidence, and reasoning, fostering critical thinking and debate.
• Evidence Writing Worksheets: Teach your students how to effectively back their arguments with textual evidence. These worksheets guide students through the process of making claims and supporting them with precise details from the story and film.
• Diverse Essay Prompts: Includes argumentative, informational, and correspondence essay questions that cater to different writing levels and interests, helping students explore various aspects of the narrative.
• Creative Activities: Engage your students’ creative sides with a comic strip activity and an alternate ending writing task. These exercises not only enhance understanding of narrative techniques but also allow personal expression and creativity.
• Film vs. Text Venn Diagram: A comparative activity where students analyze the differences and similarities between the short story and its film adaptation, enhancing their analytical skills.
• Choice Board Extension Activities: Offers a variety of project-based learning tasks that allow students to explore the themes of the story in diverse and engaging ways.

Perfect For:

• End-of-Year Lessons: Wrap up the year with a comprehensive, thought-provoking unit that engages students in critical thinking.
• Substitute Teacher Plans: Easy-to-follow lessons that ensure valuable and structured learning continues in your absence.
• Mini Dystopian Units: Ideal for a focused thematic study on dystopian literature, prompting discussions on societal impacts of technology and personal freedom.

Adjustability:

• Suitable for grades 6-8 and can be easily adapted for different levels of understanding or class sizes, making it a versatile tool for any middle school classroom.

Perfect Pairing: "All Summer in a Day" Comprehensive Week-Long Lesson Plan, Seminar, Choice Board (TeachShare.com)

Empower your students to think critically about their own world through the lens of dystopian literature. This "The Pedestrian" unit plan is not just a lesson—it's an exploration into critical thinking, creative expression, and scholarly discussion. Equip your classroom with this all-encompassing resource today and watch your students thrive!

Included in this 12 week unit: Ultimate Middle School Short Story Bundle: 12 Week Engaging Suspense ELA Units (TeachShare.com)

This is a collection of 5 movie watch-alongs to go with Pixar's Wall-E! The 5 watch-alongs focus on Main Idea and Theme, Characters, Story Elements, Sequence of Events, and Point of View and Attitude.

These are to help with keeping students engaged during the movie, practice for each skill, and to help grow students' comprehension. I hope you enjoy it! Please rate and review.

If your students loved reading Kwame Alexander's The Crossover, they need to see the new Disney+ series! As teachers, we want our students to be engaged, even when they are watching a film. With this resource, students will be challenged to think critically about the text and film in a variety of ways including comparing and contrasting, evaluating director decisions, and tracking character development across the series. Check out the preview for one handout from the bundle!

This resource includes:

• A double-sided handout for each episode 1-8
• Each handout contains:
• Do now question, discourse questions, compare and contrast section, and two rigorous writing tasks in DOK 3 or 4 and Bloom's Taxonomy Evaluate/Analyze categories.
• Each handout contains a teacher-facing answer key with answers students may write about.

The Crossover Summary: Kwame Alexander's text The Crossover is a coming-of-age story written in verse about 7th graders Josh and Jordan Bell as they navigate life, family, friendship, health, and most importantly basketball! The book became a graphic novel and later an 8 episode series streaming on Disney plus!