Book-to-Movie Programming Ideas

Alice through the Looking Glass - Based on “Through the Looking-Glass” by Lewis Carrol

• Have students craft blue butterflies – just like the one Alice follows back to Wonderland. Then decorate your classroom with their creations.
• Time is a big theme in this story. Use this as a jumping off point to improve student’s understanding of time – how to tell time, the months of the year, days of the week, etc. For older kids, create math questions based on time.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Based on “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl

• Unleash students’ creativity by asking them to invent their own sweet, edible creations, including describing how it’s made, what it looks like, tastes like, what it does, if anything, to the consumer, and more.
• Discuss with your students the personality flaws of each of the children in the story and how they could’ve behaved better.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - Based on “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” by Judi Barrett

• Although this story deals with some unlikely weather patterns, you can still use it to teach your students more about the weather and different seasons. Provide safety tips for severe weather and, if they’re old enough, teach them how to observe weather patterns, collect data and predict the weather.
• Have students think about which food they’d like to fall from the sky and then write a short story explaining why.

Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events - Based on the series "A Series of Unfortunate Events" by Daniel Handler

• The children’s Aunt Josephine is obsessed with proper grammar – constantly correcting the story’s other characters. While this might be annoying for them, you can use it to explain some grammatical terms to your students.
• Count Olaf is able to get away with so much because of his above-average disguises. Let your students have a little fun creating their own disguises. Coordinate with your school’s theater department for costumers, makeup, wigs and more.

The BFG - Based on “The BFG” by Roald Dahl

• Roald Dahl uses a lot of similes to describe the BFG. Have your students practice writing some of their own.
• The BFG has enormous ears so that he can hear “absolutely every single twiddly little thing.” Use this as a starting point to teach students about sound and how we hear, including vibrations and waves.

A Monster Calls  - Based on “A Monster Calls” by Patrick Ness

• A main theme of this film is grief and dealing with death. Open up a discussion with students about healthy ways to deal with death. Then, have each of them write a letter to a pet or person they knew that passed away.
• The main character in this fantasy drama is bullied at school. Talk to your students about the dangers of bullying and what they should do if they are, or someone they know is, being bullied, including ways to stand up for someone being mistreated.

Of Mice and Men - Based on "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck

• Curley’s wife purposely did not have a name as Steinbeck was emphasizing women’s roles during the time period the story takes place. Have students do research to learn more about these roles and gain perspective into why Steinbeck’s decision was significant.
• Use John Steinbeck’s famous novel to teach students about key literary concepts in context – like allegory, imagery and circular plots.

Nerve - Based on “Nerve” by Jeanne Ryan

• This movie is a great starting point for talking with your students about online safety. Present on the dangers of the internet, what’s never ok to share, how to stay safe and cyberbullying.
• Give students a mini sociology lesson on crowd mentality and spectator syndrome – two psychological phenomenon that occur in this techno-thriller-adventure film.

The Zookeeper’s Wife - Based on “The Zookeepers Wife: A War Story” by Diane Ackerman

• Use this movie to supplement a history lesson on World War II. It’s unique perspective and setting in Poland make for a distinct historical discussion.
• The main characters in this film chose to help others when it did not benefit them at all. In fact, their acts of kindness put them and their son at extreme risk. Have students research other people throughout history who performed similar acts of courage, sacrifice and kindness.