Which is better: the book or the movie?
Grades
6-12
Subjects
ELA
Key Content
literary text (story/novel/drama), adaptation/interpretation, film techniques, argument writing, critical review
Working as film critics, students examine a film version of a novel (or short story or drama) to compare and contrast specific elements of the work, analyze the creative choices made by the actors and filmmakers, and evaluate the degree to which the movie production aligns with or departs from the original text. Each student writes a critical film review of a movie adapted from a novel, and the class compiles these reviews into a print or digital arts and culture magazine or website for distribution in partnership with a community organization.
Although most PBLWorks model projects range from 2 to 4 weeks, timing for this project may vary greatly depending on the length and complexity of self-selected texts and the in-class versus out-of-class time provided for independent reading—you may zoom in and out of project activities over a period of time as students read their texts.