8th Grade Movie Guides

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)

Looking for a simple worksheet for students to complete while watching episode 5 of Our Planet: From Deserts of Grasslands?

Our Planet is a British nature documentary series made for Netflix. The series is narrated by David Attenborough and produced by Silverback Films, led by Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey, who also created BBC documentary series Planet Earth, Frozen Planet and The Blue Planet, in collaboration with the conservation charity World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Netflix has the free episodes of their Our Planet series on YouTube. Each episode is between 49 to 51 minutes long. I usually have students vote on which one they want to watch. You do NOT have to watch them in order.

These episodes are great for sub plans and for days where the students just need to chill, such as after field days or any weird schedule days. Make sure to read the questions to the students beforehand so that they know what information they are looking for.

The product includes...

• Teacher notes
• Student worksheet (15 short answer questions)
• Answer key

NGSS - Middle School

• MS-LS2-4: Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
• MS-LS2-5: Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.
• MS-ESS3-5: Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
• MS-ESS3-3: Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
• MS-ESS3-4: Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems.

TN State Standards

• 6.LS2.1: Evaluate and communicate the impact of environmental variables on population size
• 6.LS2.2: Determine the impact of competitive, symbiotic, and predatory interactions in an ecosystem
• 6.LS2.6: Research the ways in which an ecosystem has changed over time in response to changes in physical conditions, population balances, human interactions, and natural catastrophes
• 6.LS4.1: Explain how changes in biodiversity would impact ecosystem stability and natural resources
• 6.LS4.2: Design a possible solution for maintaining biodiversity of ecosystems while still providing necessary human resources without disrupting environmental equilibrium
• 6.ESS3.3: Assess the impacts of human activities on the biosphere including conservation, habitat management, species endangerment, and extinction

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.

Includes a set of 10 questions with separate answer key for each of the 7 episodes of this series.

Written at a 9th grade level.

Documentales

de la Inmigración

☀️**¿Buscas exponer a tus estudiantes a la verdadera experiencia de inmigración para algunas personas? Estos documentales hablan de aspectos importantes que a veces los libros de textos no incluyen.**

Una compilación de documentales que tratan de la inmigración.

☀️Videos incluyen:

• El Darién Documental
• Águilas del Desierto
• México País destino de migrantes
• Cnn video de la frontera
• España y el desbordo de migrantes
• Bono: sugerencias
• Preguntas y respuestas incluidas

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

More Writing Resources

You may have had students screaming and banging their heads on their desk when their Movie Maker project opened up and all they saw were yellow "!" What to do? Well, here is a PowerPoint that will alleviate those issues before you begin. I've been using this for years and when students come in from other classes (I'm the Tech teacher) saying they are having issues, I show them this and they leave with the problems corrected. This PowerPoint sums up the issues and offers a solution that will prevent them from happening!!

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)

Looking for a simple worksheet for students to complete while watching episode 3 of Our Planet: Jungles?

Our Planet is a British nature documentary series made for Netflix. The series is narrated by David Attenborough and produced by Silverback Films, led by Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey, who also created BBC documentary series Planet Earth, Frozen Planet and The Blue Planet, in collaboration with the conservation charity World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Netflix has the free episodes of their Our Planet series on YouTube. Each episode is between 49 to 51 minutes long. I usually have students vote on which one they want to watch. You do NOT have to watch them in order.

These episodes are great for sub plans and for days where the students just need to chill, such as after field days or any weird schedule days. Make sure to read the questions to the students beforehand so that they know what information they are looking for.

The product includes...

• Teacher notes
• Student worksheet (15 short answer questions)
• Answer key

NGSS - Middle School

• MS-LS2-4: Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
• MS-LS2-5: Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.
• MS-ESS3-5: Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
• MS-ESS3-3: Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
• MS-ESS3-4: Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems.

TN State Standards

• 6.LS2.1: Evaluate and communicate the impact of environmental variables on population size
• 6.LS2.2: Determine the impact of competitive, symbiotic, and predatory interactions in an ecosystem
• 6.LS2.6: Research the ways in which an ecosystem has changed over time in response to changes in physical conditions, population balances, human interactions, and natural catastrophes
• 6.LS4.1: Explain how changes in biodiversity would impact ecosystem stability and natural resources
• 6.LS4.2: Design a possible solution for maintaining biodiversity of ecosystems while still providing necessary human resources without disrupting environmental equilibrium
• 6.ESS3.3: Assess the impacts of human activities on the biosphere including conservation, habitat management, species endangerment, and extinction

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.

Includes a question set and separate answer key for each of the 9 episodes of this series.

Written at a 9th grade level.

The Short Clip and the Questions are in Spanish.

Students watch a short clip that summarizes DAY OF THE DEAD and then color the Catrina.

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 8
• 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)

Looking for a worksheet for students to complete while watching the documentary "Kiss the Ground"? This is perfect for sub plans and days where student do not have devices, like the end of the year! It features 18 short answers questions and the key. Directions on how to get the movie for free for teachers are also included!

Movie info: "Kiss the Ground" is a documentary that explores the importance of healthy soil for the planet. The film explains how modern agricultural practices have led to soil degradation and environmental issues such as climate change. Most students know very little about the soil even though they interact with it directly or indirectly every day. This activity is perfect for Earth Day or sub plans if your sub has access to the computer (or your favorite partner teacher can set it up for them!)

NGSS - Middle School

• MS-LS2-3: Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
• MS-LS2-5: Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.
• MS-ESS3-1: Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth's mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.

TN State Standards

• 6.LS2.6: Research the ways in which an ecosystem has changed over time in response to changes in physical conditions, population balances, human interactions, and natural catastrophes.
• 6.LS4.1: Explain how changes in biodiversity would impact ecosystem stability and natural resources.

Includes a set of 10 questions with separate answer key. Written at a 9th grade level.

Includes 1 set for each of the 7 episodes of season 2 of Blue Planet.

Los Casagrande Movie Guide

A great movie to hook students and teach about culture.

Includes a reading about Purepechas along with a fill-in activity

and movie guide with answers.

Additional Cultural Points are added.

Including a Coloring Activity, True and False and a traditional Movie Guide.

1. 18-Day Disabilities & Equity Unit Grades 6+ | Project, Essay, Assessments, Seminar

Description:
Explore the theme of equity and disabilities in schools and society with this 18-day unit designed for grades 6+. Students will engage with informational texts, videos, and case studies, leading to a STAAR-aligned extended essay and research project. This resource includes Socratic seminars, assessments, and creative projects to promote critical thinking and empathy. Perfect for SEL, humanities, and cross-curricular classrooms.

2. 18-Day Human Migration & Immigration Unit Grades 7+ | Project, Poetry, Assessments

Description:
Dive into the global topic of migration and immigration with this 18-day thematic unit for grades 7+. Through poetry, short stories, and informational texts, students will explore the historical and contemporary experiences of immigrants. Includes project-based assessments, writing tasks, and creative multimedia projects to foster understanding and empathy. A great resource for ELA, social studies, and SEL instruction.

3. 18-Day Multimedia Anti-Bullying Thematic Unit for Grades 5-8 | SEL Humanities

Description:
This 18-day multimedia unit on anti-bullying for grades 5-8 engages students with a range of media—films, political cartoons, short stories, and songs—to understand the impact of bullying in schools and society. Includes two Socratic seminars, a STAAR-aligned extended essay, and a creative capstone project. Ideal for SEL-focused classrooms and humanities teachers.

4. 19-Day Social Identity Unit | Low Prep | Grades 6-8 | Texts, Videos, and Project

Description:
Help students explore their own social identity and the factors that shape it in this 19-day unit for grades 6-8. The unit includes videos, readings, and group projects focused on themes like identity, community, and belonging. A low-prep, high-impact resource that encourages self-reflection and empathy through engaging multimedia activities and a culminating project.

5. 20-Day Social Media Mental Health Unit Grades 7+ | Project, Essay, Assessments

Description:
Explore the intersection of social media and mental health in this 20-day unit for grades 7+. Students will examine the effects of social media on well-being through informational texts, videos, and podcasts. Includes a STAAR-aligned essay, Socratic seminar, and multimedia project, making it an essential resource for teaching critical thinking and digital literacy.

6. 7-Day World Religions Research & Presentation Unit: Interdisciplinary Grades 6-8

Description:
This 7-day research and presentation unit allows students to explore major world religions through research-based learning. Perfect for grades 6-8, students will develop presentations on various religions, fostering understanding and global awareness. Includes guided research templates, presentation rubrics, and cross-curricular connections.

7. Human Rights 5-Day Research and Writing Unit | Middle School Social Essay Project

Description:
Introduce your middle school students to the concept of human rights in this 5-day research and writing unit. Students will engage with informational texts to explore human rights issues globally and locally, culminating in a social justice essay project. This unit is ideal for quick yet impactful lessons that combine research, writing, and advocacy.

Looking for a simple worksheet for students to complete while watching episode 7 of Our Planet: Fresh Water?

Our Planet is a British nature documentary series made for Netflix. The series is narrated by David Attenborough and produced by Silverback Films, led by Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey, who also created BBC documentary series Planet Earth, Frozen Planet and The Blue Planet, in collaboration with the conservation charity World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Netflix has the free episodes of their Our Planet series on YouTube. Each episode is between 49 to 51 minutes long. I usually have students vote on which one they want to watch. You do NOT have to watch them in order.

These episodes are great for sub plans and for days where the students just need to chill, such as after field days or any weird schedule days. Make sure to read the questions to the students beforehand so that they know what information they are looking for.

The product includes...

• Teacher notes
• Student worksheet (15 short answer questions)
• Answer key

NGSS - Middle School

• MS-LS2-4: Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
• MS-LS2-5: Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.
• MS-ESS3-5: Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
• MS-ESS3-3: Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
• MS-ESS3-4: Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems.

TN State Standards

• 6.LS2.1: Evaluate and communicate the impact of environmental variables on population size
• 6.LS2.2: Determine the impact of competitive, symbiotic, and predatory interactions in an ecosystem
• 6.LS2.6: Research the ways in which an ecosystem has changed over time in response to changes in physical conditions, population balances, human interactions, and natural catastrophes
• 6.LS4.1: Explain how changes in biodiversity would impact ecosystem stability and natural resources
• 6.LS4.2: Design a possible solution for maintaining biodiversity of ecosystems while still providing necessary human resources without disrupting environmental equilibrium
• 6.ESS3.3: Assess the impacts of human activities on the biosphere including conservation, habitat management, species endangerment, and extinction

Includes a set of 12 comprehensive questions that guide students through the documentaries.

Includes a set for each of the documentaries in this series.

The Congress, Statue of Liberty, Thomas Hart Benton, Brooklyn Bridge, Huey Long, Empire of the Air, and The Shakers.

Written at a 9th grade level.

Includes separate answer keys.

Chueco Series is available on Disney and so is this special Christmas Episode.

"Chueco," available on Disney+, is a great choice for your Spanish class.

- The visuals help reinforce language comprehension, as students can connect words and phrases to actions and settings.

• The show highlights Hispanic culture, traditions, and values, offering students a glimpse into diverse lifestyles and perspectives.