The film Empire of the Sun, directed by Steven Spielberg, is a coming of age story about a young boy, named Jim Graham, who lives in Shanghai, China. The movie focuses on the Japanese invasion of Shanghai in the year 1941. During all the turmoil that has occupied the city of China, Jim is separated from his family and his extravagant and wealthy lifestyle is lost. As a result of the raid, Jim’s innocence is lost and he is has to grow up immediately and realize that there is a serious issue going on between China and Japan. As a young boy, he learns to comprehend the situation he is faced with through the encounters that he makes with various characters. The fact that the portrayal of war is depicted through the eyes of a young boy and his experiences, allows the viewers to understand that war has no boundaries and that at times, affects the people who are pure and are yet to experience the good things that life has to offer. Moreover, the film discuses the concept of identity and the effects that war has on the human being.
The reason for selecting this film for my class is because the novel is one of the many required books that my 10th grade students have to independently read as part of their reading curriculum. At times, students have found the book to be challenging and despite the fact that they have to read the book independently, they have come to me for assistance. In order to help them understand the main concepts and themes of the story, I have created lessons in which we read sections of the book and then watch parts of the movie. In addition, I have students analyze certain images of the film and they write about them. In addition to this, students elaborate on the characters through the six elements of characterization: (1) Direct Statement, (2) Physical Appearance, (3) Thoughts and Feelings, (4) Dialogue, (5) Actions and (6) Other Character’s Comments. Students are also required to complete a T-Chart, where they compare and contrast the novel from the film. At the end of the book, students take an online computer book test of the book and if they are successful, they receive reading points and credit for reading the book. This strategy of correlating the book and film has been helpful to students because it allows them to envision what is taking place in the reading they are doing.
edited by dcoronel on 5/23/2013
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Empire of the Sun
08/10/2013 07:16 AM
#1
Empire of the Sun
Sounds very interesting. I will check it out, I also teach 10th graders.
Teaching 10th graders is quite an adventure and challenge. I love working with this group of students.
Thank you for a great review of how you use this film with your students. I will check it out this summer.
I use this movie to teach WWII. The students appreciate it because the can relate to the youngster who is star of the movie. Specifically, I also use it to teach key terms like kamikaze, allies, central powers et cetera.
Students also keep diaries where they write their own personal reflection about the movie in particular and WWII in general. They have the option to share their thoughts with the rest of the class. This reflection forces them to put themselves in the star's shoes. They share what they would have done diffferently. They are also forced to reflect on the horrors of wars in general.
It is one of my favorites classroom movies on WWII.