This Lesson's Title:

Scripting the Great Train Robbery

writing an original dialogue & action scene inspired by one of the earliest silent movies

This lesson was created for WritingFix by Northern Nevada music teacher Dwayne Hollenbach during the NNWP's iPods Across the Curriculum Workshop.

This writing prompt inspired by

three scenes from the silent film classic, The Great Train Robbery.

Click here to learn more about this silent film.

Three-Sentence Overview of this Lesson:

After viewing scenes from the 1903 silent movie The Great Train Robbery, students will listen to silent movie music clips. In groups, students will choose one scene and one or two music clips that best go together based on their ears and eyes' perception. Students will then write a short scene of dialogue and action, inspired by the film clip, that can be read aloud while the silent movie clips play in the background. Teachers: Click here to see the entire lesson plan.

6-Trait Overview for this Lesson:

The focus trait for this lesson is idea development; students will be required to create original dialogue and details based on the visible and audible experience of this movie. The support trait here is word choice; in describing important actions, characters, and emotions, students are encouraged to use interesting action words to be used between the moments of spoken dialogue..