Film Analysis Teacher Resources

Require your class members to view documentaries and comment on various elements of the films. In order to elicit their thoughts, assign a worksheet with space for individuals to predict concepts that the film will feature, note specific...

Facilitate film analysis of The Joy Luck Club with these questions. As viewers watch the 1993 version by Wayne Wang of Amy Tan's classic novel, they explore key concepts specific to the film. Questions include description and...

Film analysis takes critical thinking, connections, and context. Upper graders look at the film installation, Crystal Palace in terms of the film makers choices, presentation, and perspective of truth. After an analytical discussion of...

Eight questions help film studies pupils reflect on the Martin Scorcese movie about the Dalai Lama, Kundun.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences awarded its 2017 Best Picture award to Moonlight, which was written and directed by Barry Jenkins. The tender exploration of expectations for black men, contrasted with the reality of...

If you're working on a movie analysis unit or you teach film studies, consider using this helpful resource. Create a project for film analysis using the provided outline. Though not a complete rubric, this handout can give you ideas to...

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the New York Times provides links to five short documentary films depicting Hispanic themes and culture. Learners can click on each embedded link to view the films, then answer each set of related...

Engage your scholars by having them create "magic lantern shows" inspired by the film Dr. Toer's Amazing Magic Lantern Show: A Different View of Emancipation. As they study the South's Reconstruction through primary sources, learners...

Awesome, that is all I have to say! This set of lessons provides learners with an understanding of ancient Egyptian laws, lifestyle, religion, and culture. It engages them in a critical analysis activity regarding the film, "The Prince...

A playlist on film analysis and criticism continues with an analysis of James Cameron's 1986 sci-fi action classic Aliens, as well as why it is deserving of a place on a list of great films.

The third lesson in a series, this resource narrows in on two aspects of documentary films: focus and angle. After a brief explanation of the terms, class members view a student-made film and identify the topic, focus, and angle. They...

Revisit the documentaries viewed in the previous lesson in this series in order to take a look at the persuasive techniques employed by the documentary creators. Small groups watch the films a second time, taking notes on two provided...

In pairs learners perform a silent skit portraying relationships between two known characters from a popular book or a play for their classmates. Next, the class will read and discuss a NYTimes article about a film school in the Bronx...

Werner Herzog's film, Lessons of Darkness is the topic of this lesson on art, politics, and culture. Learners discuss the concepts of utopia, dystopia, detournment, and Scorched Earth then compose a paper which describes dystopian reality.

Prepare your class for creating their own documentaries. Before they get started, they'll need to know what a documentary is and what makes a documentary compelling. As a class, watch several documentaries from the point of view of the...

This set of questions follows along with the movie Juno, which is about a 16-year-old getting pregnant and the resulting decisions she makes about the welfare of her baby. Give the class these questions to answer while they watch the...

In this film analysis worksheet, students complete a form, analyzing a motion picture. Worksheet is a blank template and can be reset and printed on line. Detailed information about a film is asked for on the form.

In this film analysis worksheet, students compare and contrast one of the themes in "Lord of the Flies" using the film "Au Revoir Les Enfants." Students write a comparison and contrast essay for the activity.

Use this general lesson guide to inform your instruction surrounding a documentary. The lesson is made up of five activities. The activities are intentionally general because they are designed to adapted for specific films. While the...

While teaching from Wild Swans by Jung Chang, make a connection with the film Ju Dou. Both are set in China and depict the harsh lives of some Chinese women in the 20th century. Seven questions are posed specific to Ju Dou and one...