Tool Tuesday: Halloween Kick-Offs and More

As we know, narrative is everywhere, and it naturally provides the structure of many movies and TV shows we watch! I like to include engaging video analysis activities in social learning groups, as they always grab kids’ attention and get them applying skills in perspective taking.

I recalled one of my favorite Halloween-related scenes ever, from the show Modern Family, and it made for a great activity applying Story Grammar Marker^® this week. The show was a long-running series on ABC which framed current family life as chaotic and funny, relying on values including embracing remarriage, gay coupling, and family members from varied ethnic backgrounds. In this scene, Halloween enthusiast Claire has planned an extremely elaborate Halloween scene to greet trick-or-treating children, and nothing goes as planned. Why? Because the characters all bring a messy mixture of Kick-Offs and Mental States to the scene!

The scene: Modern Family | “The Dunphys' Haunted House Fiasco”(video clip link)

In an early stopping point, it was helpful to discuss the title of both the show and the movie clip—“what are your inferences and predictions?” The characters’ Kick-Offs are introduced early as they each have some interaction with Claire, and each response offer opportunities for inference. The show being older, kids’ unfamiliarity with it provides a contextual advantage for this setup!

The above represents the ease of quick narrative mapping using a tool such as Google Slides, PowerPoint, or Keynote, along with MindWing’s cut-and-paste digital icons. In a simple setup, I used the ruler (View menu) to set up a graphic organizer, pasted and resized icons and text boxes, and then multiple selected (command-click Mac, ctrl-click PC) to copy and paste them for each character. As an activity, you can have students identify each kick-off, or cut up this sheet (available here) to have them practice from a comprehension angle.

Following the clip, we worked on using mental state verbs to describe “what was going on” with each character. I found a still shot (below) that included most of the characters, which supported working memory as the students worked to formulate with complex language. A lesson here is that a Google Slide can be a workspace, so to speak, and doesn’t need to look pretty! Just insert typeable shapes and type!

A quick search found a number of other Halloween-related clips with Kick-Offs, Plans, and Mental States that you might be interested in using, including ones from “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and “E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial.”

Looking for resources for using video and electronic media to build narrative understanding and perspective taking? See Anna Vagin’s terrific books: Movie Time Social Learning and YouCue Feelings.

Happy Halloween!