Lesson Plans for In the Heights

Like many of you, I spent the weekend watching In the Heights. I read that some of you were renting theaters to go and watch with your trusted group of family and friends. Others, like myself, clicked on HBO Max and watched at home. 

I was fascinated to find that the movie finds its roots in Lin-Manuel Miranda's undergraduate imagination. He wrote his first draft of it in 1999 while attending Wesleyan. In 2004, he worked with author, Quiara Alegría Hudes, to further develop it and by 2008 it premiered on Broadway. 

I love it, of course. And decided it would be great for my teen. 

Psst! Did you know that it's available as a book?

I've heard a few teachers talking about it and started wondering if there were lesson plans available. And, yes! There are!

Listing them here for your pleasure...

In the Heights Lesson Plans

• Loyola University has this excellent 24-page LMU In the Heights curriculum
• Lesson Planet has this study guide (9th - 12th)
• The Orlando Shakes Theater also has this 12-page study guide and a one-page spotlight guide
• MuseMachine.com has this comprehensive, 56-page study guide
• on TpT you'll find this DRAMA LESSON IN THE HEIGHTS THE BROADWAY MUSICAL DISTANCE LEARNING from DramaMommaSpeaks
  
  

Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lin-Manuel Miranda Lesson Plans, Study Guides, and More

There are a lot of lesson plans about Miranda on TpT. Check out this great selection for a variety of ages:

• Music Composer of the Month: Lin-Manuel Miranda Bulletin Board Pack (PreK - 12th)
• DISTANCE LEARNING LIN MANUEL MIRANDA HAMILTON PERFORMER COMPOSER (6th-10th)
• Listen & Learn - Lin Manuel Miranda (3rd - 6th)
• Lin-Manuel Miranda: Musician of the Month (not grade specific)
• Warm Up and Wrap Up: A Week with Lin-Manuel Miranda (10th - 12th)

Videos

For a Spanish video biography, I absolutely love this one for little children from CBeebies Español:

But I just couldn't find any in English that were kid/student friendly. When I do, I'll update this page.

Books for kids about Lin-Manuel Miranda

First the ones for little kids: (aff links)

And here's one for young adults:

You May Also Like Learning About...

Here are some of my other posts and reading passages that you may enjoy.

• Cesar Chavez Lesson Plans, Activities, Coloring Sheets and More
• A Mini-Lesson on Bill Meléndez
• Free Vicente Fernández Reading Passage
• Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz - Lesson Plans, Videos, and Books for Kids
• Arturo Alfonso Schomburg Reading Passage
• Dolores Huerta Lesson Plans, Activities, Coloring Sheets and More
  
  
  
  
  
• Teach for Justice Lesson Plans
• Hispanic Poets: One-Page Reading Passages
• Spanish Biography Video Series

New Movie: Día de Muertos

Stop the press! Did you know that Mexico is coming out with a new animated video called Día de Muertos?!? (And if you did, why didn't you tell me?!)

I just saw this official trailer from Videocine. It looks incredible! I can't wait! Do you think they'll release it in the U.S.? I have no idea, but I hope so.

Here's the summary from imdb:

In the Mexican town of Santa Clara, lives Salma, a 16 year-old orphan who never got to meet her biological parents. The only story she's been told her whole life is that they abandoned her. Salma has spent most of her life dedicated to searching out clues for her parents' identity and their whereabouts with little to no luck, until she discovers a special book that is filled with stories of Santa Clara and the history of their people. With this new special book, Salma sets off onto an adventure with her two brave and heart-warming foster brothers, Jorge and Pedro, to find the missing links to her family's heritage in hopes to finally get to meet her long lost parents.

Watch and see if you're as excited as I am about this. Sorry to my non-Spanish readers. It's only available in Spanish as far as I can tell...

(Lots of exclamation points in this post, I know. Sorry about that, but I'm just so psyched about it and can't wait to see it for myself!)

55 Children's Books That Are Awesome Movies Too

Some of the best family movies are those based on a beloved children’s book. Perhaps you are able to remember a few off the top of your head, but you might be surprised at the sheer number of movies that began as books for kids.

This post contains affiliate links.

For the parents and teachers who are challenged with reluctant readers, these movies provide a valuable incentive for getting children to read. My son never enjoyed reading...until he watched How to Train Your Dragon and discovered the book series. For him, watching the movie first has become the motivating factor for picking up the book.

If your young pupil is an avid reader, these movies may be used as rewards for reaching milestones or utilized as comparison learning opportunities. My daughter’s favorite book of all time is Swiss Family Robinson. She’s read the book dozens of times. And when I shared the movie with her, she was surprised to see how much of the book was changed (in the book, one of the children is completely left out!). It was a great opportunity for me to whip out my little Venn Diagrams to let her compare the book and the movie.

Either way, you can’t deny that a good story transcends media to engage and empower its audience. We hope you enjoy this list of more than 50 children’s books that are also movies.

Picture Books

You’d think that a children’s picture book wouldn’t have enough content to create an entire movie, but you’d be mistaken! Some of the most amazing stories are the simplest ones and the following books/movies are prime examples.

• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak - book/movie
• The Night at the Museum by Milan Trenc - book/movie
• The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg - book/movie
• The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson - book/movie
• Curious George by H. A. Rey and Margaret Rey - book/movie
• Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg - book/movie

Dr. Seuss

Truly, Dr. Seuss is the Master of children’s picture books and the movies that have been made based on his works certainly do them justice. They are fascinating, engaging, and visual masterpieces...just like his books.

• The Lorax - book/movie
• Horton Hears a Who! - book/movie
• The Cat in the Hat - book/movie
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas - book/movie

Chapter Books

Adventurous, whimsical, inspirational, gripping...all of these books make perfect family movies. From the action-packed Lightning Thief to the thought-provoking Wrinkle in Time, your children will be fascinated by these stories of perseverance, intrigue, and triumph.

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney - book/movie
• Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan - book/movie
• Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater - book/movie
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Ron and Judi Barrett - book/movie
• Coraline by Neil Gaiman - book/movie
• Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan - book/movie
• Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh - book/movie
• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster - book/movie
• The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick - book & in Spanish!/movie
• Inkheart by Cornelia Funke - book/movie
• The Borrowers by Mary Norton (the movie was titled “The Secret World of Arrietty”) - book/movie
• The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks - book/movie
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle - book/movie (original) & recent version

Roald Dahl

Storytelling has never taken you so far as one of Dahl’s books. They lend themselves perfectly for film. And one of his stories is one of the few movies based on a children’s book that has been made more than once (think Willie Wonka Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).

• James and the Giant Peach - book/movie
• The BFG - book/movie
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - book/movie
• Matilda - book/movie
• Fantastic Mr. Fox - book/movie
• The Witches - book/movie

Series

If Hollywood has gone so far as to make more than one film of a series, then you can bet the stories are bestsellers with a loyal fanbase. It is evident by these legendary titles.

• Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling - books/movies
• How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell - books/movies
• A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket - books/movies
• Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien - books/movies
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis - books/movies
• Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - books/movies
• The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi - books/movies
• Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder - books/movies

Classics

True classics are recognized around the world. The following books have been made into movies, some of them more than once.

• Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White - book/movie
• Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie - book/movie
• The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss - book/movie
• Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll - book/movie
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - book/movie
• The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum - book/movie
• Heidi by Johanna Spyri - book/movie
• The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling - book/movie
• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett - book/movie
• Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers - book/movie
• Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls - book/movie
• Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne - book/movie
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne - book/movie

For Older Children

Some movies are based on books better suited for older kids, such as those listed below. Some of them are required reading for middle schoolers. If you have tweens and teens in your household, don’t miss these stellar films!

• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien - book/movie
• Holes by Louis Sachar - book/movie
• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson - book/movie
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - books/movie
• Jurassic Park by Micheal Crichton - book/movie

Other Posts You May Enjoy

• 40 Ways to Keep Your Child Excited About Reading
  
  
• How to Start a Book Club for 8 to 12-Year-Olds
  
  
• Bilingual Reading Logs
  
  
• 4 Ways to Hook Reluctant Readers
  
  
• Encouraging Reluctant Readers With Films

Using Film To Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

The following is a guest post by Christa Jiménez of Pura Vida Moms.

It’s Hispanic Heritage Month, which is a phenomenal celebration of all things Spanish - culture, food, history, music, and dance. It’s so important to introduce beginning Spanish students to culture as much as it is to the mechanics of language. In my experience, reluctant language learners will often fall in love with an aspect of Hispanic culture and become more motivated to learn to speak Spanish. That’s why I love that Hispanic Heritage Month falls at the beginning of the school year in the United States; it’s a great time to introduce a favorite cultural aspect and renew excitement in language learning.

Find more resources for celebrating on my post: Lesson Plans and Activities for Hispanic Heritage Month.

Celebrating Language With Film

Film can be a great way to engage older students in culture; the characters are relatable, there are many visual cues, and it’s easy to put subtitles on the movie so that kids can read along with what they are seeing and hearing. It’s also super easy to put the video on pause and engage in academic discussions or writing prompts regarding many aspects of the film. Movies are also accessible at a variety of levels, and therefore easy to differentiate for mixed-level groups. 

Sugar

One of my all-time favorite films (in any language!) is "Sugar." It's about a young baseball player from the Dominican Republic who is drafted to the minor leagues in the United States, and has to learn to navigate a new culture, language, and way of life. The portrayal of acculturation and migration is poignant, heartbreaking, funny, and ultimately thought provoking. (Note: This film is rated R because there are two sexual scenes that are not pertinent to the main storyline, and easy to skip over.)

Using "Sugar" the Movie With Beginning Spanish Students

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, I use "Sugar" with beginning language students as a way to make connections between their native language of English, and their new language, Spanish. The use of "Sugar" in the classroom is preceded by two important lessons: one on cognates and their function within language learning, and the second on context clues.

Once these two pieces of understanding are in place, it is so fun to watch "Sugar" with Spanish language learners! A few strategies that make watching the movie fun for everyone:

1. Use subtitles. If I am watching with kids who are at a beginning level of Spanish, I put the subtitles on in English. For advanced students or native speakers, I use Spanish subtitles (I live in Denver where there are few Dominicans. Many of my native-speaking students take some time to adjust to the Dominican accent of the characters.)
2. Get familiar with baseball. The baseball terminology can be a bit technical for kids who aren’t familiar with the game, so it’s great to either preview baseball rules with the kids, or pause periodically and ask for questions.
3. Preview the film first and choose sections that are the most indelible for you. Discuss those scenes with your students, either as a partner or class discussion. For example, there is an important scene in the movie when Miguel orders breakfast (I don’t want to give it away, so I’ll write about it in general terms!)- it’s a really funny section of the movie, and kids always laugh. However, the scene also underscores the sacrifices that immigrants make in order to achieve the American Dream. It’s a powerful scene for discussion in the movie. Don’t ignore those teachable moments! 

Free Movie Worksheet Download

Since MommyMaestra was so generous in allowing me to post this activity on her site, I’m including a free downloadable printable of my worksheet for beginning Spanish language learners for the movie "Sugar!"

Download the free movie guide here 

Note: This post contains affiliate links that help to support Pura Vida Moms.

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Christa Jiménez left the Spanish classroom after 15 years and is now the founder of Pura Vida Moms - a website dedicated to bilingual parenting, family travel, recipes, and bicultural and expat living. She's married to a Costa Rican, and together they have two young bilingual daughters. When she's not blogging, traveling, parenting, or reading she co-hosts the BilingualWe weekly vlog, applying the latest bilingual education research to the best practices for everyday bilingual parenting. You can find her at www.puravidamoms.com or join the BilingualWe Facebook Group to connect with other bilingual parents. Christa believes it's important to make bilingualism at home a priority- no matter what that looks like in your house! Facebook Twitter YouTube

Kidflix Global: International Films for Children and Families

Hi, Friends! I have a wonderful new resource to help you as you raise global citizens. Remember that we want our kids to be able to compete, collaborate, and excel in our global community, and to do that requires that we give our children plenty of opportunities to see and experience other countries and cultures. Let's destroy racism, fear, and stereotypes. Let's raise thoughtful, compassionate, and successful kids.

Do you know about Kidflix Global (KFG)? It is a film distribution company that brings fabulous, award-winning, international family and kids films to parents seeking to teach their children “how” to think in an international arena through films that portray “children growing up in different cultures beyond familiar environments.” Kids learn, discover, and interact with KFG films that help them become globally conscious contributors to society.

You have three options for viewing these movies:

STREAM: to your TV, computer, tablet or phone.

RENT: Do you have limited internet? No worries. Just visit their site, select the movie you want to watch, choose "Rental" from the drop-down menu, and rent your film for $6.95.

BUY: Do you or your kids have a favorite that you want to watch over and over again? Buy it! The movies sell for the regular retail value.

This is a relatively new company, so the selection isn't huge...yet. But they are launching new movies and series regularly. In fact, I had the opportunity to review the new Lotte from Gadgetville shows. This sweet television series comes out of Estonia and features the adventures of Lotte, a little dog with a tender heart. In her first adventure, Lotte is traveling south to take a little bird, Pippo, whose wing was injured during migration down to join his flock. Here's a peek:

The storyline is creative and different from most of the ones we see here in the States. It is dubbed in English, but you do have the option of Spanish subtitles. (However, this series is geared more for younger children ages 2 and up, so really, I think it would be better if it offered a dubbed Spanish version since the intended audience is too young to read.) But if you have a child who is learning English, or is bilingual, this is a lovely series! They even have a website in English for you to explore more about Lotte.

Other films they carry are from Norway, Germany, Japan, USA, Estonia, England, Switzerland, Canada, Russia. It is a fantastic collection! From You can see a full list of their films here. And KFG also offers study guides to accompany each movie so that you can extend the learning experience.

I haven't seen any from Latin America or Spain yet, but I was told that they have been searching for Spanish films but find for their target age group (6-14) - it is a bit difficult. They have targeted more Spanish and English films as their next step! If you have recommendations for family films from Latin America or Spain, you should leave a comment below or contact them directly.

Overall, this a great resource for all families, especially homeschoolers.

Enjoy!

ODD SQUAD: The Movie

Both my kids are crazy about ODD SQUAD. (I have to admit a certain fondness for Agent Otto, myself.) So they were a little sad at first when Agents Olive and Otto were replaced by Agents Otis and Olympia, but they love the new characters, too.

Anyway, when they heard that there was a full-length movie coming out on Monday, August 1st, on PBS KIDS they were totally psyched. Whenever they happened to catch a promo of the movie while watching the show, they'd come running to remind me that we HAD to be home on the 1st so they could watch the movie. Their excitement doubled when they discovered that Otto and Olive would be on the show, too.

So when I had a chance to preview the show for PBS KIDS, I said, "YES!" The preview DVD and agent "gear" arrived a few days ago and my kids went nuts, racing to the TV to watch it.

The ODD SQUAD: The Movie does not disappoint. 

The creators went all out on this one with both actors and visual effects. In this episode, a rival group of adults that calls itself Weird Team arrives with a gadget that fixes any odd problem. As a result, Odd Squad is run out of business and all the agents are forced to disband and go back to their lives as regular kids. Using math skills and teamwork, the kids discover Weird Team isn’t actually solving problems, but just covering them up. The Season 2 cast teams up with the Season 1 cast to stop Weird Team and save the world from destruction by "Daves" (you'll have to watch the show to find out what this means!).

I could see now why Olive, Otto, and Oscar were replaced and why there will probably be new team members each season: they're growing up!! Otto and Oscar towered over all of the other agents. :) So to stay true to Odd Squad, new kid agents will be required.

My kids enjoyed this so much that every morning when I wake up, they're watching it, laughing. I said, "What's the deal? How many times are you going to watch this movie?" My son's response was, "We're going to watch it every day until it airs."

Ok. It's summer. I'll give them a pass.


Disclosure: I'm a PBS KIDS Ambassador which grants me access to upcoming shows, events, and more to share with my readers. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own!

Encouraging Reluctant Readers With Films

I've always heard the phrase, "the book is better than the movie." And in my limited experience, that has generally proven to be the case. But just because this is true, doesn't mean the movie isn't worth watching. And in the case of reluctant readers, watching movies may be the pathway to creating a love of reading.

My son has always loved a good story. But he's always preferred to hear one rather than read it himself. When he was little, he would always bring a book and ask me to read to him. Even in our homeschool, our read-aloud sessions were - and still are - his favorites. But when it came to reading himself, he wasn't very keen.

Until he discovered How to Train Your Dragon. And I don't mean the books. Oh, no. The movie and then the television series captured his imagination. Then one day, we happened to be on one of our weekly bookstore trips and he spotted a little book. It was a beginning reader featuring - yep! - How to Train Your Dragon. Normally, he would be pretty apathetic and impatient about our literary shopping trips. But not this time!

This post contains affiliate links.

Using Movies with Reluctant Readers

So we bought it. And when he finished reading it, he begged me for another. And then, even though I thought they were far too advanced and difficult for him, I bought one of the bigger books by Cressida Cowell. I read the first chapter, and right when he was thoroughly hooked, I got "too busy" and told him to read it himself. He whined and begged, but I was very firm and told him I would read some more the next day if I had time. Before I knew it, he was reading it himself...before bed, in the car, on the couch. I would help him with difficult words, but otherwise he read the whole thing himself. And then I bought him another. And another.

Then one day, we stumbled upon Jeffrey Brown's Jedi Academy. And my little Star Wars lover was gobbling down all of Brown's books on that subject. Now we all eagerly await young Roan's next adventure in the third book set to come out this June.



From there we started ordering Indiana Jones books and graphic novels.

And after that? We watched Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events. I balked at the $13 price per book. Lucky for him, though, we found most of the series in hardback at a used bookstore for only $4 each.

Using Movies to Supplement Reading

But don't get me wrong. My son, who is now a voracious reader at age 8, doesn't only read books about movie characters he loves. Remember how I said he has always loved a good story? Well, that passion for reading and stories has now grown to include new books and even classics.

My once reluctant reader now easily accepts reading assignments in school, although I've had to abandon many of the easier reads for his grade. We started a set of illustrated classics I found at our local bookstore and he read aloud Robin Hood, Robinson Crusoe, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. But he couldn't wait and wound up reading Treasure Island and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer without me.

I surprised him with the movie versions of some of these titles...after he finished reading them!

Letting Kids Choose the Books They Want to Read

For school assignments, I've actively searched for "living books" written by authors passionate about the subject matter. We've even joined a homeschool book club.

Now we keep a basket in our car on the floor between my children's seats that holds an assortment of reading materials. Everything from comics to mysteries to classics to activity books to magazines. They read everything they can get their hands on. While my daughter has always been a strong reader, I didn't think my son ever would be. I'm so grateful for that I let him choose his own book. Even if it would be considered "twaddle" by some homeschoolers. Because I think to develop a love of reading in our kids, they need to be allowed to choose their own titles in addition to the ones they're assigned for school. Even (especially?) when that interest is created by movies.

25 Movies That Are Also Books

If you have a reluctant reader in your home, consider showing a movie first and then sharing the original or companion book. To help you, here's a short list to get you started. Or you may be interested in my other more comprehensive post, 55 Children's Books That Are Awesome Movies Too.

Keep in mind that there may be lots of other books or versions available than the ones I've listed here. For example, there are tons of books on Star Wars. But I listed Jedi Academy because it is perfect for a young child and emerging reader.

1. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (television series / book series)
2. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (movies / books)
3. How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell (movies & television series / books - there are a ton of other books related to this series, including picture books, etc.)
4. A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (movie / books - the series is also available on Netflix)
5. The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis (movie series / books)
6. Dinotopia by James Gurney (television series / books)
7. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy M. Montgomery (television series / books)
8. The Call of the Wild by Jack London (movie / book)
9. The Adventures of Tintin by Hergé (movie & television series / books)
10. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift (movie & television series / book)
11. The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks (movie / books)
12. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling (movies / book)
13. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (movie / book)
14. Peter Pan by James M. Barrie (movies / book)
15. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg (movie / book)
16. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (movie / book)
17. Stuart Little by E. B. White (movies / book)
18. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (movie & television series / book)
19. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas (movie / book)
20. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (movie / book)
21. Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne (movie / book)
22. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (movie & television / book)
23. Jedi Academy by Jeffrey Brown (spin-off of Star Wars) (movies / books)
24. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (movie / book)
25. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett (movie / book)

Other Posts You May Enjoy

• 55 Children's Books That Are Awesome Movies Too
  
  
• 40 Ways to Keep Your Child Excited About Reading
  
  
• How to Start a Book Club for 8 to 12-Year-Olds
  
  
• Bilingual Reading Logs
  
  
• 4 Ways to Hook Reluctant Readers