Nomadland Film and Book Discussion Questions Free Instant Download

TITLE: Nomadland

SUBTITLE: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century

AUTHOR: Jessica Bruder
AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: https://www.jessicabruder.com/bio  
GENRE: Gerontology Social Sciences, Economic Conditions (Books), US Travel Guide 
PAGES: 288
PUBLISHER: Norton
Link to Amazon

Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century was written by Jessica Bruder. Made into an award-winning film, it shows a van-dwelling working nomad named Fern. Fern lost her husband and home when the company town shut down. She started traveling to find work. Written, edited, produced, and directed by Chloé Zhao, it stars Frances McDormand as Fern. I find it so interesting that McDormand also helped produce the film after living in a camper van and interviewing itinerant Americans. I rented it on YouTube, as I don't have Hulu.

Click this link for your free instant PDF download with the questions

The story is loosely based on true events regarding the company town of Empire, Nevada. United States Gypsum closed the mine and the town in 2011. People with children were allowed to stay through the end of the school year. Empire mining bought the company in 2016, reopening part of the operations and homes. I love stories based on real events. 

Film Discussion Questions

Book Discussion Questions

The book was nonfiction. Did it seem like it would be nonfiction if the movie was watched first? Some people may have been surprised. The author, Jessica Bruder, certainly went to great lengths to interview nomads, stayed in the campground with them, and even worked with them. She realized she always had the choice to leave the lifestyle where they did not have such a choice. 

Thank you for reading, Carolyn Wilhelm, Wise Owl Factory LLC

Carolyn Wilhelm is the author and sole owner of The Wise Owl Factory LLC site and blog. She has a BS in Elementary Education, an MS in Gifted Education, an MA in Curriculum and Instruction K-12, and has completed the KHT Montessori 12 month program. She makes mostly free resources for teachers and parents. Her children's books are available on Amazon. She was a public school teacher for 28 years. She writes for The New Book Review and Sharing with Writers and Readers.

Chasing Coral Movie and Into the Deep Book Discussion Guides

Chasing Coral Movie and Into the Deep Book Discussion Questions

Everything on planet Earth is connected to every other living thing. Both the movie and the book present alarming information about the decline of the ocean we need to understand. The ocean is a moderator of temperature and carbon. Without it, temperatures would be rising even more quickly. The film presents visual images to help us comprehend the magnitude of the issues. The book provides detailed, factual, comprehensive, decades-long studies and current research to counter the fact global warming now is a natural phenomenon. Yes, the Earth has warmed before, but it was over many thousands of years. This time it has been happening for about 200 years, more since World War II. Recovery would take thousands of years. It is time to act. Watch the movie. Read the book and see if you agree. 

*Note: The film and book are entirely separate, and I paired them for a more complete understanding of the problems the ocean is facing. 

Free instant download PDF with the discussion questions (click this link to open the PDF)

Chasing Coral Movie

Note: I found the film on Netflix as it is a Netflix original movie. 

Chasing Coral is one of the six films suggest by Al Gore's Climate Reality Leadership Corps, and a movie trailer is available at the link. 

Discussion Questions

1. How did Richard Vevers think of the idea for the Chasing Choral film? What did he do next?

2. How was the fact the movie is "advertising" explained? 

3. Why does the ocean require advertising? What was compared coral with to explain why they needed to make the movie?

4. It was mentioned people usually look up to the stars, but not down to the bottom of the ocean. How does this lead to people being unaware of ocean issues?

5. A surprising person was part of the film crew, Zack Rago. Who was he and why did it seem this project was made especially for him? In the beginning, did it seem like he would be so important in the story? 

6. Tell some things you learned about coral while watching. Are white corals stunning and beautiful? What about fluorescing corals? 

7. Did the movie convince or further convince you that global warming is real? Explain why it did or did not. 

8. Why was it such a problem to have time-lapse cameras under the ocean? Why didn't the producers know for months at a time what was being recorded? 

9. Finally, near the end of the two years, repeated diving and manual films were taken. The divers would dive about 60 times a day for months. Why was this so very difficult emotionally for the divers? 

10. When Zach Rago meets Dr. Charlie Vernon, why is their meeting so bittersweet? 

 Into the Deep: Science, Technology, and the Quest to Protect the Ocean

Book by Christy Peterson

Title: Into the Deep: Science, Technology, and the Quest to Protect the Ocean
Author: Christy Peterson
Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books ™ (Lerner Publishing)
Publisher Address: Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.
241 First Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Publisher Website Address: https://lernerbooks.com/Pages/Our-Imprints
Publisher Email Address: custserve@lernerbooks.com
ISBN-13: 978-1541555556

ISBN-10: 1541555554

ASIN: B081H5L6VJ

Price $19.05 Library Binding, $9.99 Kindle
Page Count: 152 pages
Formats: (Library Binding, Kindle)

Discussion Questions

1. We learn no part of the ocean is removed from our lives on land. Yet, we do not know much about much of the ocean. What are some of the difficulties with understanding the ocean? Why is the ocean so difficult to explore?

2. How much of the ocean is unmapped, unobserved, and unexplored?

3. Profiles of oceanographers and scientists are included throughout the book. What advice did they share with aspiring college students of ocean studies?

4. The fact all water comes from and returns to the sea is explained in the text. All water does not travel the same route. How are scientists tracking all the water on Earth and its movement around the planet?

5. What is demonstrated at Shore Acres State Park near Coos Bay, Oregon?

6. What is marine “snow?”

7. What drives surface currents? What causes deep ocean currents?

8. What happens to Earth if the oceans die? What are some things that happen when oceans become warmer?

9. Did you understand Chemosynthesis before reading this book? What is it?

10. What are some ways phytoplankton help the earth? How do jellyfish swarms threaten salmon, coastal power plants, and human stings?

11. Coral reefs absorb wave energy. If the reefs disappear, what could some communities experience?

12. Were you surprised or not by all the detailed and factual information in this book? 

Thank you for reading, Carolyn Wilhelm

More About #TheNewBookReview Blog The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the form at https://www.bit.ly/FinishedReviewSubmissions. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. And know that Carolyn Wilhelm, our IT expert, award-winning author, and veteran educator, makes an award image especially for those who volunteer to write reviews from Lois's review-request list and post them in the spirit of her "Authors Helping Authors" project. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Howl's Moving Castle Book and Movie Discussion Questions

Howl's Moving Castle Book and Movie Discussion Questions

This month we have a book and film that fit in nicely with the Halloween theme, although it is not intended for just this time of the year. Howl's Moving Castle is a good book for readers who may be overly fond of and idealizing Harry Potter, as it shows the good and bad in magic. In fact, the heroine, under an aging spell, has a very difficult time through most of the book. That darn Witch of Waste! How mean of her to do that to poor Sophie. Of course, in the end, as the intended audience is in the middle grades, there is a happy ending . . . before books two and three in the trilogy.

Print Length: 448 pages

Publication Date: September 25, 2012

eBook ASIN: B008LV8TSU

Audio Book ASIN: B001LFBO1C

Paperback ISBN-10: 0061478784

Paperback ISBN-13: 978-0061478789

Movie ASIN: B074121MFT

Here are the movie discussion questions, followed by the book discussion questions. October is great for Howl's Moving Castle, movie or book!

• Thank you for reading, 

Questions by I-Reid of the Wise Owl Factory

I. Reid is the pen name of an insatiably curious, overeducated homo sapien who much to the dismay of family and friends has never outgrown the why phase (or how phase if applied to how a thing works). As I. Reid is gainfully employed and considered a productive adult in polite society, I. Reid guest blogs on occasion guided by whatever is the curiosity of the nanosecond.

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• Carolyn Wilhelm, BS, MA, MS Wise Owl Factory

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   The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) It has 325 jam-packed pages covering everything from Amazon Vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

  
  This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shoutout praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines in the left column of this page or in the tab at the top of the home page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.
  
  
  

  Note: Participating authors and their publishers may request the social sharing image by Carolyn Wilhelm at no charge.  Please contact the designer at: cwilhelm (at) thewiseowlfactory (dot) com. Provide the name of the book being reviewed and--if an image or headshot of the author --isn't already part of the badge, include it as an attachment. Wilhelm will send you the badge to use in your own Internet marketing. Give Wilhelm the link to this post, too! 
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Crazy Rich Asians Book and Movie Discussion Questions

Crazy Rich Asians Book and Movie Discussion Questions

The book and movie versions of Crazy Rich Asians is crazy so popular. Your book club or coffee group might like to have discussion question handout for each. Click on the next link for a free instant download of the free PDF. 

Book and Movie Discussion Questions for Crazy Rich Asians

The PDF has the book group questions first.

Page 2 has the movie discussion questions.

I am in a book club that always seems to read old, old books. There is nothing wrong with that, but the reason is we cannot get discussion questions for newer books. So I would like book groups to have a choice of more current reading materials as well as the older books that the library offers. The book sets from our library include discussion guides, and we check out a book for the month. When we meet again, we return our books to the library bag and check out another book. 

For newly published books, it could be a combination of eBooks people might buy, books from the library, and maybe some people purchase their own books. Sharing books is always good. Or a group might opt to see a movie based on a movie once in a while. Groups might have to be a little more flexible when selecting more recent reading materials.

Feel free to share on social media. 

Thank you for reading, Carolyn from The Wise Owl Factory

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG AND GETTING REVIEWS AND ANOTHER FREEBIE

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) It has 325 jam-packed pages covering everything from Amazon Vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shoutout praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines in the left column of this page or in the tab at the top of the home page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Note: Participating authors and their publishers may request the social sharing image by Carolyn Wilhelm at no charge.  Please contact the designer at: cwilhelm (at) thewiseowlfactory (dot) com. Provide the name of the book being reviewed and--if an image or headshot of the author --isn't already part of the badge, include it as an attachment. Wilhelm will send you the badge to use in your own Internet marketing. Give Wilhelm the link to this post, too!

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Discussion Questions

I am so proud to announce this first in a series of Discussion Questions about books (and movies inspired by books!) by veteran teacher Carolyn Wilhelm who offers other aids for teachers, parents, and anyone who fosters literacy--many of them absolutely free. Find them on Pinterest and follow her @wiseowlfactory on Twitter.  Book club groups and library events directors will find her Discussion Guide Series useful, too!  And what about teachers who must prepare quizzes for reading assignments! Watch for new ones on the 5th of every month, right here on #TheNewBookReview!

Questions About THE HOBBIT:

An Unexpected Journey

Discussion Questions

Movie on DVD

Paperback

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the 1st third of the Hobbit book.  It's the prequel to Lord of the Rings.

Before vacation, sometimes teachers have been known to show a movie, and some classes might watch The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey (movie). Movies work with comprehension questions as test preparation practice. The PDF could be used as a discussion guide for the teacher or students might work in small groups to see if they can remember what they saw. Answers are provided in the PDF at the next link. 

Unexpected Journey comprehension questions free instant download by clicking on this link

    1. Who was telling (writing) the story in the movie? 

2. What happened to ruin the peaceful, prosperous Lonely Mountain and the Mines of Moria? 

3. Why do the Dwarves want their ancestral home back? 

4. Why does Thorin especially want to fight the pale Orc? 

5. How does Bilbo Baggins become involved in the quest to enter Lonely Mountain?

6. Why does the company need Bilbo’s help? 

7. Which groups in the story especially love food? 

8. Do the Dwarves have good table manners?  Explain.

9.  Did you notice the map in the beginning of the story?  Is it important later? Why?

10. How does the company escape the three trolls? 

11. What swords does the company take from the trolls after they turn to stone? 

12. Who is in the Lonely Mountain and has control of the gold? Explain.

13. What does the wizard Radagast tell the company?

14. Does Radagast’s hedgehog live? Do all the animals live?

15. Who chases the company after they see Radagast? 

16. Why do the Orcs on Wargs leave?

17. What are Orcs?  What are Wargs?   

18. What does Gandalf tell the Elves of Rivendell?

19. What happens after they leave Rivendell?

20. How do things go when the company is taken by the Great Goblin?

22.  Where is Bilbo when the company is fighting the Goblins?

22. What happens that causes the company to climb trees?

23. Why do some believe Smaug is dead?  Is he really dead?  Explain.

24. Name a character in the movie not in this part of the book. 

25.  If you have also read the book, tell which you like more, the movie part 1 or the book (so far)?  Why?

Students might also discuss how the book and movie are the same and different. Some students will have only read the books or only have seen the movie and can explain the missing information to each other. Really, it is "test prep" in that it is comprehension and so it if fits a class, then it would be nice to have on hand.

Note: The first movie, An Unexpected Journey, covers chapters 1 to 6, a total of just over 81 pages which comprise:

• The Unexpected Party and formation of the company.
• The Trolls.
• Rivendell.
• Crossing the Misty Mountains and the Goblins.
• Gollum.
• The Eagles.

Thank you for reading, Carolyn Wilhelm, Wise Owl Factory

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG, ABOUT GETTING REVIEWS,
AND ANOTHER FREEBIE

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Note: Participating authors and their publishers may request the social sharing image by Carolyn Wilhelm at no charge.  Please contact the designer at:  cwilhelm (at) thewiseowlfactory (dot) com. Provide the name of the book being reviewed and--if an image or headshot of the author --isn't already part of the badge, include it as an attachment. Wilhelm will send you the badge to use in your own Internet marketing. Give Wilhelm the link to this post, too!