Immerse students in the lives of indigenous kids in the US. Show your students 5 short films by indigenous directors, and teach them how to write a film review along the way.
These short films range from 7 to 13 minutes long, are all available for free online, and are all created by artists from native tribes indigenous to the U.S.
Students use a graphic organizer while viewing to keep track of their thoughts, and then write a short review of their favorite film following ready-to-print instructions.
The language in this resource is student friendly, instructions are clear and explicit, and this activity is both high-interest and rigorous.
With this purchase, you will receive a folder containing:
- Indigenous Film Festival Review Organizer, which students complete while watching the 5 films
- Indigenous Film Festival Review Instructions, including exemplar and rubric
Here are the short films linked in this activity:
- Awakening (2014) directed by LaRonn Katchia
- Little Chief (2020) directed by Erica Tremblay (starring 2023 Academy Award winner Lily Gladstone!)
- Mino Bimaadiziwin (2018) directed by Shane McSauby
- Generations (2018) directed by Anthony Florez
- The Blanketing (2013) directed by Trevor Mack
Teachers can use this to help students build cultural literacy and empathy. This can be used alongside texts like The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Reservation Blues, There There, Ceremony, The Death of Jim Loney, Island of the Blue Dolphins, or The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses. Use this while teaching history students about native boarding schools, the Trail of Tears, the American Indian Wars, Wounded Knee, or the Battle of Little Bighorn. This can also be used as staff training, peer education, or professional development.