English Language Arts 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

20 movie correlated activities for use with The Greatest Showman with Hugh Jackman (2017) to help students understand ELA concepts and history/social studies fact based events of P.T. Barnum and The Greatest Showman. Includes: Be a Hollywood Producer and cast the movie Design a movie poster Create a Movie Marquee Visual Plot Map (4 Stages of the Movie Plot) Interview with a Star (2 pages) Write a Newspaper Article and Teen Mag Article (Audience) Character Chart Graphic Organizer CRE Character Analysis Writing Ringmaster Chant & Rhyme Transformation Pros & Cons (Compare & Contrast) I'm Unique (Traits Chart) Fact or Fiction (Real Life Facts vs. Movie Facts) P.T. Barnum: Just the Facts (History) Barnum's Legacy (Design your own...) Barnum Festival (Design a statue) Barnum Poetry Lots of creative, engaging activities to showcase students' talents and build upon strengths while reinforcing concepts. Fact based information to encourage students to think critically and problem solve while using movie and media for cooperative learning. Great for centers, differentiation, flipped classes, homeschool, G/T, pre-Ap, history, and ELA.

This is a movie watch along to go with Pixar's Wall-E! While watching the movie, students will analyze the Point of View the story is told from, and Eve's attitude towards Wall-E. Students will have to identify which point of view (1st Person, 2nd Person, or 3rd Person) the story is told from and describe how they know. Then they will describe Eve's attitude towards Wall-E at the beginning of the story and how it changes throughout the story and what events cause those changes.

**Doodle-Notes - While watching the movie, students will take notes on events that help them identify the POV and attitude at the beginning, middle, and end. Students will doodle their notes instead of just writing like traditional note-taking. This is to help students develop note-taking skills and keep them on task.**

This is a great product to help keep students engaged and focused during the movie and practice their reading comprehension skills. I hope you enjoy it! Please rate and review.

Explore themes of equity, disabilities, and resilience with this dynamic resource bundle designed for grades 5-8!

1. 18-Day Disabilities & Equity Unit (Grades 6+): This comprehensive unit includes engaging projects, thought-provoking essays, rigorous assessments, and Socratic seminars to help students explore visible and invisible disabilities, equity in schools, and societal challenges. Perfect for deepening understanding and fostering empathy in your classroom.
2. Out of My Mind Movie Guide and Activities (Grades 5+): Dive deeper into Sharon Draper’s Out of My Mind with this movie guide and activity pack! Students will analyze characters, themes, and key scenes while practicing critical thinking and reflection skills.

This bundle is ideal for educators looking to combine standards-aligned instruction with meaningful, real-world themes. Save time and inspire your students with these ready-to-use resources!

This is a watch along to go with Disney and Pixar's Finding Dory. The students will describe 4 characters using adjectives, analyze how Dory's character trait impacts the story, and how Hank's character impacts other characters in the story.

This is a great activity to help keep students engaged and focused as you watch the movie!

I hope you enjoy it! Please rate and review.

Transform your middle school ELA classroom with this comprehensive bundle of 12 highly engaging short story units. Each unit is meticulously designed to provide a full week of dynamic lessons, complete with detailed plans, interactive slides, a choice activity board, Socratic seminar questions, three STAAR-aligned essay prompts, a film vs. text Venn diagram, and the text PDF. These short stories will captivate your students and enhance their literary analysis skills, making learning both fun and meaningful.

Included Short Stories:

1. The Most Dangerous Game
2. Sorry, Wrong Number
3. The Hitchhiker
4. The Way Up to Heaven
5. Lamb to the Slaughter
6. The Landlady
7. The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street
8. Harrison Bergeron
9. Examination Day
10. The Pedestrian
11. All Summer in a Day
12. There Will Come Soft Rains

Bundle Features:

1. Comprehensive 5-Day Lesson Plans: Each story unit includes a detailed five-day lesson plan, ensuring a structured approach to teaching. Lessons are aligned with educational standards and include clear objectives and outcomes.

2. Interactive Slides: Engage your students with interactive slides that guide them through the story, provide context, and facilitate discussions. These slides are designed to keep students focused and involved.

3. Choice Activity Board: Each unit comes with a creative choice board, allowing students to demonstrate their understanding through various projects such as writing an alternate ending, creating a comic strip, designing a literary brochure, and more.

4. Socratic Seminar Questions: Encourage critical thinking and in-depth discussion with six thought-provoking Socratic seminar questions for each story. These questions help students delve deeper into the text and analyze its themes, characters, and literary elements.

5. Three STAAR-Aligned Essay Prompts: Each unit includes three essay prompts (argumentative, correspondence, and informational) that are aligned with STAAR standards, helping students practice their writing skills and prepare for standardized assessments.

6. Film vs. Text Venn Diagram: Enhance your students' analytical skills with a film vs. text Venn diagram activity. Students compare and contrast the short story with its film adaptation, focusing on key similarities and differences.

7. Text PDF: Each unit comes with a PDF of the short story, making it easy to provide students with the text for reading and annotation.

Why Choose This Bundle?

• Engaging Content: These short stories are highly engaging and perfect for capturing the interest of middle school students. The diverse selection of stories includes suspense, science fiction, dystopian themes, and more.
• Comprehensive and Ready-to-Use: Save time with ready-to-use lesson plans, activities, and resources. Each unit is designed for easy implementation, ensuring you can focus on teaching and engaging your students.
• Develop Critical Thinking: The activities and discussions included in each unit promote critical thinking, literary analysis, and deeper understanding of the text.
• Flexible and Adaptable: The bundle provides flexibility in teaching, with a variety of activities and assessment options to suit different learning styles and classroom needs.

Perfect for middle school humanities teachers, this bundle offers everything you need to deliver engaging and effective ELA lessons throughout the year. Enrich your curriculum and inspire your students with these timeless short stories and comprehensive teaching resources.

This is a movie watch along to go with Pixar's Finding Nemo! Students will be identifying the Main Idea of the movie and providing supporting details for the main idea. They will also be identifying the theme of the movie and also providing details.

This is a great product to help keep students engaged and focused during a movie while also getting practice on Main Idea and Theme!

I hope you enjoy it! Please rate and review.

1. Examination Day Full-Week ELA Unit Plan: Socratic Seminar, Choice Board, Slides

• Dive into Henry Slesar's thought-provoking short story, "Examination Day," with a full-week ELA unit plan designed for middle school. This comprehensive package includes detailed Socratic seminar procedures, engaging choice board activities, and dynamic presentation slides to encourage critical thinking and student-led discourse on themes of intelligence testing and government control.

1. Harrison Bergeron Full-Week ELA Plan: Socratic Seminar, Choice Board, Slides

• Explore Kurt Vonnegut's classic dystopian tale, "Harrison Bergeron," in this complete week-long ELA unit. Middle school students will engage deeply with themes of enforced equality and individuality through structured Socratic seminars, creative choice board activities, and informative slides, all designed to foster critical analysis and vibrant classroom discussions.

1. All Summer in a Day Comprehensive Week-Long Lesson Plan: Seminar, Choice Board

• Immerse your students in Ray Bradbury's poignant story, "All Summer in a Day," with this extensive unit plan. The curriculum includes everything you need to facilitate meaningful discussions around themes of isolation, bullying, and the longing for sunshine. Engaging seminars and diverse choice board activities provide varied learning opportunities that cater to different student interests and learning styles.

1. The Pedestrian Full-Week ELA Unit Plan: Socratic Seminar, Choice Board, Slides

• Step into the futuristic world of Ray Bradbury's "The Pedestrian" with this detailed unit plan for grades 6-8. Through thoughtful Socratic seminars, a creative choice board, and educational slides, students will analyze the story's critique of technological dependency and societal conformity, developing critical thinking skills that transcend the classroom.

This is a movie watch along to go with Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs! Students will be identifying the Main Idea of the movie and providing supporting details for the main idea. They will also be identifying the theme of the movie and also providing details.

This is a great product to help keep students engaged and focused during a movie while also getting practice on Main Idea and Theme!

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 an activity to do while your students watch Disney's Inside out. Students will be identifying the main idea and theme, providing 2 supporting details for both of those. Then, once they have finished the movie, they will write a summary of the movie.

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!

This is a movie watch along for Wall-E. This product focuses on main idea and theme, along with supporting details for both. This is a great product to help keep students on task during a movie day and also a great assessment for main idea and theme.

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.

This resource includes:

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

Check out every episode bundled 1-8: Disney's The Crossover Series Text Companion Handouts Episodes 1-8 BUNDLE (TeachShare.com)

Movie Time!!!!

This is a movie watch-along to go with DreamWorks' Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. Students will focus on the main idea and theme of the movie. There are 2 sheets for students to complete either during or after the movie. Students will be identifying the main idea, providing supporting details, and describing the theme!

This is a great product to help keep students engaged and focused during the movie while also building comprehension skills!

I hope you enjoy it! Please rate and review.

Credits:

Darnell, E., McGrath, T., Vernon, C., Stiller, B., Rock, C., & Schwimmer, D. (2012). Madagascar 3: Europe's most wanted.DreamWorks Home Entertainment

Canva Pro

Watch Along to go with Dr. Seuss's The Lorax

This activity is a watch-along to go with the movie The Lorax. This product is focused on the Once-Ler and Ted's point of view in the story and their attitudes towards the Lorax and trees. Students will take doodle notes of what they see/hear. Then they will talk about what point of view the Once-Ler tell his story in and give details on how they know this along with Ted recounting the story to his grandma and how they know what point of view that would be in. They will also then draw and describe how the Once-Ler's attitude towards the Lorax and trees changes from the beginning to the end of the story.

Doodle Notes: This is a great way to allow students to visualize what they are watching/reading. Instead of writing what they see, students "doodle" what they are seeing/hearing. This is also a great accommodation for students who might need support with writing.

I hope you enjoy it. Please rate and review.

This is a watch along activity to go with the movie, Wreck It Ralph. The focus of the activity is on the characters. Describing characters using adjectives, explaining how the main characters changes from the beginning of the story to the end, and how a character impacts the story.

This is a great product to help keep students engaged and focused as they watch the movie.

I hope you enjoy it! Please rate and review.

This is a movie watch along to go with Dr. Seuss's The Grinch (2018). The students will be focusing on the characters as they watch the movie. They will use adjectives to describe 4 characters in the movie. Then they will observe the Grinch and how his character changes from the beginning of the movie towards the end and what events cause those changes. Lastly, they will look at Cindy Lou Who and how she impacts the story.

When the stretch to Christmas Break starts, the movies start and this will be a great activity to help keep students engaged! I hope you enjoy it. Please rate and review.

This is a movie watch along to go with Pixar's Wall-E! While students watch the movie, they will focus on 3 story elements. They will use adjectives to describe 5 characters of the story, they will also analyze and describe the 2 main settings of the story by drawing and writing about the settings, and they will order the events chronologically that they happen in the story (an event bank is included).

This is a great product to help keep students focused and on task during the movie and great practice for story elements. I hope you enjoy it! Please rate and review.

This is a movie watch along to go with Pixar's Wall-E! While watching the movie, students will analyze the characters in the movie, using adjectives to describe 4 of the characters. Students will also analyze the changes that happen in Wall-E from the beginning of the story to the end and describe the events that cause changes in Wall-E. Lastly, students will talk about the impact that Eve has on the story.

This is a great product to help keep students focused and engaged during a movie. I really hope you enjoy it. Please rate and review!