This film intertwines the stories of three people as they fight to make the world a better place.
The film tells the stories of:
Rajendra Singh, an Indian man fighting to protect the Ganges River.
Eriel Deranger, an Indigenous woman who is struggling against tar sands development in Canada.
Jay Harman, an Australian man who uses nature to inspire his inventions and creations.
Teaching Tips
Positives
The film features beautiful and emotional storytelling.
The discussion cards are excellent. They include images, famous quotes, information from the film, and discussion prompts.
Additional Prerequisites
This film is a shorter, 57-minute educational cut of the film Elemental. The original film was released in 2012 and is 1 hour, 32 minutes long.
This page features a 2 minute, 50 second trailer of the film. You can watch the trailer to see if you'd like to share with your students.
There is a 33-page discussion guide. The discussion guide uses the hero's journey as a framework for the film. It includes discussion questions on the themes of connection to place, perseverance, and nature as teacher.
There are 28 discussion cards you can download. They are available in English and Spanish.
Differentiation
This film is excellent for English classes when studying the hero's journey.
This film can be used in a science class after discussing the climate crisis. It can be used to share stories of people who are taking concrete action to address the climate crisis.
This table of climate solutions can be sorted to provide the most effective solutions to climate change from Project Drawdown.
Scientist Notes
This resource is primarily a 1-hour documentary-style video following three environmental activists. One is an Indian government official fighting to achieve safe and clean water within the Ganges River. Another is an Indigenous activist fighting against tar sands oil extraction in Canada. And the third is an entrepreneur and inventor trying to innovate technological geoengineering solutions. This resource can provide inspiration and spur discussion around large-scale environmental and climate issues. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Speaking & Listening (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.2 Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.3 Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.
