A fun way for students to express their understanding of a story, its themes, and main characters, is to create a movie poster. As students read To Kill a Mockingbird, they will probably have certain themes or images stick in their minds. Have students create a movie poster, complete with a title, casting, and an image that conveys important information from the story.
When students complete their posters, they can be printed out and hung in the classroom. For additional templates to add to this assignment, check out our movie poster templates!
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a movie poster that evokes the theme, story, and other relevant information about To Kill a Mockingbird.
Start by taking note of the poster's visual components. Take note of the layout, text, colors, and photos. Teachers can also explain why certain fonts are preferred over others and how much text is actually used on the poster.
Name the main characters or images that appear on the poster. Think about how important they are to the story or ideas of the movie.
Examine the poster's color scheme. Different hues elicit various feelings and moods. Think about how the color scheme reflects the tone and genre of the movie. Students can also perform some research on the significance of choosing the right colors for movie posters.
Determine the main point or narrative the poster is trying to get across. Examine the ways in which visual cues convey the story's main points. Students can also reflect on the feedback received on certain movie posters to analyze the reaction of the audience.
Students can put their observations together to form a logical analysis. Describe how specific design decisions fit with the themes, genre, and target demographic of the movie.
Examine the novel's historical setting (the 1930s) and make sure that the design cues, typeface, and general aesthetic are appropriate for that time period. The authenticity of the poster is increased by this accuracy.
The poster should still have a vintage vibe to it, but you can add subtle modern design elements to it to make it more eye-catching. Just be careful not to stray too far from the time period of the work. The modern design elements can definitely be mixed with historical elements in some parts to create a nice blend for the audience.
The project ties into literary analysis since it necessitates that students comprehend the concepts, characters, and messages of the book in order to depict them artistically. It promotes skepticism and critical thinking.
Making a "To Kill a Mockingbird" movie poster fosters the development of design, visual communication, critical thinking, symbolism, thematic depth, and the ability to match pictures with literary concepts. It also fosters creativity and sharpens critical thinking skills of students.