Collection: High School Film Studies & Movie Analysis Curriculum

This full-year high school film studies and movie analysis curriculum organizes an entry-level elective into four quarters and eight themed units. It gives teachers a ready-to-teach structure for close viewing, discussion, writing from evidence, cinematography, theme, and adaptation without requiring you to build the course from scratch.

What you get

Over 800 pages of planning and pacing for the four-quarter course
Weekly lesson plans aligned to movie guides and extension activities
Year-at-a-glance pacing plus a CCSS alignment matrix
Educator planning materials, rubrics, schedules, differentiation tips, and family communication tools
Streaming-planning support so teachers can verify access before lesson day

Quarter and unit overview

Quarter 1 — Dystopia and Environment; The Underdog
Quarter 2 — Blockbusters (Oldies) + Three-Act Structure; Blockbusters (Modern) + Three-Act Structure
Quarter 3 — War Movies + Cinematography; Historical Biographies + Cinematography
Quarter 4 — Literary Classics + Theme; Shakespeare in Movies + Theme

Representative films and skills

Environment and systems: WALL·E, The Social Dilemma, Before the Flood, David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet
Underdog and character growth: Rudy, Greater, Edward Scissorhands, The Karate Kid, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Blockbusters and structure: Toy Story, The Princess Bride, Jurassic Park, Aladdin, Home Alone, National Treasure, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Avatar, Black Panther
Cinematography and history: 1917, Midway, Unbroken, The Six Triple Eight, Hamilton, Hidden Figures, Remember the Titans, McFarland, USA, Queen of Katwe
Theme and adaptation: Holes, Treasure Island, Of Mice and Men, A Christmas Carol, 10 Things I Hate About You, West Side Story (2021), Hamlet (1990), The Lion King, Macbeth (2015)

Best for

Teachers launching a new high school film elective
Schools that need a standards-aligned, school-friendly full-year course
Departments that want stronger writing, discussion, and media-literacy instruction through film

Need free samples before you commit? Browse the 100% free resources collection. Want to see the broader secondary catalog? Explore high school movie guides and worksheets.

Availability note: Videos are not included. Teachers should verify streaming access and follow school permissions before assigning a title.