The Rise of Skywalker Reading and Book Discussion: Flexible Schedule
In this 9-week course, students will read Rae Carson's book based on Star Wars's 9th Skywalker movie #academic
Janelle Fila
Average rating:
4.6
Number of reviews:(903)
Star Educator
What's included
Homework
1-2 hours per week. Students will read approximately two chapters a week on their own time. Each Sunday, students will have access to the new videos and a corresponding one page worksheet with discussion questions and places for fill-in-the blank answers. Each week, I assign a short writing assignment focused around that week's discussion questions and ask the students to share their responses in the classroom. There is also a weekly Kahoot trivia game to test their comprehension from the weekly chapters.Assessment
The more questions, comments, and posts that they share in the classroom helps me to understand their knowledge and comprehension of the topics we are discussing.Class Experience
US Grade 8 - 11
The Rise of Skywalker movie has a complicated story line that becomes clearer when reading the official Star Wars book. Students will read approximately two chapters a week on their own time. Each week new videos will discuss the pages that the students have previously read. This class does not meet live. The prerecorded sessions will emphasize characters, their motivations, theme, story plausibility, and inferences about what might come next. Students will have access to a 5-10 minute video for each chapter. Students can expect two to three videos each week, depending on the number of chapters assigned. Each Sunday, students will have access to the new videos and a corresponding one page worksheet with discussion questions and places for fill-in-the blank answers. The worksheets will also address/remind the students of some of the important topics from each chapter. Each week, I assign a short writing assignment focused around that week's discussion questions and ask the students to share their responses in the classroom (so other students may view, comment, and interact as well). I also ask students to submit any vocabulary words the students didn't recognize or passages the students did not understand. The more questions the students ask, the more "discussion" we can have in the classroom after each chapter. Students will receive a worksheet and discussion questions for each chapter (2-3 a week). There is one weekly writing assignment to complete after the weekly readings. While the worksheets will focus on the author's intentions, the weekly writing assignment focuses on the students' thoughts and feelings. Each day I will also post a vocabulary word for the students to use in a modern sentence. I'm excited to see who can post the most original and relevant sentences to their daily lives! The students can have some fun with this and check in daily for their next word. I'll also post a weekly Kahoot trivia game. Students will take the quiz individually whenever they have finished reading the chapters and post their score in the classroom to share with their classmates.
Learning Goals
Week One Chapters 1-2: Students will be introduced to familiar movie characters Rey, Leia, General Hux, Kylo Ren, and Palpatine. We will focus on the setting of Mustafar and the differences between this description and the movie's depictions.
Week Two Chapters 3-4: This week our reading reintroduces movie characters Poe, Finn, and the First Order spy. It gives dangerous information to the Resistance that focuses the plot of the overall novel.
Week Three Chapters 5-6: This week's reading dives deeper into the motivation of certain characters. It gives details and insights the movie just isn't able to. For example, Lando has a daughter who might be a First Order stormtrooper and the underestimation of General Hux could be a lethal oversight.
Week Four Chapters 7-8: This week is all about secrets: Finn's, Rey's, Poe's, and Ochi's. Discussion and debate will help us come to certain conclusions, but unlocking all of these secrets might not be possible without further reading.
Week Five Chapters 9-10: Babu Frick and Zorii Bliss become important characters this week. Like previous chapters, the book is able to give us more character details and insight than the movie could. Do students' opinions of Zorii change with the new information? Or have they always admired and respected her courage and character?
Week Six Chapters 11-12: Rey is pushed to her limits this week. Can the students relate to the feeling of cracking under pressure? What do they think is the significance of Rey's lightning abilities? How relieved are students when they see Chewbacca on Ren's ship?
Week Seven Chapters 13-14: Kef Bir is an interest setting that will foster much discussion and debate. How surprised are students to see large surviving pieces of the second Death Star? How do the students feel about Rey's decision to force heal Kylo Ren? Would they make the same decision?
Week Eight Chapters 15-16: Leia's death shifts roles within the Resistance that many of the characters are not prepared for. General Pryde and his master's overconfidence might be the undoing of the Final Order.
Week Nine Chapters 17-19: How do the students feel about the story's ending? Are there any questions they still have that are unanswered? Do they think Kylo made the right choice? Was his sacrifice as noteworthy as his grandfather's?
Other Details
Parental Guidance
The Rise of Skywalker movie is rated PG-13, so this book may not be suitable for younger audiences. According to commonsensemedia.org: You can expect even more major space battles, high-stakes destruction, tense chases/crashes, peril, injury, and fierce lightsaber duels (plus blasters, arrows, cannons, and other weapons). This story feels a little more intense and darker than the previous two in this trilogy, with creepy villains and locations and a few explicit (but not bloody) deaths, including a beheading, a point-blank execution, and a body crumbling to bits. Spoiler alert: Several primary and supporting characters are killed, and a few of those deaths will be extra emotional for audiences. While there's not a lot of romance, the story does include some longing looks, embraces, and a couple of kisses. Language isn't frequent, but you will hear "ass," "hell," and "damn." Women continue to hold strong positions in the Resistance, and there are strong messages of courage, teamwork, hope, and loyalty.
Supply List
The students will need their own copy of Rae Carson's The Rise of Skywalker to read on their own. It can be borrowed from the library or even listened to as an audio book. The students will not need a physical copy of the story in class, although they may find it helpful to have when completing the worksheet.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined June, 2019
4.6
903reviews
Star Educator
Teacher expertise and credentials
Master's Degree in Music or Theatre or Arts from Spalding University
I have read and lead discussions on many books during my three years as a substitute teacher at the high school level. While earning my Master's Degree in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults, I had endless discussions with my screenplay writer friends about the Star Wars Universe. Star Wars is so complex and ever growing that it seems impossible to know it all! Because the Star Wars galaxy is full of hints and questions, the movies and characters make great conversation! It is also nice to find other people (and potential friends) who share a love for Star Wars, science fiction, and good storytelling. I was especially confused by this movie, and found the novel to be full of interesting tidbits of information that I am excited to share with fellow Star Wars fans. My goal is to show my students the benefits of good storytelling. I plan to use a world that they care about to help them fall further in love with the written word. Reviews
Live Group Class
$5
weekly9 weeks
Completed by 4 learners
No live video meetings
Ages: 13-18
