• For Parents
  • For Educators
  • Our Work and Impact
  • About Digital Citizenship
  • Digital Citizenship Curriculum
  • Digital Citizenship (U.K.)
  • Lesson Collections
  • All Lesson Plans
  • Digital Life Dilemmas
  • SEL in Digital Life Resource Center
  • Implementation Guide
  • Toolkits by Topic
  • Digital Citizenship Week
  • Digital Connections (Grades 6–8)
  • Digital Compass™ (Grades 6–8)
  • Digital Passport™ (Grades 3–5)
  • Social Media TestDrive (Grades 6–8)

lesson plan for movie review

AI Literacy for Grades 6–12

  • All Apps and Websites
  • Curated Lists
  • Best in Class
  • Common Sense Selections
  • About the Privacy Program
  • Privacy Evaluations
  • Privacy Articles
  • Privacy Direct (Free download)
  • AI Movies, Podcasts, & Books
  • Learning Podcasts
  • Movies to Support SEL
  • Internet Safety
  • Books for Digital Citizenship
  • ChatGPT and Beyond
  • Strategies for Shocking News
  • Digital Well-Being Discussions
  • Supporting LGBTQ+ Students
  • Offline Digital Citizenship
  • Teaching with Tech
  • Movies in the Classroom
  • Social & Emotional Learning
  • Digital Citizenship
  • Tech & Learning
  • News and Media Literacy
  • Browse Events and Training
  • Modeling Digital Habits Teacher Training
  • Digital Citizenship Teacher Training
  • Student Privacy Teacher Training
  • Common Sense Recognized Educators
  • Common Sense Education Ambassadors

lesson plan for movie review

Training Course: Modeling Digital Habits

lesson plan for movie review

Earn your Common Sense Education badge today!

  • Family Engagement Toolkit
  • Digital Citizenship Resources for Families

Family Tech Planners

Family and community engagement program.

  • Workshops for Families with Kids Age 0–8
  • Workshops for Middle and High School Families
  • Kids and Tech Video Series

lesson plan for movie review

  • Get Our Newsletter

Showing a Movie in Class? Help Your Students Develop Active Viewing Skills

Topics:   Tech & Learning News & Media Literacy Digital Citizenship

Jeff Knutson

Have students write their own movie review with this fun lesson plan and worksheet.

A teacher and students discussing in a classroom.

The words "movie day" probably evoke fond memories from our own childhoods: Teachers rolling out the TV/VCR cart; the classroom lights flickering out; everyone scooting their desks to get a better view or a seat near a friend; and, if we were lucky, maybe even the smell of freshly microwaved popcorn. Today, when it comes to watching movies in school, the technology has changed (no more squinting to see a tiny TV in the corner!), but our students love movie days just the same -- if not more.

There's magic in the shared experience of seeing a great story unfold on the screen, together, in the same room.

Sometimes showing a movie in class is just the right call. Some movies can help illustrate big, complex ideas. Others help us explore detailed topics in ways that just aren't possible otherwise. And the best movies help us enrich students' learning about the much wider world outside of our classroom's walls.

And to top it off, classroom movies are a great way to help students practice their media literacy skills. Active viewing is a skill that doesn't always come naturally, but it's something all students can practice and learn. And in today's media-saturated world, kids need all the help they can get when it comes to different ways of thinking about what they're seeing on screens of all sizes.

Movie Review Lesson Plan: Help Your Students Become Active Viewers

lesson plan for movie review

Use this lesson plan and worksheet to help your students practice their active viewing skills, no matter what movie they're watching! We've designed this lesson and activity for middle school, but it could also be great for upper elementary or even in a high school class. Feel free to adapt this lesson (and the included Google Doc movie guide) to suit your specific needs.

 Tip!

Even though the site is aimed at parents and families, it can be a very helpful guide in selecting the right movie for your classroom.

 You know your curriculum, your students, and community best!

Guess what? You're okay! Check out our article  for more information about how U.S. copyright law applies to movies in classrooms.

Prep for teachers

Objective:  Students will be able to build active viewing skills and write a movie review.

  • First and foremost, preview any movie before you show it in class. It might sound obvious, but this is such an important step! You'll be able to see if the movie's appropriate, but also whether it's a good fit for your students' learning. You'll also be able to find some key scenes to discuss (see below for some tips on this).
  • Make a copy of the Write a Movie Review!  handout. Before distributing to your students, feel free to customize the handout to your class's needs. (Note: You'll probably want to add a bit more space for students to write in their answers.)
  • Review the lesson plan and talking points below (including the active viewing definition) for yourself before class starts.
 Tip!

 

Looking for some examples? Check out our SEL movie guides for the movies  , , and where we've already listed some important scenes for discussion, along with time stamps for each. Keep in mind that we've provided a LOT of examples for these films. You might end up with fewer -- anywhere from two or three to more than a dozen scenes is just fine! Do what feels reasonable for yourself, and what's best for your students' learning.

In the classroom

Essential question:  How can active viewing help me write a movie review?

Hook (5-10 minutes)

Before you start the movie, ask students if they've ever seen or read a movie review -- if so, where did they see it? Was the review from an expert, a journalist, or professional movie reviewer? Or maybe was it written and posted online by an everyday viewer sharing their opinion? Some students may have already written their own movie review somewhere!

Then ask students: What makes an expert's movie review different? Are they just going on a "gut feeling"? Or are they doing something that makes their reviews better or more informed?

After entertaining students' ideas, explain that, when professional movie critics rate and review a movie, they usually go on a lot more than just a gut feeling. They're doing something called active viewing . They're not just saying if they thought the movie was good or bad. Professional movie reviewers also explain -- in detail --  why they thought it was good or bad (or somewhere in-between).

Hand out the Write a Movie Review! graphic organizer

Give students copies of the Write a Movie Review!  handout (or if you're using the digital version, copy and distribute them online). Explain to students that they'll be watching a movie in class, but also practicing their active viewing skills at the same time. By the end, they'll have everything they'll need to write their own review of the movie.

lesson plan for movie review

Active viewing, defined:

Ask your students: What do you think "active viewing" means? As a class, review the elements that help define active viewing that appear at the top of the graphic organizer.

Active viewing means:

  • Watching with a purpose
  • Paying attention
  • Taking notes
  • Asking good questions about what you're seeing

And it also means doing these things before, during, and after you watch.

 Tip!

Depending on how much scaffolding your students may need, consider adapting the handout to remove these elements so students can fill in the blanks on their own as you review in class.

Before you watch:

Help students jot down some key information about the movie before you start watching. Ask them to think about why these things might be important in thinking more deeply about the movie.

You can also preview the rest of the handout with students before you start the movie -- mainly the "While You Watch" section, so they know what to look for while watching.

While you watch:

Start the movie and enjoy!  Be ready to pause at key scenes so students have a bit of time to process, or even discuss, what they're seeing. During these pauses, you might even encourage students to think about whether they'd like to choose the scene as something to write about (or draw!) on their handout.

As you pause, reflect, and discuss, you might even consider rewinding and rewatching a particular scene. Some scenes in movies are truly worthy of a second look for students, especially in light of something that comes up in discussion that some students may have missed or want to see again.

After you watch:

Give students some time to process and think about what they've just seen before diving into any discussion or reactions. The "After You Watch" questions on the handout are a great start, but feel free to bring up any other relevant questions specific to the movie you're using. Be sure to give students plenty of time to look back at their notes and reflect.

Encourage students to wait before giving the movie their star rating. Remember: Active viewing takes place before, during, and after the movie. Ask them to resist the urge to judge the movie before they've considered all of the active viewing questions, saving the star rating for last. This way -- just like a professional movie reviewer! -- they'll have fully considered the movie before giving it their official star rating.

Writing Extension!

Students can revise the notes they've taken on their handout, turning it into an actual, written movie review! Better yet, encourage students to share their reviews with an authentic audience -- classmates, families, or even online!

 has thousands of movie reviews written by kids! As an option, have students consider posting and sharing their reviews online with us!

Note: Be sure to follow your school or district's policies about students sharing content publicly online. Also, keep in mind that students will need to create accounts on Common Sense Media in order to share their reviews. Students under 13 years old will need a parent's or guardian's consent and help to create an account. But it's a good idea for all students -- even those over 13 -- to talk with their parents before creating new online accounts on any site.

Image courtesy of Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for American Education: Images of Teachers and Students in Action.

Jeff Knutson

I'm the Director of Marketing for Common Sense's Education platform. Prior to my work at Common Sense, I was an editor and classroom teacher. I'm an advocate for the creative, thoughtful, and responsible use of technology, and I thrive on sharing his knowledge, experience, and perspectives with others.

Related Content

Promotional Movie Poster for Inside Out

Inside Out and SEL: A Movie Guide and Lesson Plan for Your Classroom

Help students reflect on the social and emotional aspects of the movie and consider how their own emotions work.

Still from the movie showing girl on her bed looking at a laptop

Why the Movie "Eighth Grade" Is Great for Digital Citizenship

Start a conversation about social media and identity with this relatable film.

Projector in a classroom full of desks

Teachers' Essential Guide to Showing Movies and Videos in the Classroom

Support students' learning, and find the best video streaming sites for schools and classrooms.

PRESTO PLANS

lesson plan for movie review

prestO PLANS

ENGLISH TEACHER RESOURCES

Sent straight to your inbox

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS

Sign up to receive 10 ready-to-use ELA resources your students will love! 

A hand holding an English bell-ringer or homework assignment where practice English Language Arts skills like complete grammar, figurative-language, vocabulary,

10 FREE ELA RESOURCES

Teaching Students How to Annotate Poetry

lesson plan for movie review

8 Ways Teachers Can Celebrate Student Success 

lesson plan for movie review

Bulletin Board Ideas for Middle & High School English

lesson plan for movie review

ON THE BLOG

teacher favorites

lesson plan for movie review

an ELA facebook community

TEACHERS' LOUNGE

join us in the

Engage your students as soon as they walk into your classroom with my best-selling, full-year bell-ringer set. Each day includes a unique and creative task. Topics include grammar, vocabulary, writing, and figurative language.  

Full Year of English  Bell-Ringers (Vol 3)

lesson plan for movie review

teacher resource

Top categories, i'm bonnie from presto plans.

I’m a curriculum writer, literacy educator, and all around book lover with a passion for helping English teachers engage their students with creative, high-quality resources. My mission? To make teaching English a whole lot easier for you, teacher friend! 

Hello, Teachers! 

lesson plan for movie review

Writing a Movie Review: Teaching Tips and Lesson Ideas

To me, there’s nothing more enjoyable as a middle school teacher than blending films into English language arts classes. I’m a real movie lover, and I find that a good film-based activity is the perfect way to engage students in work on essential ELA skills in the last few weeks of school.

Thanks to Netflix, Disney+, and other streaming services, our students have more access to films than people at any other time in history! But I’ve noticed that even with so much exposure to movies, students need quite a lot of guidance to view films critically and with intention. 

This is why I find an end-of-year film review project to be so useful in the ELA classroom. Most students are natural movie reviewers already. They always come in on Monday mornings buzzing about the movies they saw over the weekend!

With this in mind, I like to tap into their natural instincts to share what they love, and help them learn the step-by-step organizational skills for writing a film review in the process. Here’s how this looks in the classroom:

1. Show Students Film Review Examples

To begin, I like to lead a brief whole-class discussion where we chat about the difference between getting a recommendation from a friend and reading a professional movie review . During this discussion, I point out that there are some specific things that a movie reviewer considers, including cinematography, actors, lighting, and sound.

Once students have the basic idea, I like to show them several examples of film reviews in different formats. If your school receives a newspaper subscription, you could collect and save film reviews to share with your class. Or, you may prefer a more modern approach and search online! Written film reviews tend to follow a similar structure and provide students with a good understanding of what they need to include.

Because most students also enjoy video content, we spend time looking at YouTube reviews as well. I might be dating myself, but I like to show old clips of Siskel and Ebert, the famous “two thumbs up” reviewers from the ‘80s and ‘90s! What I especially enjoy about their style is that they don’t always agree, but their reviews are still effective and engaging.

2. Know Your Audience

As we wrap up this lesson, I ask students to consider the audience of each review. For example, is the review aimed at children, adults, or even a teen magazine? The target audience affects not only tone and style, but also impacts the focus of the review. For example, a teen magazine review might focus on the famous actors of the film. By contrast, a special effects magazine might provide insight into a particular element of the filmmaking process.

3. Teach How to Watch the Film

The next step is to teach students how to watch a film with purpose, rather than simply for pleasure! In an ideal situation, I recommend watching a film twice. The first time is to get an overall understanding of the plot, and then to consider the choices the director and actors made in creating the film.

In the classroom, I like to pause the film frequently and let my students jot down notes. While they are watching, I remind them to consider each scene with an observant eye. I ask:

  • What does the director choose to show (or not show)?
  • How do the actors convey emotion, depth, and intention through their movements, as well as their words? 

lesson plan for movie review

4. Provide Common Vocabulary

As part of a film study, it’s important for students to be able to speak the “language” of movie making. After viewing the movie, I like to take some time to outline some key terms to help students write their reviews.

Words like blockbuster, avant-garde, disjointed, or uninspired can help elevate movie reviews in ELA from “friendly recommendations” to “review quality.” I find a printable list of useful writing terms is especially helpful. This is especially true if you want to avoid the “It was a good movie,” trap! 

Writing a Movie Review in ELA Activity Useful Writing Terms

5. Provide An Organizational Framework

When it comes to actually writing the review, I like to be quite specific in my instructions, breaking down the review into specific paragraphs .

For example, introductory paragraphs should start by engaging the reader with a strong opinion, thought-provoking statement, or even a quote to act as a “hook.” I like to remind students that the purpose of this paragraph is also to share some basic information about the film. This should include title, director, genre, and setting, as well as a brief plot overview. No spoilers, please!

Next, I have students plot out their paragraph about the main characters of the movie. I like to begin this process by having them reflect on the portrayal of the characters, and whether the actors are well-suited for their roles. As they evaluate the performances, middle school ELA students can support their opinions using evidence and examples from the film.

Writing a Movie Review in ELA Activity

Because film techniques can vary so much from movie to movie, I like to give quite a lot of freedom in the next paragraph. I ask students to consider the following film techniques and choose one to focus on in detail:

  • Camera work
  • Sound effects

After they have evaluated film techniques, it’s time for students to flex their ELA muscles and reflect on the overall theme of the movie. In their fourth paragraph, I ask them to consider how the director uses filming techniques, set design, characters, conflict, or other elements to express or develop this theme. I like to guide this paragraph by asking questions like:

  • Has the theme been developed effectively?
  • Does it have an impact on the viewer, a specific community, or the world?

Finally, it’s time to wrap up the review! In this final paragraph, students need to give the film a rating in whatever “system” they choose. Popular choices in my classroom include thumbs up, stars, or even popcorn kernels on a scale of one to five! As they justify their rating and provide their personal opinions, I also encourage the class to consider what type of person would enjoy the movie.

6. Give Prompting Questions

In my experience, prompting questions help students focus on key things to include in their ELA movie review. I like to remind my students that graphic organizers are a tool for working through their ideas. They don’t need to be filled out in complete sentences, but they provide a useful framework for structuring their review. 

Pre-Writing Planning for Writing a Movie Review

7. Make time For Peer Feedback & Editing

While students always resist the peer feedback and editing stage of the writing process, it really makes a difference in their overall quality of work.

Before they finalize their review, I have students work with a peer for a closer look at the grammatical and structural elements of their movie review. One way to do this is to follow the “three stars and a wish” format. In this activity, each student has to identify three positive things about the writing and one “wish” – an area of improvement.

Alternatively, if you have an established peer editing process in your classroom, this is a great opportunity to use it!

8. Provide Options for Presentation

Now for the fun part – the presentation of the movie review! I believe that students do their best work when they can express choice and voice in their finished product. 

Movie reviews can be shared in a lot of different ways (in the ELA classroom and in real life!). First, I have students select whether they want to share their completed review as a newspaper article, blog post, podcast, pre-recorded video, or even a live presentation in class.

If you’re tight on time, one trick I love is to put students in small groups (I find four works well) and present their reviews to each other. This alternative to whole-class presentations frees me up to circulate among the different groups. You’d be surprised at how much you can see and hear while doing this! At the end of each presentation, I like to have students grade each other using a common rubric. The presenters can self-assess their work as well!

There you have it! I hope you have a blast bringing a movie review assignment into your middle school ELA classroom. Three cheers to the end of the year!

lesson plan for movie review

Looking to integrate more videos into your ELA classroom? Check out my suggestions for 7 Ways to Bring Videos Into Secondary ELA .

Wrapping up your year? My 9 Creative Ideas for Student Awards celebrate every student in your class!

share this post

VISIT THE BLOG

Snowball writing: collaborative writing activity, 10 ideas to make your teachers’ lounge a positive space.

lesson plan for movie review

Send students on an online date with a book

7 bell-ringer ideas for middle and high school english.

lesson plan for movie review

Search the blog for what you are teaching

PRIVACY   |

CONTACT   |

© PRESTO PLANS  |

A teacher shows a yellow notebook that says  Teachers Rule with a picture of a ruler.

I’m Bonnie, a curriculum writer, literacy educator, and all around book lover on a mission to make English teachers’ lives a whole lot easier! 

resources sent to your inbox!

10 FREE ENGLISH TEACHER

Bonnie from Presto Plans shows her new membership website, The Presto Planners English Teacher Membership.

@PRESTOPLANS

FIND ME ON 

sent straight to your inbox!

1

10 days of ELA TEACHER

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Rotten Tomatoes Newsletter

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

  • Upcoming Movies and TV shows
  • Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
  • Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

  • What's the Tomatometer®?
  • Login/signup

lesson plan for movie review

Movies in theaters

  • Opening this week
  • Top box office
  • Coming soon to theaters
  • Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

  • Fandango at Home
  • Netflix streaming
  • Prime Video
  • Most popular streaming movies
  • What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

  • Inside Out 2 Link to Inside Out 2
  • Hit Man Link to Hit Man
  • Thelma Link to Thelma

New TV Tonight

  • The Boys: Season 4
  • Bridgerton: Season 3
  • Presumed Innocent: Season 1
  • The Lazarus Project: Season 2
  • The Big Bakeover: Season 1
  • Camp Snoopy: Season 1
  • How Music Got Free: Season 1
  • Love Island: Season 6

Most Popular TV on RT

  • Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1
  • Eric: Season 1
  • House of the Dragon: Season 2
  • Dark Matter: Season 1
  • Sweet Tooth: Season 3
  • Evil: Season 4
  • Best TV Shows
  • Most Popular TV
  • TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

  • The Boys: Season 4 Link to The Boys: Season 4
  • All-Time Lists
  • Binge Guide
  • Comics on TV
  • Five Favorite Films
  • Video Interviews
  • Weekend Box Office
  • Weekly Ketchup
  • What to Watch

Best Shark Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

All 28 Pixar Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Hacks Creators Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs Discuss That Scene from the Emotional Season 3 Finale

Hotel Cocaine : A Look Behind the Scenes at “The Studio 54 of Miami”

  • Trending on RT
  • 1999 Movie Showdown
  • The Boys First Reviews
  • Best Movies of All Time

Lesson Plan

Where to watch.

Watch Lesson Plan with a subscription on Netflix.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Daniel Markowicz

Piotr Witkowski

Antonina Jarnuszkiewicz

Jan Wieczorkowski

Marcin Bosak

Pascal Fischer

There is NO AI content on this website. All content on TeachWithMovies.org has been written by human beings.

Teach with Movies

  • FOR TEACHERS
  • FOR PARENTS
  • FOR HOME SCHOOL
  • TESTIMONIALS
  • SOCIAL MEDIA
  • DMCA COMPLIANCE
  • GRATUITOUS VIOLENCE
  • MOVIES IN THE CLASSROOM
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • U.S. HISTORY
  • WORLD HISTORY
  • SUBJECT MATTER
  • APPROPRIATE AGE LEVEL
  • MORAL/ETHICAL EMPHASIS
  • SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING
  • SNIPPETS & SHORT SUBJECTS
  • MOVIES BY THE CALENDAR
  • DOCUMENTARIES & NON-FICTION
  • TALKING AND PLAYING WITH MOVIES: AGES 3-8
  • TWM’S BEST TEACHING FILMS
  • TALKING AND PLAYING WITH MOVIES
  • SET-UP-THE-SUB
  • ARTICLES & STUDENT HANDOUTS
  • MOVIE PERMISSION SLIP
  • MOVIE & TELEVISION WORKSHEETS
  • MATHEMATICS
  • EARTH SCIENCE
  • ANY FILM THAT IS A WORK OF FICTION
  • FILM ADAPTATIONS OF NOVELS, SHORT STORIES, OR PLAYS
  • ANY FILM THAT IS A DOCUMENTARY
  • ANY FILM THAT EXPLORES ETHICAL ISSUES
  • ADAPTATION OF A NOVEL
  • DOCUMENTARIES
  • HERO’S JOURNEY
  • SCIENCE FICTION
  • WORK OF FICTION
  • WORK OF HISTORICAL FICTION
  • PERSUASIVE DOCUMENTARY
  • FICTION (SOAPS, DRAMAS, AND REALITY/SURVIVAL SHOW)
  • HISTORICAL FICTION
  • INFORMATIONAL DOCUMENTARY
  • NEWS AND CURRENT EVENTS
  • SEARCH [Custom]

New Guides to two outstanding short films:

Corner in wheat and the last repair shop ..

lesson plan for movie review

The first film with social commentary: for Social Studies (U.S. 1865 – 1913); ELA (metaphor used to convey irony); and Film Studies.

lesson plan for movie review

2024 Academy Award Winner: for all classes especially music: Warmhearted, Inspiring, Beautifully Filmed; Full of Life Lessons.

lesson plan for movie review

Click above for 6 Learning Guides for National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month

100 ELA  Learning Guides

lesson plan for movie review

Hundreds of U.S. History  Guides

lesson plan for movie review

Many Medicine and Health   Guides

lesson plan for movie review

Hundreds of World History  Guides

lesson plan for movie review

Many Science  Guides

lesson plan for movie review

9  Guides  to the Latinex American Experience

Cesar Chavez Respect For All

50  Guides to the Black Experience in the U.S.

lesson plan for movie review

24 Guides to Movies on the Environment

lesson plan for movie review

11 Guides to Movies on World War II

lesson plan for movie review

Featured Learning Guides

lesson plan for movie review

Women’s Suffrage

lesson plan for movie review

Multi-Media Supplement

lesson plan for movie review

An Extraordinary Woman of the Ancient World

Click below for  Learning Guides for independence-day

lesson plan for movie review

Movie/Television Worksheets:

Movie lesson plans by:, popular subjects:, social studies, each film recommended by teachwithmovies.org contains lessons on life and positive moral messages. our guides and lesson plans show teachers how to stress these messages and make them meaningful for young audiences., join thousands of teachers and professors who use movies to enrich classes & drive assignments., lesson plans and learning guides based on more than 425  films., learning guides feature:.

  • Possible Problems
  • Helpful Background
  • Building Vocabulary
  • Discussion Questions
  • Links to Internet
  • Bridges to Reading
  • Assignments & Projects

SUPPLEMENT SCHOOL CURRICULUM, PROMOTE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING!

Teach with the best of hollywood, snippet lesson plans feature:.

  • Learner Outcomes/Objectives
  • Preparation
  • Location of the Clip in the Movie, Film or Video
  • Step-by-Step Instructions

lesson plan for movie review

Search hundreds of movies organized by subject that TWM recommends as the best of the best in meeting curriculum standards while providing students with stellar educational experiences.

lesson plan for movie review

CREATE LESSON PLANS IN CHARACTER EDUCATION, ETHICS, AND MORALITY FROM MOVIES AND FILM!

Teachwithmovies.org is a Character Counts “ Six Pillars Partner ” and uses the Six Pillars of Character to organize ethical principles.

lesson plan for movie review

Are you concerned that time will be wasted if you are absent from class? Worry no more!

Templates allow teachers in any subject to be sure that when they are away, students will focus on curriculum and the attainment of standards. 

Follow, Like, and Share!

lesson plan for movie review

Get our FREE Newsletter

* we respect your privacy. no spam here!

lesson plan for movie review

TeachWithMovies.org is presented by James A. Frieden and Deborah Elliott.

The site is offered free on the internet as a way to give back for the privileged lives that the u.s. has allowed us to enjoy., it is our contribution to the effort to educate children. to find out more, click here ..





intermediate
10-17
1227



intermediate
13-17
862



intermediate
11-17
681



intermediate
14-17
592



intermediate
13-17
535



advanced
13-17
541



intermediate
14-17
364



intermediate
11-17
353



intermediate
14-17
355



intermediate
14-100
320



intermediate
14-17
250



intermediate
12-100
296



elementary
12-16
224



intermediate
13-17
184



intermediate
14-17
195



intermediate
14-17
155



intermediate
14-17
182



intermediate
15-100
178



intermediate
15-100
154



intermediate
14-17
140



Worksheets that listen. Worksheets that speak. Worksheets that motivate students. Worksheets that save paper, ink and time.


 

> > >

intermediate
+15
267

lesson plan for movie review

Study.com

In order to continue enjoying our site, we ask that you confirm your identity as a human. Thank you very much for your cooperation.

So What Do You Think? Writing a Review

So What Do You Think? Writing a Review

  • Resources & Preparation
  • Instructional Plan
  • Related Resources

Teenagers are often outspoken and opinionated. Writing reviews of the literature they read gives them a chance to express their ideas while developing style and voice. This lesson uses discussion of student opinions about yesterday's lunch or a popular TV show serves as an introduction to the genre of reviews. Students then read and analyze conflicting reviews. After examining samples of movie, music, restaurant, and book reviews, students devise guidelines for writing interesting and informative reviews. They then produce their own reviews of the literature they're reading in class. Finally, students compare their ideas and their pieces with published reviews of the same piece of literature. Though this lesson is illustrated with examples from student and professional reviews of Raymond Carver's writing, the techniques can be used with whatever literature students are reading.

Featured Resources

Components of a Review : This handout gives an overview of what is normally included in a critical review.

Review Guidelines : Students can use these guidelines when writing their own critical reviews.

From Theory to Practice

While it's important for students to learn to read and evaluate critical commentary, "Each reader has a right-and even a responsibility-to form his or her own opinions, based on that reader's reading and understanding of a piece of literature, and to be able to support those opinions with solid reasons" (97).

When students express ideas on an author's work that are also noted by critics, "it presents a perfect opportunity to introduce critical commentary naturally into class discussion in order to promote a deeper understanding of the literature" (100).

Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

  • 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
  • 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
  • 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
  • 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
  • 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
  • 7. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
  • 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
  • 9. Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles.
  • 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Materials and Technology

  • Sample reviews of various types (movie, music, restaurant, book, etc.), both print and online
  • Specific reviews of the literature students are reading
  • Components of a Review
  • Creating Classroom Discussion about Reviews
  • Student Example of a Book Review
  • Review Guidelines
  • Writing a Review Checklist
  • Student Reflection Sheet

Preparation

  • two conflicting reviews of a current movie, television show, or CD with which students are likely familiar.
  • reviews specific to the writer(s) who students are reading. The Stauffer Library Reference and  Book Reviews in the Yahoo! Directory may be helpful in finding those reviews.
  • Make appropriate number of copies of handouts.
  • Test the ReadWriteThink Pinting Press on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tool and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page.

Student Objectives

Students will

  • read a variety of different kinds of reviews.
  • determine the qualities and characteristics of an effective review.
  • use critical thinking skills to formulate their own opinions about a writer's work.
  • apply their knowledge to write their own reviews.
  • compare their ideas and their work to that of professional reviewers.

Session One

  • In this first class session, work to generate interest in writing a review-and to convince students that they do have strong and valid opinions.
  • If lunch was "gross," what made it so?
  • If the show was "really funny," why did it make them laugh?
  • Ask students why they go to certain movies, buy specific CDs, or choose to eat in particular restaurants. Encourage them to explore where they get their "recommendations" from.
  • Invite students to share both positive and negative experiences they have had as a result of listening to someone else's opinion.
  • Lead the discussion to a point where students begin to see that word-of-mouth recommendations and published reviews essentially serve the same purpose: to comment on and evaluate a work or an event.
  • Share two conflicting reviews with students.
  • the kind of information included in both reviews.
  • the specific points the reviewers agree and disagree about.
  • any differences in focus between the reviews.
  • which review is more entertaining—and why.
  • which review is more convincing—and why.
  • Ask students to list various kinds of reviews and to suggest where they can find these reviews (newspapers, magazines, journals, and online).
  • For homework, ask each student bring one to three reviews to class.

Session Two

  • In this second session, focus on helping students determine the qualities and characteristics of a good review.
  • the name of what is being reviewed
  • a clear statement of the reviewer's opinion (i.e., a thesis)
  • specific examples that support the reviewer's opinion
  • a particular tone (use of humor, sarcasm, authority, etc.).
  • book reviews may include quotations from the work.
  • restaurant reviews may discuss atmosphere.
  • both music and literary reviews may trace developments in the writer/musician's history.
  • Each small group should choose one review to read to the class along with their own short oral analysis.
  • As a conclusion to the activity, the class as a whole should compile a list on the board or on chart paper of qualities that contribute to a good review. If desired, share the Components of a Review handout, which reviews the parts of a review.
  • The teacher should collect all reviews students brought in for homework for use in future sessions.

Session Three

  • In this third session, work to get students to focus on the particular attributes of a book review in preparation for writing their own reviews of the literature they're reading.
  • Ideally, the teacher should have a selection of book reviews from those collected from students the previous day. In case students have not brought in book reviews, the teacher should have such reviews available. These reviews should be carefully chosen so that their content is accessible to students. It's best if some reviews focus on works students may have read while others are of work unfamiliar to students.)
  • In small groups of three or four, have students examine a book review and break it down into its components to determine how the introduction, the body, and the conclusion allow the writer to make his/her points.
  • Next, students should examine the particular style of their group's review and determine how the writer achieves a unique voice. Each group should try to determine the tone of their review (i.e., pompous and authoritative, humorous, enthusiastic, analytical, etc.) by noting such things as word choice, sentence structure, and use of detail. If students have collected reviews written by the same reviewer, these "elusive" qualities may be easier to spot.
  • Invite a class discussion about how a review combines the informative aspects of straight journalism with the "pizzazz" of personal narrative.
  • Where did your review appear?
  • What do you know about this publication?
  • Who do you think the audience for this publication would be?
  • What would a reader who had read the book take from the review?
  • What would a reader unfamiliar with the book take from the review?
  • By the end of the session, ask students to compile a class list of broad, basic guidelines for writing a review. Example guidelines are also available.
  • Invite students to begin writing the first draft of a review based on the particular piece(s) of literature the class is studying.
  • If students are reading one book, that one work would be the focus of the review.
  • If students are reading more than one work (i.e., a number of short stories, poems, or essays) by an author, the review can cover any or all of this material.
  • Ask students to design a rating system to include with the written review. The system can be as traditional as 1-5 stars or something more creative.
NOTE: Older students tend to get the style and tone of a review quite quickly, while younger students often produce something more like a book report in the early drafts. Writing instruction should be geared to the ability of each class.
  • Use the Writing a Review Checklist as a guide to help students draft and edit their reviews.

Session Four

  • In this fourth session, introduce critical commentary into class discussion.
  • When the students have completed their reviews, invite them to publish their reviews using one of the options on the ReadWriteThink Printing Press . Print them when they are complete.
  • With their final drafts complete, have students read professionally written reviews on the same text and compare their ideas as well as their writing to these reviews. Depending on the accessibility of these reviews, you can collect all published material or students can be assigned this task. (It's for this reason that this aspect of the assignment works best if the writers reviewed are contemporary.)
  • When comparing their reviews with the published pieces, students should find points that are raised in both. This process demystifies critical commentary and allows students to feel comfortable discussing the work of reviewers. For example, one of my students writes of his appreciation of Carver's "deadpan humor."
  • Teachers can use such excerpts to generate lively classroom discussion. If desired, use the this suggestion for creating a classroom discussion.
  • After all students have reacted to each excerpt, invite the class to break into pairs or small groups, with each group responsible for sifting through the material on one of the papers.
  • Finally, have students present conclusions based on their peers' responses to the critical commentary.
  • a classroom bulletin board displaying reviews, accompanied by artwork and photographs of the authors.
  • a class compilation of reviews. Students can use the ReadWriteThink Printing Press to compile their reviews in a reader-friendly format.
  • a class publication with all reviews collected in a booklet, brochure, or binder and saved for future classes who will be studying the same author. This collection can be added to over the years to create an "historical perspective" on a particular works/authors.
  • submissions to print and online publications that seek reviews. (Note: Teen Ink seeks student written reviews on all topics.)
  • writing an individual response to a review to then share with the class.
  • revising and rewriting their own original reviews to address points raised by the professional reviewer.
  • working with a partner and each taking a side in response to a review, with one student proving the reviewer is "right" and the other proving him/her "wrong."
  • When students are comparing different types of reviews, invite them to use the Venn Diagram interactive.

Student Assessment / Reflections

  • Grade the review as a complete writing assignment.
  • As students write and revise their reviews, guide their work with the Review Checklist , a worksheet that outlines the vital features of a good review and asks students to verify that their final review includes these specific features. This checklist can be used by the teacher in evaluating the review.
  • Students can assess their own work and learning by completing a Reflection Sheet that is handed in with the review. As with all reflection sheets, the form should include 4–5 questions that make writers really think about their pieces and the process that led to their creation.
  • Publish student reviews using one of the options listed above to provide further feedback and assessment for students.
  • Calendar Activities
  • Professional Library
  • Student Interactives
  • Lesson Plans

The interactive Printing Press is designed to assist students in creating newspapers, brochures, and flyers.

Add new comment

  • Print this resource

Explore Resources by Grade

  • Kindergarten K

Movie Lesson Plan Ideas

Ways to Effectively Use Films in Class

JGI / Tom Grill / Getty Images

  • Lesson Plans
  • Grading Students for Assessment
  • Becoming A Teacher
  • Assessments & Tests
  • Elementary Education
  • Special Education
  • Homeschooling
  • M.Ed., Curriculum and Instruction, University of Florida
  • B.A., History, University of Florida

Including movies in your lessons can help enhance learning and increase student interest while providing direct instruction on the topic. Although there are pros and cons to including movies in lesson plans , you can ensure that the movies you choose have the learning impact you desire.

If you are unable to show an entire film because of time constraints or school guidelines, you may want to select specific scenes or clips to share with your students. To increase understanding of particularly complex dialogue, use the closed caption feature when showing the film.

A variety of effective ways will allow you to include movies in your classroom lessons that will reinforce learning objectives.

Create a Generic Worksheet for Movies

Caiaimage / Chris Ryan / Getty Images

If you plan to show movies regularly in class, consider creating a generic worksheet that you can use for all the movies you show over the course of the year. Include a list of issues and questions that are relevant to all movies, including:

  • What is the setting of the movie? 
  • What is the basic plot? 
  • Who is (are) the protagonist(s)? 
  • Who is the antagonist? 
  • Give a brief summary of the movie. 
  • What are your impressions of the movie? 
  • How does the movie relate to what we are studying in class? 
  • Movie score or soundtrack
  • Camera point of view

Create a Movie-Specific Worksheet

PhotoAlto / Frederic Cirou / Getty Images

If there is a particular movie that fits well in your lesson plan, create a worksheet specific to that film. Watch the movie yourself in advance to determine the sequence of events you want your students to observe as they watch. Include general information, such as the title of the film and the director, as well as specific questions that the students should answer as they watch the movie. To ensure that students are noting the most important aspects of the movie, pause the film occasionally to allow them time to fill in their answers. Include space on the worksheet for open-ended questions about major plot points in the film.

Have Your Students Take Notes

David Schaffer / Getty Images

It is important that students learn how to take notes effectively. Before instructing your students to take notes during a film, teach them proper note-taking skills. The underlying benefit of taking notes during the movie is that students will pay attention to details as they decide what is important enough to include in their notes. By writing down their thoughts as they view the film, they are more likely to have responses that they can share later during class discussions.

Create a Cause-and-Effect Worksheet

Klaus Vedfelt / Getty Images 

A cause-and-effect worksheet asks students to analyze specific plot points in the movie. You might start them off with an example, providing them with the cause , and then explain how that impacted the story, also called the effect. A basic cause-and-effect worksheet might start with an event and then include a blank space where the students can fill in the effect of that event

A cause-and-effect worksheet on the film " The Grapes of Wrath " might start with a description of the drought in Oklahoma:

"Event: A terrible drought has hit Oklahoma. Because of this event, (x and y happened)."

Start and Stop With Discussion

Hero Images / Getty Images

With this  lesson plan  idea, you stop the movie at key points so that students can respond as a class to questions posted on the board. 

As an alternative, you may choose not to prepare questions in advance but rather to allow the discussion to unfold organically. By stopping the movie to discuss it, you can take advantage of teachable moments that arise in the film. You can also point out historical inaccuracies in the movie. To assess whether this method is effective for your class, keep track of the students who participate in each discussion.

Have the Students Write a Review

Mayur Kakade / Getty Images

Another way to see how much your students are learning from a film is to have them write a movie review. Before the movie begins, go over the elements of a great movie review . Remind students that a movie review should include a description of the movie without spoiling the ending. Share a selection of well-written movie reviews with the class. To ensure that students include pertinent information, provide them with a list of the specific elements you expect to see. You might also show them the grading rubric that you plan to use as another way of indicating what their final review should include. 

Compare and Contrast Films or Scenes

Tara Moore / Getty Images

One way to have students better understand a scene in a piece of literature is to show different film adaptations of the same work. For example, there are multiple film adaptations of the novel " Frankenstein ."  Ask students about the director's interpretation of the text or whether the content of the book is accurately represented in the movie.

If you are showing different versions of a scene, such as a scene from one of Shakespeare's plays , you can deepen student understanding by having them note the different interpretations and offer explanations for those differences.

  • 11 Pros and Cons of Using Movies in Class
  • Components of a Well-Written Lesson Plan
  • Writing English Drama Scripts in ESL Class
  • Good Emergency Lesson Plans Can Take the Stress out of an Emergency
  • Halloween Lesson Plan Ideas
  • Mini-Lesson Plans: Template for Writers Workshop
  • Making a video in ESL class
  • 8 Things Teachers Can Do to Help Students Succeed
  • How to Make Lesson Plans for Adult Students
  • Write Lesson Plans
  • 10 Ways to Keep Your Class Interesting
  • Movie Genres for English Learners
  • Here's What You Need to Know About Lesson Plans
  • Topics for a Lesson Plan Template
  • Writing a Lesson Plan: Direct Instruction
  • The Sandlot Social Skills Lesson Plan

lesson plan for movie review

  • AI and Education
  • Summer of Learning
  • Summer Stanley Sweepstakes
  • JOIN: AFT Book Club
  • Featured This Month: LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Educator Resources and Lesson Plans
  • Elementary (Grades K-2)
  • Elementary (Grades 3-5)
  • Middle School
  • High School
  • Higher Education
  • Adult Education
  • Professional Development
  • Paraprofessional and School Related Personnel (PSRP)
  • Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (SISP)
  • Career and Technical Education
  • Digital Literacy and Citizenship
  • English Language Arts
  • Health and Wellness
  • Learning Through Play
  • Media Literacy
  • Physical Education
  • Professional Learning
  • Social Emotional Learning
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • World Languages and Cultures
  • AFT Members
  • Collections
  • Communities

lesson plan for movie review

LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Educator Resources and Lesson Plans

LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Educator Resources and Lesson Plans

Movie review

Foreign_Languages_Team

About This Lesson

PowerPoint aimed at helping students write a movie review.

Una_críticapg114.ppt

Una_crítica_writing_helpsheet.doc

SML Member

More from this Contributor

Easter End of term Chinese Quiz

Easter End of term Chinese Quiz

Activity | Grades 9-12

Easter End of term Chinese Quiz

Tutorial on use of color in VOLVER-by a student!

Review Activity | Grades 9-12

Tutorial on use of color in VOLVER-by a student!

Vocab checklist for the study of movie techniques

Handout | Grades 9-12

Vocab checklist for the study of movie techniques

Activity | Grades 6-8

la météo

me presento

Handout | Grades 6-8

me presento

mon collège

mon collège

Topic: TV & Cinema

lesson plan for movie review

It’s a one-way street! Parasocial relationships

With this engaging lesson, students read an article, discuss parasocial relationships and talk about fandom. They also share their experiences, learn vocabulary to talk about the topic and give their opinions on fans and fandoms.

financial crimes vocabulary

Financial crimes

In this lesson, students practise vocabulary related to financial crimes and watch a video about money laundering. They also discuss real cases of financial fraud, read a film synopsis and talk about their personal opinions.

Christmas speaking activities

It’s the cheesiest time of the year!

This lesson not only enhances language skills but also encourages students to think about cultural aspects of the holiday season while having fun getting in the Christmas spirit. Have a laugh together talking about cheesy Christmas films and activities!

lesson about the film industry

The future of the film industry

In this lesson about the film industry, students talk about the changes that the industry might undergo in the near future. They also learn phrases related to films, watch a news report and read two short texts.

speaking lesson about TV shows

Dissecting TV shows

In this speaking lesson about TV shows, students do a variety of speaking activities and watch two trailers.

multiple-choice cloze task

Has cancel culture gone too far?

In this lesson students learn vocabulary useful to talk about cancel culture, do a CAE multiple-choice cloze task, watch a video, and get the opportunity to discuss cancel culture and freedom of speech in depth. 

talking about fear in English

Why do we like horror films?

In this lesson, students learn vocabulary useful when talking about fear or relief, watch a video about horror films, and describe situations in which they felt uneasy or scared. 

people watching and talking about films

Do you watch trailers?

In this lesson, students learn and practise useful language for talking about films and discuss their preferences related to watching films.

panel show

Question Time – Let’s have a panel show!

In this lesson, students read two short texts about a TV series, The Crown and a panel show, Question Time, learn useful language for agreeing and disagreeing, and have a panel show.

Christmas lesson plan

Have yourself a merry little Christmas!

Thanks to this Christmas lesson plan, students discuss Christmas preparations, watch some TV commercials and write their own Christmas wishes.

lesson plan on binge watching

Let’s binge watch it together!

In this lesson plan students learn advanced TV vocabulary, discuss statistics connected with binge watching and talk about their TV series watching habits.

lesson plan on films

Let’s go to the movies! – ESL lesson plan on films

This ESL lesson plan on films is based on a video review of Pain and Glory. Your student will learn new vocabulary and write a short film review themselves.

reporting verbs

Movie quotes you should know!

With this worksheet, your students will learn some classic movie quotes, use them to practise reporting verbs and do some fun pairwork activity.

English lesson plan for adults

Colour psychology – idioms

This lesson plan for adults only looks into the world of colours and how they are used in the movie industry. Students will also learn different colour idioms.

Subscribe to get premium content

Subscribe to get access to professional, ready-to-use lesson plans in both digital and printable formats . Discover a variety of lesson types: Standard Lessons, Speaking Classes, Critical Reading Club worksheets and Flipped Classroom lesson plans.

Username or Email Address

Remember Me

Home » Movies » Movie Reviews

Lesson Plan review – a harrowing look at teen drug addiction

lesson-plan-review-netflix

It is an action-packed look into an undercover cop using his skills to help teens avoid drug addiction.

We review the Netflix film Lesson Plan, which does not contain spoilers.

Netflix has had a string of action films with compelling stories, and Lesson Plan,   directed by Daniel Markowicz , is jam-packed. From the very beginning, he sets the tone of the story with a drug dealer who has gotten to high school students.

He has been planting these drugs in schools and these poor teenagers fall deep into addiction . After a teacher tragically dies, his friend, who happens to be a former cop, takes over his old job in hopes of catching the people responsible for his murder, as per the synopsis on IMDB.

The cop takes his old skills while he was working undercover and he applies that to teaching his friend’s students how to defend themselves, just in case they ever encountered these henchmen with the drugs. what was so interesting about this was the fact that the teens who weren’t on drugs were so keen on helping their classmates get out of the addiction.

They were very vocal about their friend’s whereabouts in front of teachers and they ended up forming their own group to find them. While all this is happening, the cop has to deal with his own trauma as his past comes back to haunt him.

When he was undercover, he got so close to getting the head dealer, but it cost him his wife. So he tries to live again and turn those bad moments into something good by helping these teens. 

The film has some great action but when it gets into the fight choreography it looks unpolished. It does begin to drag in the middle because there are many characters involved, and the story gets lost.

But, once the teens get involved with their group it picks back up again. The better thread of the story is how these teens are helping each other, you get to see the underground of the drug deals and it’s concerning.

This really does happen in many high schools in different countries, and it’s difficult to actually stop this. It becomes like an idea planted in someone’s mind and it’s almost impossible to yank it out.

Apart from the character development of the cop, the movie does highlight the early signs of addiction and what to watch for when you’re a parent with a teen in high school.

Markowicz made some good decisions in regard to teaching the children how to defend themselves. He was able to have the former cop develop into someone with a heart and he seemed healed by the end of this film.

Even though bad things can happen to good people, it doesn’t mean they have to stay broken. There’s a way to patch everything together.

What did you think of the Netflix film Lesson Plan? Comment below.

More Stories on Lesson Plan

  • Lesson Plan ending explained

' data-src=

Article by Amanda Guarragi

Amanda Guarragi joined Ready Steady Cut as an Entertainment Writer in June 2022. She is a Toronto-based film critic who has covered TIFF, Sundance Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, and HorrorFest International. Amanda is also a growing YouTuber, with her channel Candid Cinema growing in popularity.

Amazon original Panic season 1, episode 6 - Dead-End

Panic season 1, episode 6 recap - what happened in "Dead-End"?

On My Skin Review

'On My Skin' ('Sulla mia pelle') | Venice 2018 Film Review

This website cannot be displayed as your browser is extremely out of date.

Please update your browser to one of the following: Chrome , Firefox , Edge

lesson plan for movie review

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

  • For Parents
  • For Educators
  • Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

  • Get the app
  • Movie Reviews
  • Best Movie Lists
  • Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

lesson plan for movie review

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

lesson plan for movie review

  • Best TV Lists
  • Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
  • Common Sense Selections for TV
  • Video Reviews of TV Shows

lesson plan for movie review

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

lesson plan for movie review

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

  • Book Reviews
  • Best Book Lists
  • Common Sense Selections for Books

lesson plan for movie review

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

lesson plan for movie review

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

  • Game Reviews
  • Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

  • Video Reviews of Games

lesson plan for movie review

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

lesson plan for movie review

  • Podcast Reviews
  • Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

lesson plan for movie review

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

lesson plan for movie review

  • App Reviews
  • Best App Lists

lesson plan for movie review

Social Networking for Teens

lesson plan for movie review

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

lesson plan for movie review

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

  • YouTube Channel Reviews
  • YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

lesson plan for movie review

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

lesson plan for movie review

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

  • Preschoolers (2-4)
  • Little Kids (5-7)
  • Big Kids (8-9)
  • Pre-Teens (10-12)
  • Teens (13+)
  • Screen Time
  • Social Media
  • Online Safety
  • Identity and Community

lesson plan for movie review

Screen-Free Activities for Kids and Teens to Enjoy Over the Summer

  • Family Tech Planners
  • Digital Skills
  • All Articles
  • Latino Culture
  • Black Voices
  • Asian Stories
  • Native Narratives
  • LGBTQ+ Pride
  • Best of Diverse Representation List

lesson plan for movie review

Multicultural Books

lesson plan for movie review

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

lesson plan for movie review

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

Lesson plan, common sense media reviewers.

lesson plan for movie review

Bland action-thriller has lots of violence, drugs, language.

Lesson Plan movie poster

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Even though the film is violent, the underscoring

Damien is a former cop who uses violence to fight

The film isn't racially diverse, but there's some

Much of the film is comprised of fighting/violent

Making out.

"F--k," "damn," "s--t," "f--king."

The villains are students and teachers who are par

Parents need to know that Lesson Plan is a Polish thriller-action film about a former cop who finds out his friend, a history teacher, died under mysterious circumstances. He takes his friend's job at the school to investigate what led to his friend's death. The film includes numerous scenes with discussions…

Positive Messages

Even though the film is violent, the underscoring message is that perseverance and teamwork are important to rectifying societal issues.

Positive Role Models

Damien is a former cop who uses violence to fight through the drug ring that has killed his friend. Even though he's a violent man, he's portrayed as someone who uses violence for good, since he's trying to restore justice and save his friend's school from drugs and crime. He also teaches his class self-protection skills, which come in handy when they all take down the drug ring.

Diverse Representations

The film isn't racially diverse, but there's some exposure to Polish culture. Female characters aren't well-defined outside of their relationships to men, especially Damian's love interest, who acts less like a fellow teacher and more like a lovestruck student. Only one female character, a student, is portrayed as someone who isn't solely defined by male relationships.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Much of the film is comprised of fighting/violent scenes. In one scene, a character gets shot in the head. It's insinuated that Damian's love interest, a fellow teacher, was about to be sexually assaulted by a gang of students if Damian didn't arrive to fight them. Damian's friend, a history teacher, dies allegedly by suicide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

The villains are students and teachers who are part of a drug ring within the school. Discussions about drug use and addiction, as well as scenes with drinking and drug use.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Lesson Plan is a Polish thriller-action film about a former cop who finds out his friend, a history teacher, died under mysterious circumstances. He takes his friend's job at the school to investigate what led to his friend's death. The film includes numerous scenes with discussions and images of drug use and drinking. Much of the film is comprised of fighting/violent scenes. A character gets shot in the head. It's insinuated a woman was about to be sexually assaulted by a gang of students. Someone allegedly dies by suicide. Language includes "f--k," "damn," "s--t," and "f--king." To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Piotr Witkowski in Lesson Plan

Community Reviews

  • Parents say

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

LESSON PLAN follows Damian (Piotr Witkowski), a former police officer with jiu-jitsu skills, on the hunt for his friend's murderers. Because his friend was a history teacher at a school known for drug use, Damian takes his friend's job to investigate the truth behind his friend's death.

Is It Any Good?

Lesson Plan is charming in the sense that it evokes a retro sense of the hero using martial arts to instill values into others around him. But overall, the film is bland at best, and confusing at worst. Why would a school randomly hire someone not qualified to be a teacher to fill a position? Why is Damian (Witkowski) trying to teach when he's not trained in history? Why is he using his teaching time to teach unauthorized jiu-jitsu classes? And why is his love interest Agata, another teacher at the school, less focused on teaching and more focused on being a stereotype of a feminine character defined by her status as a "love interest"?

Aside from these questions, the film might be enjoyable if you love films like these -- think Jean-Claude Van Damme , Chuck Norris (who is name-checked in the film), or even Jackie Chan films. But if you aren't willing to turn off your brain and go along with standard action tropes, Lesson Plan might be a tedious watch for you.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about action-thrillers. How does this one compare to others you've seen?

What positive lessons does Damian give his students?

How is violence used as a plot device in the film?

What message does the film have about drugs and alcohol?

How does the film incorporate perseverance and teamwork ?

Movie Details

  • On DVD or streaming : November 23, 2022
  • Cast : Piotr Witkowski , Marcin Bosak , Pascal Fischer , Zuzanna Galewicz
  • Director : Daniel Markowicz
  • Studio : Netflix
  • Genre : Thriller
  • Run time : 101 minutes
  • MPAA rating : NR
  • Last updated : November 30, 2022

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

Kindergarten Cop Poster Image

Kindergarten Cop

Want personalized picks for your kids' age and interests?

The Expendables 2

21 Jump Street Poster Image

21 Jump Street

Best action movies for kids, thriller movies.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

  • Advertising

Heaven of Horror

  • Prime Video
  • Best & Worst

Select Page

Lesson Plan – Netflix Review (2/5)

Posted by Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard | Nov 23, 2022 | 3 minutes

Lesson Plan – Netflix Review (2/5)

LESSON PLAN on Netflix is a new Action-Thriller from Poland (org. title: Plan lekcji ). It has a crime plot and stars a sort of Polish Jean-Claude Van Damme type. You’ll be seeing a lot of fights. Read our full Lesson Plan  movie review here!

LESSON PLAN is a new Netflix action-thriller with a crime plot. It’s a Polish production (org. title: Plan lekcji ) which means a high production quality. However, unlike other Netflix productions from Poland, this one isn’t very deep or realistic. Instead, they’ve opted for a stereotypical 1990s style.

MORE POLISH NETFLIX PRODUCTIONS If you want to watch a good Polish Netflix production, then check out this one >

You’ll know within the first five minutes if this is something you’re in the mood for. It was not to my liking at all, but I absolutely recognize that many others will have a blast with this. Perfect hang-over movie since the plot is very simple and quite predictable.

Continue reading our Lesson Plan  movie review below. Find it on Netflix from November 23, 2022.

Macho testosterone display

Lesson Plan  is truly a display of macho stereotypes and feels like a spoof. We’re talking crazy testosterone-driven scenes that you can predict from a mile away. Complete with the brooding hero, which includes the murder of a loved one.

Oh yeah, you’ll even get a scene of kneeling down in the rain, crying out!

Other than that, we’re talking fight scene after fight scene and cringe-worthy one-liners. This is the kind of thing you’d joke about, but could also enjoy if you’re in the mood for something that you don’t have to try and “figure out”.

There is nothing to really discover, despite this also being a crime thriller (with a lot of action scenes). Everything will be served to you on a silver platter before it ever gets too far.

Lesson Plan – Review | Netflix Action-Thriller

Even the fight scenes are pretty boring

If  Lesson Plan had been a little more charming or tongue-in-cheek, it could’ve worked for me. Just like the Jean-Claude Van Damme movies did back in the last century.

The quality of this production makes it better than the B movies, you might expect this storyline from. However, the actual storyline of  Lesson Plan might actually be even weaker than those classic action B movies.

Hell, I grew up watching Jean-Claude Van Damme and loving it. However, while the fight scenes in this movie appear to be inspired by his movies, they are quite boring. Equal parts slow and predictable and just one after another.

You can watch Lesson Plan on Netflix now!

The director of  Lesson Plan  (org. Polish title: Plan lekcji ) is Daniel Markowicz while the screenplay was written by Daniel Bernardi. The two also worked on the 2021 Netflix movie Bartkowiak  which – if you’ve watched it – gives you a good idea of what to expect.

My ultimate take on this new movie is; You can watch Lesson Plan  and just have fun with it. But to me, it was almost too tasteless for that. I mean, even the very final scene that plays out as the end credits began was so tone-deaf and cringe-worthy, it actually made me roll my eyes (again!).

As it stands, this Polish Netflix movie is just a boring blip in my movie-watching history. Which is much less than I’d ever expect from a Netflix production from Poland. But hey, you can’t win every time and maybe I just had my expectations set too high.

Give it a shot, if you’re in the mood for mindless action. Just don’t expect anything more than that!

Lesson Plan  is out on Netflix from November 23, 2022.

Director: Daniel Markowicz Writer: Daniel Bernardi Stars: Piotr Witkowski, Jan Wieczorkowski, Antonina Jarnuszkiewicz, Nicolas Przygoda, Daniel Namiotko, Rafal Zawierucha, Zuzanna Galewicz, Pascal Fischer, Marcin Bosak, Roma Gasiorowska

While grieving the deaths of his wife and best friend, a skilled fighter uses his talents to help a group of students at a troubled inner-city school.
  • Recent Posts

Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard

  • Joko Anwar’s Nightmares and Daydreams – Review | Netflix - June 14, 2024
  • Latency – Movie Review (2/5) - June 13, 2024
  • The Sintern – Movie Review | Tubi (3/5) - June 13, 2024

About The Author

Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard

Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard

I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror. And yes, it does happen that I find myself screaming, when watching a good horror movie. I love psychological horror, survival horror and kick-ass women. Also, I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy. Oh yeah, and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies, so I will immediately think less of any movie, where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors). Fortunately, horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy. And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones. Go figure!

Related Posts

Name Above Title – Review [Fantastic Fest] (4/5)

Name Above Title – Review [Fantastic Fest] (4/5)

September 26, 2021

Bad Vegan – Netflix Review

Bad Vegan – Netflix Review

March 15, 2022

Horror, Thriller & Sci-fi on Netflix in February 2020

Horror, Thriller & Sci-fi on Netflix in February 2020

January 23, 2020

Ghosts of War – Movie Review (3/5)

Ghosts of War – Movie Review (3/5)

July 13, 2020

Pin It on Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

 

: This lesson is divided into two hours. The first lesson explores some basic language used to describe movies and the second lesson provides practice and more in-depth exploration. The first part is an old activity that I've used with a great deal of success for years and the second part is a role-play that I made recently and is still being tested out. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

: Reviews movie vocabulary.

 

: Reviews movie vocabulary.

 

: Good walk and talk exercise.

 

: Students read movie synopses and try to guess the movie. It can also be used as a listening activity.

 

: Students relay information about movie contents and show times.

 

 

 

also covers the themes of plot, setting, character, and title.

 

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

IMAGES

  1. Writing a film review worksheet template modeling

    lesson plan for movie review

  2. Movie lesson plans

    lesson plan for movie review

  3. Thumbs Up For Movie Reviews Lesson Plan for 3rd

    lesson plan for movie review

  4. FREE 13+ Sample Movie Reviews in Word, PDF

    lesson plan for movie review

  5. How to Write a Movie Review: Step-by-Step Guide

    lesson plan for movie review

  6. How to Write a Movie Review: Tips, Samples, Template

    lesson plan for movie review

VIDEO

  1. PLAN Movie Short Video spoof full video on youtube plz subscribe my channel

  2. action scene for lesson plan movie

  3. Lesson Plan Soundtrack

  4. Plan 2🎞New Actions Movie 🎥 Full HD)

  5. bollywood movies PLAN Full action (2004) की जबरदस्त movie #shyamveer #trending 😎😎

  6. The Lesson (2023)

COMMENTS

  1. Showing a Movie in Class? Help Your Students Develop Active Viewing

    Movie Review Lesson Plan: Help Your Students Become Active Viewers. Image. Use this lesson plan and worksheet to help your students practice their active viewing skills, no matter what movie they're watching! We've designed this lesson and activity for middle school, but it could also be great for upper elementary or even in a high school class ...

  2. Writing a Movie Review: Teaching Tips and Lesson Ideas

    4. Provide Common Vocabulary. As part of a film study, it's important for students to be able to speak the "language" of movie making. After viewing the movie, I like to take some time to outline some key terms to help students write their reviews. Words like blockbuster, avant-garde, disjointed, or uninspired can help elevate movie ...

  3. Lesson 7: Task: Write a film review

    Writing a Film Review. This is the lesson where you put everything together. We want you to write a review of a film. ... The movie is set in Boston and it tells the story of private family event gets leaked on social media, Ibrahim Al Ruby decides to live in a village with his wife and children, far from people and the pressure of modern life. ...

  4. PDF Sample Student-Friendly Movie Reviews

    Sample Student-Friendly Movie Reviews Author: bunyi Subject: This handout from Angela Bunyi's Writing Movie Reviews: Lights, Camera, Publish! lesson plan includes three movie reviews (one each for Kit Kittredge, Kung Fu Panda', and WALL-E) from Rotten Tomatoes. Use these as samples to help students write their ow n movie reviews. Created Date

  5. Lesson Plan

    Lesson Plan (2022) Lesson Plan (2022) Lesson Plan (2022) View more photos Movie Info. Synopsis After a teacher dies, his best friend -- a former cop -- takes a job at the school where he worked to ...

  6. PDF Lesson plan January

    Learners work in pairs to do activity 1. Make sure learners understand that all the information has been included in the film review. Encourage learners to notice how the review has been organised into 3 paragraphs. 4. (15 - 20 minutes) Learners do activity 2 individually. Monitor learners as they write to make sure they are following the steps.

  7. Teach with Movies

    Corner in Wheat and The Last Repair Shop. The first film with social commentary: for Social Studies (U.S. 1865 - 1913); ELA (metaphor used to convey irony); and Film Studies. 2024 Academy Award Winner: for all classes especially music: Warmhearted, Inspiring, Beautifully Filmed; Full of Life Lessons.

  8. PDF 1. Read the film review. Does the writer answer all these questions

    Follow the steps to write your own film review. 1. Think of a film you have watched. 2. Make notes for each of the questions in Activity 1. 3. Write your review using the your notes and the model text. Use some of the words and phrases in bold. Write between 100 and 150 words.

  9. Writing a Film Review: A Useful Sample and Planning Sheet for Teachers

    MOVIE REVIEWS - READING Level: intermediate Age: 13-17 Downloads: 862 How to write a film review Level: intermediate Age: 11-17 Downloads: 681 ... It helps students practice written modal through guidance in order write a film review. A detailed lesson plan is also provided for teachers to help guide running the lesson. Level:intermediate

  10. Movie Review Lesson Plan for ESL Students

    Movie Review Lesson Plan for ESL Students. Suzanne has taught all levels PK-graduate school and has a PhD in Instructional Systems Design. She currently teachers literacy courses to preservice and ...

  11. So What Do You Think? Writing a Review

    This lesson uses discussion of student opinions about yesterday's lunch or a popular TV show serves as an introduction to the genre of reviews. Students then read and analyze conflicting reviews. After examining samples of movie, music, restaurant, and book reviews, students devise guidelines for writing interesting and informative reviews.

  12. Let's go to the movies!

    LESSON OVERVIEW. This ESL lesson plan on films is based on a video presenting some details about Pain and Glory, a film by Pedro Almodovar that is nominated to 2020 Oscars. The worksheet consists of two parts, pre-class and in-class activities, but the whole lesson plan can also be done during the class as the video is just 6 min long.

  13. QUARTER 3: LESSON 4: WRITING A MOVIE REVIEW

    This video is created based from Grade 10 English Pivot 4A Learner's Packet (LeaP) released by the Department of Education. This is your self-instructional m...

  14. Movie Lesson Plan Ideas

    Create a Movie-Specific Worksheet. If there is a particular movie that fits well in your lesson plan, create a worksheet specific to that film. Watch the movie yourself in advance to determine the sequence of events you want your students to observe as they watch. Include general information, such as the title of the film and the director, as ...

  15. Movie Review Lesson Plans & Worksheets Reviewed by Teachers

    Writing a Movie Review. For Teachers 10th - 12th. Students explore movies. In this literature session, students watch a classic movie and take notes. Students write a review of the movie to include author, setting, characters, summary, and how they felt about the movie and why. +.

  16. Movie review

    PowerPoint aimed at helping students write a movie review. Created and maintained by the American Federation of Teachers, Share My Lesson is a community of teachers, paraprofessionals and school-related personnel, specialized instructional support personnel, higher education faculty, and parents and caregivers who contribute content, collaborate, and stay up to date on the issues that matter ...

  17. TV & Cinema Lesson Plans

    Let's go to the movies! - ESL lesson plan on films Lifestyle. This ESL lesson plan on films is based on a video review of Pain and Glory. Your student will learn new vocabulary and write a short film review themselves. Unlimited Plan Show. B2 / Upper Intermediate | C1 / Advanced Standard Lesson 30 min.

  18. ESL Lesson Plans For Teachers Vocabulary: Describing Films/movies

    60 min. Elementary review 5 (old version) Elementary (A1-A2) In this lesson, students review the vocabulary and grammar, including cinema/movie vocabulary, travel verbs, basic phrasal verbs, infinitive of purpose, will + infinitive, imperative forms and basic uses of the present perfect. Business English.

  19. Lesson Plan review

    Published: November 23, 2022. 1. 3. Summary. It is an action-packed look into an undercover cop using his skills to help teens avoid drug addiction. We review the Netflix film Lesson Plan, which does not contain spoilers. Netflix has had a string of action films with compelling stories, and Lesson Plan, directed by Daniel Markowicz, is jam-packed.

  20. Lesson Plan Movie Review

    Our review: Parents say: Not yet rated Rate movie. Kids say: Not yet rated Rate movie. Lesson Plan is charming in the sense that it evokes a retro sense of the hero using martial arts to instill values into others around him. But overall, the film is bland at best, and confusing at worst. Why would a school randomly hire someone not qualified ...

  21. Lesson Plan

    Read our full Lesson Plan movie review here! LESSON PLAN is a new Netflix action-thriller with a crime plot. It's a Polish production (org. title: Plan lekcji) which means a high production quality. However, unlike other Netflix productions from Poland, this one isn't very deep or realistic. Instead, they've opted for a stereotypical ...

  22. Lesson Exemplar For Grade 10

    Lesson Exemplar for Grade 10 - movie review - Free download as Word Doc (.doc / .docx), PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free.

  23. ESL Lesson PLan: Movie/Film

    Film Festival: An ESL Lesson Plan to Get Students Talking About Movies. Lesson Plan: This lesson is divided into two hours. The first lesson explores some basic language used to describe movies and the second lesson provides practice and more in-depth exploration. The first part is an old activity that I've used with a great deal of success for ...