De la página a la pantalla: explorando la literatura a través del cine
En este curso de 14 semanas, los estudiantes de secundaria explorarán la literatura clásica y moderna a través de sus adaptaciones cinematográficas, analizando temas, simbolismo, contexto histórico y opciones narrativas.
Courtney Runchey
Puntuación media:
4.9
Número de reseñas:(56)
Estrella en ascenso
Qué está incluido
14 reuniones en vivo
11 horas 40 minutos horas presencialesTarea
2-4 horas por semana. Students are required to watch the assigned movie before each class session. Graded students will have the option to choose and complete four* projects by the end of the course. The time required for each project may vary depending on its complexity and scope. *Students in select states may need to complete a total of six projects to meet their state's requirements for credit in this course.Letra de calificación
Students are graded 20% per project (80% total), 20% class participation. Students need to complete four* projects. There is a project for each movie, and students are encouraged to choose projects from movies they enjoyed. *Students in select states may need to complete a total of six projects to meet their state's requirements for credit in this course.Informe de progreso
1-2 durante toda la claseExperiencia de clase
Nivel de inglés - A2
Grado de EE. UU. 9 - 12
This interactive 14-week English Language Arts course explores how literature is adapted into film. Each week, students will watch a movie adaptation of a well-known novel before class. During live discussions, we will analyze key differences between the book and the film, focusing on theme, symbolism, character development, historical context, and storytelling choices. Through engaging class discussions and creative projects, students will critically evaluate how filmmakers interpret and modify literary works. The course aligns with the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) standards and encourages students of all abilities to express their thoughts in a respectful and thought-provoking environment. Why Study Film Adaptations? Many novels become films because their themes remain relevant across generations. This course examines both classic and contemporary books, giving students insight into how literature and film shape cultural conversations. By comparing the two mediums, students will: ✅ Explore storytelling techniques—What is gained or lost in adaptation? ✅ Analyze social and historical contexts—How do time periods affect storytelling choices? ✅ Develop media literacy skills—How do filmmakers use visual elements to convey themes? Since some books contain sensitive topics, discussions will be thoughtful and age-appropriate. Parents are encouraged to review the film selections using Common Sense Media. Each week, students will: Discuss major themes, historical context, and storytelling choices. Compare book and film adaptation choices. Engage in a creative or analytical project.
Metas de aprendizaje
✅ Develop critical thinking skills by comparing and contrasting literary works with their film adaptations.✅ Gain historical and cultural awareness by analyzing the context in which books and films were created.
Programa de estudios
Plan de estudios
Sigue en plan de estudios Teacher-Created14 Lecciones
más de 14 semanasLección 1:
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy – Satire, Absurdity & Survival
📌 Themes: Absurdity of life, bureaucracy, and existentialism
How does the novel use humor to critique society and government?
Why does the film adapt or exclude certain absurd elements from the book?
What does “Don’t Panic” symbolize as a survival philosophy?
🎨 Project: Create a multimedia "Don't Panic" survival guide for interstellar travel, filled with humorous yet practical tips. 50 minutos de lección en vivo en línea
Lección 2:
Great Expectations – Social Class, Redemption & Fate
📌 Themes: Social mobility, personal growth, and unfulfilled love
How do Pip’s expectations of wealth and status shape his journey?
How does the film portray Miss Havisham’s trauma differently from the book?
How does Dickens critique Victorian social class structures?
📝 Project: Write a series of letters between characters (Pip, Estella, and Miss Havisham) to explore their evolving perspectives. 50 minutos de lección en vivo en línea
Lección 3:
The Grapes of Wrath – Struggle, Resilience & Social Justice
📌 Themes: The American Dream, poverty, and the power of unity
How do Steinbeck’s descriptions of hardship compare to the film’s visuals?
What role does Ma Joad play in holding the family together?
How does the novel highlight labor exploitation, and is it effectively shown in the film?
🎨 Project: Design a multimedia awareness campaign on farm workers’ rights using posters, social media graphics, or infographics. 50 minutos de lección en vivo en línea
Lección 4:
Of Mice and Men – Loneliness, Dreams & Friendship
📌 Themes: The fragility of dreams, isolation, and companionship
How does the novel emphasize the loneliness of different characters?
How does the film adapt George and Lennie’s relationship?
How does the setting (Great Depression) impact the characters' fates?
🖥️ Project: Create a virtual tour of key settings in the novel, focusing on historical accuracy. 50 minutos de lección en vivo en línea
Otros detalles
Orientación para padres
This course includes a mix of classic and contemporary literature, some of which deal with mature themes. All discussions will be handled with care, and students will be encouraged to critically analyze the context and artistic choices in both books and films. Parents are encouraged to preview films using Common Sense Media to ensure they are comfortable with the selections.
Week Movie
1 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Rated PG 2005 1hr 50min
Common Sense Says 10+, Parents Say 8+, Kids Say 9+
Parents need to know that this movie is partly kooky and partly philosophical, and not always accessible to younger kids. While the slapstick (pratfalls, face slaps) and puns can be amusing, the chatter alternates between clever and tedious. Characters drink beer and use mild language. Parents should also know that the movie has some scary, if abstract moments (the earth is destroyed from outer space; the image features no people, but the globe does go pffft), some shooting of science-fiction-ish weapons, a few odd, large, ugly creatures.
2 Great Expectations
PG-13 2012 2hrs 8min
Common Sense Says 10+, Parents Say 14+, Kids Say 13+
Parents need to know that Great Expectations is one of many adaptations of Charles Dickens' classic novel about money and love and how one can't buy you the other. There's some violence in the movie, as characters die or are cruel and harsh with each other, and the language includes mostly insults like "cowardly," "stupid," and "common." This isn't a feel-good story, so be prepared to discuss the themes with kids unfamiliar with Dickens' books.
3 The Grapes of Wrath
Rated NR 1940 2 hrs 13min
Common Sense Says 12+, Parents Say 10+, Kids Say 11+
Parents need to know that The Grapes of Wrath is the classic John Ford-directed adaptation of the classic John Steinbeck novel. There are some brief moments of violence throughout the film: A woman is accidentally shot and killed by a police officer, police and "Okies" do battle with fists and billy clubs, and a man threatens to kill another man with a rifle as he's on the verge of bulldozing his home. Also, as it's a movie from 1940 set during the Great Depression, there is some smoking and tobacco chewing. Overall, for 21st-century families, this film is still an all-important chronicle of a difficult time in American history and raises still-relevant questions about poverty, farm work, and the enormous gaps between the rich and the poor, in this country and throughout the world.
4 Of Mice and Men
Rated PG-13 1992 1hr 55min
Common Sense Says 13+, Parents Say 12+, Kids Say 13+
Parents need to know that Of Mice and Men is the 1992 adaptation of the classic John Steinbeck novel. There are some violent scenes: A woman is shown yelling after being attacked and then being accidentally strangled to death; a man is shot point-blank in the back of the head; and an old dog is taken out to be shot and killed, and, although the dog's death isn't shown, the gunshot is heard. Aside from this, there is some mild profanity throughout (including one use of the "N" word), and characters smoke cigarettes. Given the mature themes and content, this film is best for teens, especially those who are also reading the book.
5 Book Thief
Rated PG-13, 2013 2 hrs 5 min
Common Sense Says 13+, Parents Say 12+, Kids Say 11+
Parents need to know that The Book Thief is a historical drama set in WWII Germany based on the bestselling young-adult novel by Australian author Markus Zusak. There are many scenes of violence, from the way the Nazis treat Jews, to schoolyard fights, to recurring bomb threats. There are many character deaths and near-deaths that will affect even the most jaded of viewers, though there's almost no blood and zero gore. Language includes German insults that translate to "a--hole" and "dirty swine" as well as "stupid" and "idiot."
6 The Giver
Rated PG-13 2014 1hr 37min
Common Sense Media Says 11+, Parents Say 11+, Kids Say 10+
Parents need to know that the The Giver is a dystopian thriller based on author Lois Lowry's best-selling 1993 novel (which has sparked some controversy since its publication and landed on some banned-book lists). Since the novel is commonly used in middle school classrooms, the adaptation will appeal to tweens and teens who've read and loved it. Although there are some fundamental changes from the book (like the age of Jonas, the main character), the movie shares the book's central themes about the things that make life worth living, even if they're painful. The violent revelations are disturbing, especially ugly truths about what it means when citizens (including a baby) are "released into Elsewhere," but the movie isn't nearly as violent as comparable movies like The Hunger Games or Divergent. Like the movie, the book should launch some thoughtful conversations about totalitarianism, freedom of expression, and why utopian societies fail.
7 Ender's Game
Rated PG-13 2013 1hr 54min
Common Sense Says 12+, Parents Say 10+, Kids Say 10+
Parents need to know that Ender's Game is the highly anticipated adaptation of Orson Scott Card's best-selling 1985 sci-fi novel. While there's not any sex and only very minor language, there's a lot of violence in the militaristic story: from two near-fatal personal fights to weapons-based strategy competitions to simulated war battles to the annihilation of an entire planet and alien race. The book author's outspoken political comments have led to controversy surrounding the film, but the film itself promotes positive messages about empathy and moral responsibility, honest communication between adults and children, and peaceful diplomacy as superior to military aggression.
8 Death on the Nile
Rated PG-13, 2022, 2 hrs 7 min
Common Sense Says 13+, Parents Say 15+, Kids Say 13+
Parents need to know that Death on the Nile is based on Agatha Christie's same-named mystery novel and is a follow-up to 2017's Murder on the Orient Express. The central figure is a glamorous heiress (Gal Gadot) who marries her best friend's fiancé (Armie Hammer). Racy moments include passionate kissing, references to sex, and the honeymooning couple grinding against each other while fully clothed. As the movie's title suggests, there's a good deal of murder in the story (involving knives and guns), and while it's all meant to shock and startle, only one death is accompanied by blood and packed with emotion. Suicidal ideation and behavior are present, and there's a flashback to wartime battlefield violence and a close-up of a grisly wound (accompanied by a positive message about acceptance). Characters drink throughout, and there are references to smoking. Women are portrayed as intelligent and shrewd, and supporting characters have been updated in a way that reflects a more diverse world than the one Christie wrote about.
9 The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Rated NR 2019, 1 hr 53 min
Common Sense Says 12+, Parents Say 11+, Kids Say 11+
Parents need to know that The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is based on the true story of William Kamkwamba (Maxwell Simba), a 13-year-old boy living in a small village in Malawi, Africa, who created a device that would restore the land and save his people after flooding ruined their grain fields. Expect sad moments, including some significant deaths. There are also a few violent sequences: Government officials beat a village chieftain, and thieves invade a home, threatening two women. A sprinkling of curse words are heard, including "damn," "hell," "bulls--t." The movie's source material is Kamkwamba's same-named book. Both English and Chewa (subtitled) are spoken in the film, which has clear, strong themes of perseverance, courage, curiosity, and integrity.
10 Sense and Sensibility
Rated PG, 1995 2 hrs 16 min
Common Sense Says 11+, Parents Say 12+, Kids Say 10+
Parents need to know that there's nothing really objectionable for younger kids in Sense and Sensibility, but the plot may be too sophisticated for them to follow, and the film features some emotional intensity. Characters drink wine at dinner and on social occasions; during one dinner, an older couple drinks wine and acts intoxicated as they giggle and gossip and make jokes at the expense of one of the characters. There also are tame discussions of characters who leave town when their lovers become pregnant. In one scene, a female dog is referred to as a "bitch."
11 Real Women Have Curves
Rated PG-13, 2002 85 Min
Common Sense Says 14+, Parents Say 13+
Parents need to know that in Real Women Have Curves, Ana loses her virginity to her boyfriend. The couple is shown naked together in his bedroom (though nothing really racy is shown). Ana also lies to her parents to go on dates and encourages her coworkers to strip to their underwear at work. Her mother constantly insults her weight and calls her a slut in Spanish. Profanity includes one "f--k" and one "s--t." Ana struggles with pleasing her family, growing up, and following her dreams, all in an environment in which poverty makes it very hard to get ahead.
12 Hidden Figures
Rated PG, 2016 2 hrs 6 min
Common Sense Says 10+, Parents Say 10+, Kids Say 9+
Parents need to know that Hidden Figures is based on the inspiring true story of three brilliant African-American women who worked at NASA in the 1950s and '60s as "human computers" -- making calculations and contributions that helped launch the manned spaceflight program. Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer), Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), and Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson) were engineers and computers at NASA at a time when both women and African Americans were still widely discriminated against, particularly in segregationist Virginia. where NASA's Langley Research Center is based. There's a little bit of romance (a few kisses, flirty comments, and slow dancing) and a bit of salty language (mostly along the lines of "damn," "hell," and "Jesus Christ" as an exclamation). The film also offers a realistic look at the racial tensions of the Civil Rights era (segregated bathrooms, libraries, schools, facilities), and audiences will learn a lot about these pioneering women and what they had to overcome to make their mark at NASA. They're excellent role models, and their story is full of positive messages and themes, including integrity, perseverance, teamwork, and communication.
13 The Martian
Rated PG-13 2015 2hrs 24min
Common Sense Says 12+, Parents Say 11+, Kids Say 11+
Parents need to know that The Martian is a sci-fi space thriller based on Andy Weir's best-selling novel, a popular book among both adult and teen readers. Matt Damon stars as Mark Watney, a NASA astronaut accidentally left behind on Mars when his crew thinks he died during an emergency evacuation. Expect some salty language (including "f--k," which is somewhat understandable given Watney's dire circumstances), a quick glimpse of Damon's rail-thin naked body from behind, a gory moment when Watney has to deal with a serious wound, and tense moments of peril, including the initial wind storm that results in Watney getting knocked out and impaled, subsequent explosions, and other life-and-death situations. Despite the strong language, this is a compelling, diversely cast thriller for middle schoolers and up who are interested in space travel, science, technology, and, of course, science-fiction.
14 Much Ado About Nothing
Rated PG-13, 1993 1 hr 51 min
Common Sense Says 12+, Parents Say 11+, Kids Say 11+
Parents need to know that this very accessible Shakespeare adaptation gets the PG-13 rating because of a bunch of visible backsides in a jubilant bathing scene and a brief sex scene visible from afar (you'll see a few thrusts but characters are clothed). The rest of the content is pretty mild: a couple bad guys get drunk, a death is faked, and a silly guard shouts "I am an ass!" and thinks it's a compliment.
Lista de útiles escolares
Each student is responsible for watching the films before class. The following materials are recommended: Required Materials The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams Great Expectations – Charles Dickens The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck The Book Thief – Markus Zusak The Giver – Lois Lowry Ender’s Game – Orson Scott Card Death on the Nile – Agatha Christie The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind – William Kamkwamba & Bryan Mealer Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen Real Women Have Curves – Josefina López Hidden Figures – Margot Lee Shetterly The Martian – Andy Weir Much Ado About Nothing – William Shakespeare 🎥 Films: Students must watch each film adaptation before class. Availability may vary by region, but most films can be found on streaming services, purchased, libraries, or rented digitally. Suggested Online Resources Public Domain Books (Free access to classics) – Project Gutenberg Film Ratings & Content Reviews – Common Sense Media Literary Analysis & Study Guides – SparkNotes | CliffsNotes Historical & Cultural Context – Britannica Optional Supplies for Creative Projects Notebook or journal Art supplies (paper, markers, colored pencils) Presentation software (Google Slides, Canva, PowerPoint) Video editing tools (for multimedia projects)
Recursos externos
Además del aula de Outschool, esta clase utiliza:
Fuentes
Students are required to watch each movie before class. All are available online (many for free on streaming services) or at a library.
Se unió el August, 2020
4.9
56reseñas
Estrella en ascenso
Experiencia y certificaciones del docente
Licenciatura desde Northwood University
For more than 15 years, I've been deeply involved in education, spending the last 9 years as a homeschooling parent. My greatest joy lies in helping students delve into complex subjects by exploring various perspectives. In today's world, narratives hold significant weight, influencing our understanding immensely. I'm passionate about sharing diverse literature that captivates students and broadens their comprehension. In my classes, I bring history to life through a blend of novels and primary sources, delving into socioeconomic factors, religious influences, and the nuances of narrative bias. Encouraging critical thinking, I prompt students to consider multiple viewpoints and the motivations behind historical events.
For over 7 years, I've taught at a local homeschool co-op, both in-person and online. One of my favorite roles has been leading middle and high school book clubs, where I not only introduce students to new books but also facilitate discussions on challenging topics. Having undergone diversity training and sensitivity workshops, I approach these discussions with care, ensuring that marginalized voices are heard and respected. Attending numerous professional developments, I've honed strategies for fostering inclusivity and highlighting multiple points of view.
My educational journey began with a B.B.A. from Northwood University, followed by a transition to pursue a teaching degree at Eastern Michigan University. Unfortunately, family circumstances led me to prioritize homeschooling my children over completing the program.
Across various homeschool groups and co-ops, I've taught a range of subjects including English, History, Finance, and Engineering. My passion for literature shines through in running book clubs and teaching classes on essay writing, grammar, and novel analysis. I've curated diverse book selections, fostering rich discussions on themes, characters, and symbolism.
Responding to students' interests, I initiated the Literature through Film series, offering an alternative way to explore classic literature through movie adaptations. This approach accommodates different reading paces and preferences while maintaining a strong focus on thorough novel analysis.
In my History classes, I employ a multi-faceted approach, incorporating primary sources, articles, and films to examine diverse perspectives and marginalized narratives. Similarly, in Finance and Entrepreneurship classes, I prioritize hands-on learning, guiding students through real-world applications such as budgeting, mortgage calculations, and investment tracking.
Utilizing Lego Education Kits, I've led engineering classes, both in-person and through platforms like Outschool. These sessions encourage creativity and problem-solving, fostering an interest in STEM fields.
Continuing my professional development journey, I actively participate in events like EdCamp, NerdCamp, and NaNoWriMo, enhancing my teaching practices and staying abreast of educational innovations.Reseñas
Curso grupal en vivo
15 US$
semanalmente1 x por semana, 14 semanas
50 min
Completado por 23 alumnos
Videoconferencias en vivo
Edades: 13-18
3-12 alumnos por clase
