Daily Warmups and Spiral Review: Using Animated Short Films in Middle School
Short of the Week
Daily warmups with spiral reviews are short activities that students can complete quickly, usually at the beginning of class. These quick exercises maximize instructional time by engaging students in meaningful learning from the moment they enter the classroom. Some teachers call this a Do-Now, Bell Ringer, or Morning Work. Whatever you call it, daily warmup activities with spiral reviews offer several benefits to students and teachers in the middle school classroom.
Have you ever referred to something that you taught earlier in the year, only to be met with blank stares? Keep learned concepts fresh with super engaging daily spiral review lessons using an animated short film. Spiral review is an effective way to reinforce previously taught concepts and ensure long-term retention. By regularly reviewing previously covered material, teachers can spot areas where students may be struggling and provide timely intervention or additional support. Animated short films provide an engaging and refreshing medium to revisit prior learning. Short films are under five minutes long and perfect for daily warmups with spiral reviews. Select short films that align with the topics and skills your students need to review.
In my example, I have selected the short film Forever Mime. In this film, two Mimes fight over the romantic affection of the girl who runs the ticket booth at the House of Horror. They get so caught up in their act that it becomes an epic pantomime battle. Okay, you had me at pantomime battle! There’s just so much fun you can have with pantomime, and of course, I have included a little bit of that in my lessons. Check this film out on YouTube here:
I created five standards-based spiral review tasks for setting, suspense, plot, and theme. I also made optional lesson extension activities on mood, characterization, inference, and poetic justice. Use the additional lessons as independent practice, homework, a learning station activity, or additional whole-class instruction.
After watching the film, facilitate a discussion where students connect the film’s content to the concepts they have previously learned with the questions that I have included. Encourage critical thinking and reflection by asking open-ended questions that require students to apply their knowledge in new ways.
What you will get in this Short of the Week bell ringer to accompany the short film Forever Mime :
- Five standards-based, spiral review tasks for setting, suspense, plot, and theme
- Optional lesson extension activities on mood, characterization, inference, and poetic justice
- Lessons in BOTH digital and printable formats (Google Slides + PDF)
- Detailed teaching instructions with possible answers, engagement strategies, and tips on scaffolding the activities
- Discussion Questions & Writing Prompts
Do you want to do some spiral review with nonfiction, too? There’s a playlist of short films on my YouTube channel for that as well. National Geographic Short Film Showcase is one of my absolute favorite channels. My nonfiction lessons focus on recognizing text structure, the author’s purpose, and summarization. Want to see me model it in an example I did for my students? Watch this video:
Click on the images below to explore more of my “Short of the Week” lessons:
In short, pun intended, daily warmup activities with spiral review reinforce prior learning and help students develop a solid foundation of knowledge and skills. By regularly revisiting and building upon previously taught concepts, students can achieve a deeper understanding, retain information over time, and confidently apply their knowledge to more complex tasks. These warmups also provide teachers with valuable insights into students’ progress and enable timely intervention to address learning gaps. Teachers can maximize their instructional minutes and optimize student learning opportunities using warmups.
Right now, I have only made a few of these lessons. I will make more if the feedback is positive and teachers want more. If I make more, my goal is to select free films on YouTube so they can be inserted into the slides. I want to select films with seasonal connections, not just traditional holidays. For now, I am just thinking about doing more. As I said, I don’t want to spend time working on projects that teachers don’t want or need.
More Animated Short Film Uses:
Animated short films are a fantastic resource for middle school teachers seeking to engage and captivate their students in the classroom. Teachers can use these visually compelling and concise stories to enhance learning across multiple subjects.
Explore more examples of how I incorporate animated short films into my middle school classroom in this four-part series.
Short Films as Mentor Texts for Essay Writing
Differentiated Instruction with Short Films
Short Films as Paired Texts to Support a Novel Study
