Teaching Literary Elements with Animated Short Films: The Lost Thing

This set of standards-based lessons includes an examination of plot, conflict, setting, mood, symbolism, and theme. Teach advanced lessons for secondary students on setting, mood, symbolism, and theme using the picture book, "Lost and Found" by Shaun Tan or the Oscar Award-winning short film "The Lost Thing" (book/film not included). The Lost Thing is a story about a boy who finds a strange creature on the beach. He decides that it must be lost and that he must find where this creature belongs. The boy struggles to find anyone who will help him. Finding a home for a unique creature is a challenge in a dull world filled with people who cling to their roles and routines.

My goal in teaching with films is to give students an understanding of literary devices and themes through a very short and engaging shared text, an understanding that they can then apply to more complex written texts. Teaching with short films is a great way to engage struggling readers and English language learners, giving them a scaffold that enables them to participate in discussions with peers about literary terms. The teacher's guide includes helpful tips for differentiating the lessons.

This product also includes a digital interactive notebook created in Google Slides. You can assign the notebook in Google Classroom or use the slides to facilitate interactive lessons using your Pear Deck or Nearpod account.

Students can explore comparisons between the situations and themes in this film with those in the novels "The Giver," “The Wizard of Oz,” “Peter Pan,” “Alice in Wonderland,” or the picture book “The Polar Express” through discussion activities, graphic organizers, and text graffiti gallery walk. The short film is 15 minutes long and is NOT included in the lesson. Please be sure you have access to the film before purchasing.