Rogue One
Rogue One is interesting to teach because students come with a wide variety of Star Wars and science fiction background to apply to the film, but then they are all able to understand the ideas of camaraderie, underdogs and the power of hope.
— Lindsay Walker, ELAC Social Media Coordinator
Story of your life
The film Arrival is based on a Ted Chiang short story called "Story of Your Life". Students find it compelling because, on the surface, it's a stereotypical sci-fi flick, but as the story unfolds there are puzzles to unpack as we learn more about the character and her relationship to others.
— Morgan Schaufele, ELAC Journal Coeditor
Shakespeare
I love bringing modern Shakespearean adaptations to my high school students. We watch adaptations like She’s the Man, The Lion King and Ten Things I Hate About You. It’s empowering for students to engage with Shakespeare in a medium they are more comfortable with, and ultimately, we can have those important discussions about universal themes to a much deeper level than if we had relied solely on the original text.
— Bailey Almberg, ELAC President
The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games has a lot of new and exciting buzz. Grade 7s are excited about it. Scythe will be a series soon; Grade 9s are having good conversations about the moral and ethical themes in the text.
— Alyssa Backs, ELAC Central Region Rep
Brooklyn
First time teaching this film, but it was, overall, well received. The film is centered on a young Irish woman, Eilis, who moves away from home to Brooklyn for new opportunities that she did not have in Ireland. The conflicts she faces are both internal and external, and in grappling with these conflicts, she learns more about who she is and where “home” is. There are great opportunities to discuss relationships, family, identity and belonging.
— Katee Robichaud, ELAC New Teacher Liaison
