Life in the Florida swamps after the Civil War comes alive in the 1946 film adaptation of Majorie Kinnan Rawlings’s The Yearling. The film of this powerful coming-of-age story, filled with love and loss, can be used with or without a reading of the novel. For viewers new to the story, the packet provides background information about the time period, the importance of a money crop, child mortality, and fireside story-telling sessions. Discussion questions, links to the Internet, assignments, and activities are also included.

Additional Tags

social studies

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Pros

• Although designed for family viewing and discussion, the approach would work well in the classroom or a home school situation
• The moral-ethical discussion questions are particularly apt for middle school age viewers

Cons

• Some viewers may be put off by the dated appearance of the film
• The film would need to be rented or purchased