Futures Thinking and Literacy: Writing Screenplays for Dystopian Fiction
What’s Going on in This Picture?
WHAT
In Steve’s middle school EAL classroom, students engaged with language arts within an interconnected framework of Sustainable Development Goals, MYP Global Contexts, SIOP framed content and language objectives, and WIDA literacy rubrics. The learning goal is rooted was rooted in empowering diverse student populations via global citizenship, multilingualism, multiculturalism, authentic literacy, and real-world projects and publications.
Above: As a part of mapping the emotional wellbeing of certain key characters, students were asked to tableaux scenes to better understand dynamics of character differences as well as understanding directing elements such as non-verbal cues, director's notes, camera angles, sets, and framing
WHY
In dystopian screenwriting and theater or film production, students embark on authentic publication and inquiry-based literacy work — collaborating to create meaningful writing and technology-based projects that generate transformative learning and provocative solutions for global and local issues.
HOW
The Last Book in the Universe is an excellent Lexile friendly chapter book with mature themes which tackle social issues ranging from addiction, to genetic engineering, to poverty, to urbanization, to governance. Without a graphic novel or screenplay already in existence, students are thrilled to embark upon a collaborative writing opportunity. A Long Walk to Water is another such book I have used successfully that carries equal possibilities and provocation for MS kids.
One piece of the screenwriting workshop linked to reading comprehension is the collection of non-negotiable quotes that "must end up in the script". Pens to Lens is a solid resource for MS/HS students to see the nuances in formatting and writing screenplays.
Themes from Last Book in the Universe link well to the global-issues-based literacy work found in the Facing the Future non-fiction chapter "Envisioning Our Future". Connecting dystopian literature with non-fiction research is essential in helping students understand the futures thinking necessary in the dystopian writing craft.
Content and language objectives (expressive reading for comprehension) pull the kids into their language development as they are excited to create and submit an authentic screenplay to a real-life editor in Los Angeles. Remaining focused on a community goal and a real-life, published piece engage and empower learning. Capturing pre-assessment data on what kids know about screenplays will be one focus of this mini-checkpoint.
Along the way, students have opportunities to practice scenes to develop expressive interpretations of a novel as well and to better comprehend and determine the necessary nuances and fictional elements of a book that must be a part of the screenplay:
Following the determination of the plot events, students map the level of intensity and action, followed by the emotional wellbeing of each of the main characters in response to the events. This helps students identify tone, a key element in screenplays for both verbal and non-verbal language.
Students complete linking the plot, characterization, setting, and theme in a visual planner that will act as a backbone to the nuances and interconnectedness of the elements of fiction in the screenplay, hitting major standards and transformative learning in the process.
Students key word plot events and then create a line graph of the rising action in this cliffhanger. Following this, character wellbeing is mapped, and finally, key settings and themes are posted to create this creative, interconnected storyboard.
As a part of mapping the emotional wellbeing of certain key characters, students are asked to tableaux scenes to better understand dynamics of character differences as well as understanding directing elements such as non-verbal cues, director's notes, camera angles, sets, and framing.
Even our most reluctant writers thrived in this collaborative screenwriting. In a second draft of Chapter 20 of Last Book in the Universe, one student leveled up writing proficiency through a deep connection to the authentic output and relevant topics.