Collection: Film as Literature & Cinematic Arts — Semester 1 Collection (Units 1–4)

Film as Literature & Cinematic Arts — Semester 1 Collection (Units 1–4)

Kick off the year with four units that blend accessible, school-friendly films and close analysis. Students study dystopian design, underdog arcs, and blockbuster storytelling while practicing comparative writing and cinematic craft. Use the day-by-day pacing, printable and digital guides, and aligned assessments for a turnkey first semester. Videos are not included; verify availability and follow your site permissions.

What you get (S1)

• Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 planning sets: Educator Guide, Student Syllabus, Parent Permission Pack
• Weekly lesson plans for Units 1–4
• Movie guides with answer keys, comparative analyses, and summative tasks
• Workshops: Loglines and Plot-Point Mapping
• Live-link purchase/rental tracker

Units covered

• Unit 1 — Dystopia and Environment
• Unit 2 — The Underdog
• Unit 3 — Golden-Age Blockbusters
• Unit 4 — Modern Crowd-Pleasers

Representative titles (core with seasonal alternates available)

• Unit 1: The Giver (2014), 1984 (1984), Fahrenheit 451 (2018, TV), Brave New World (1998, TV), The Maze Runner (2014), City of Ember (2008)
• Unit 2: The Karate Kid (1984), The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019), Rudy (1993), Greater (2016), Edward Scissorhands (1990), 12 Mighty Orphans (2021)
• Unit 3: Gone With the Wind (1939), Casablanca (1942), It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) — alternates: 12 Angry Men (1957), The Wizard of Oz (1939)
• Unit 4: The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017), Gladiator (2000), Forrest Gump (1994), Avatar (2009), The Blind Side (2009) — alternate: Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

Standards alignment

Targets CCRA.R.1–4, 7–8; CCRA.W.1–3, 7; CCRA.SL.1, SL.3; CCRA.L.4–5 with explicit references on each guide and assessment.

Search-friendly phrases: semester 1 film-as-literature curriculum, dystopia unit with comparative essays, underdog film analysis lessons, plot-point mapping workshop, Golden-Age and modern blockbuster study for ELA.