5th Grade 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

What is in included in this product:

1. Movie Watch Along - Focused on the sequence of events - During/After watching the movie, students will use an event bank to sequence the major events in the story
2. Events Crossword Puzzle - Students will complete a crossword puzzle that is focused on events (mainly from the movie but can be done with the book too)
3. Lorax Unless Coloring Page
4. Students will create their own event to add to the story to stop the Once-Ler from chopping down trees. - They will draw and then describe their new event

I hope you enjoy it. Please rate and review.

Special Thanks to Plearn for supplying the Lorax Clip Art. Go check out Plearn’s Store!

AVID Video Guide Activity - Printable Template: Unlock the secrets to effective note-taking with this comprehensive video guide. Students will learn to follow a structured template that enhances their note-taking skills. Use for Ted Talks, movie days, video presentations and more!

AVID Bundle

AVID Writing Bundle

Directions and What's Included in the Template:

• Simply Print and go!
• Students will write a one-sentence summary that encapsulates the essence of the video, providing a quick overview of the content.
• Students will explore three key events or topics covered in detail, gaining insights that will elevate their understanding.
• They will write high-level questions to stimulate critical thinking, encouraging deeper engagement with the material.
• They will enhance their vocabulary with three essential words highlighted in the video, fostering a richer academic language.
• Finally, students express their feedback by rating the video with a color-coded star system,
• This template is available in both color and black-and-white versions for your convenience.

More AVID Resources

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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 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.

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)

This is a movie watch along for Dr. Seuss's Horton Hears a Who. 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 6
• 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)

What is included in this product:

1. Movie Watch Along - Focused on Characters - During/After watching the movie, students will describe some characters using adjectives and write about how the Once-Ler’s character changes from the beginning to the end

2. Characters Crossword Puzzle - Students will complete a crossword puzzle that is focused on characters (mainly from the book but can be done with the movie too)

3. Character Word Search - Basic word search to go along with the Lorax Movie and its characters

4. A Maze - A simple maze for students to complete of the Lorax trying to get ot the Truffula Trees

5. Describe the Lorax with Adjectives - Students will draw the Lorax and then give 4 adjectives to describe their drawing of the Lorax

I hope you enjoy it. Please rate and review.

Special Thanks to Plearn for supplying the Lorax Clip Art. Go check out Plearn’s Store!

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 5
• 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)

This is a watch along to go with Dr. Seuss's The Lorax. The students will describe 4 characters using adjectives, analyze how The Onceler's character changes throughout the story, and how the events cause that change. Students will also describe how Ted's character impacts other characters in the story.

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 7
• 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)

This is a movie watch along to go with Pixar's Wall-E! While watching the movie, students will focus on the sequence of events throughout the movie. They will take doodle notes of the major events in the beginning, middle, and end. Then they will describe each of the events in writing. Finally, they will put 5 major events into chronological order, (an event bank is provided).

**Doodle notes are notes that students take where they doodle down the content and ideas instead of only writing like traditional notes***

This is a great product to help keep students engaged and focused while watching the movie while also getting practice on events and sequence. 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 movie watch along for Dr. Seuss's The Lorax. 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.

Special Thanks to Plearn for supplying the Lorax Clip Art. Go check out Plearn’s Store!

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 2
• 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)

This is a watch-along activity to go with the movie How to Train Your Dragon. Students will take doodle notes as they watch, analyzing hints that tell them what point of view is the story being told in, and also the Hiccup and Stoick's attitude towards dragons and each other. They will then identify what point of view the story is told in and how they know. Then they will describe Hiccup's attitude towards his dad and how it changes and Stoick's attitude towards dragons and how it changes.

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 4
• 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)

While watching the movie How to Train Your Dragon, students will analyze the characters in the movie. They will describe the character's traits using adjectives. They will also take a deeper look into Hiccup's character and how he changes from the beginning of the movie to the end of the movie and what events cause that change. Students will also look at Toothless and how his character impacts the story. 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 3
• 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)