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Writer's Craft

Official • 83 clips

This playlist provides examples of literary devices and writer's craft moves that students can utilize to strengthen their writing.

A Tale of Two Cities (1980): It Was the Best of Times

2m 23s

literary devices

charles dickens

tale of two cities

In this scene, Marquis St. Evrémonde runs over a young boy with his carriage and has a cavalier response to his wrongdoing.

Clips

1

The Waltons: Jason's Commemoration thumbnail

The Waltons: Jason's Commemoration

Jason uses descriptive writing to commemorate a location that was dear to his predecessors with w...

2

Bridge to Terabithia: Leslie's Scuba Composition thumbnail

Bridge to Terabithia: Leslie's Scuba Composition

Leslie illustrates her scubadiving experience through colorful adjectives, imagery, and wonderous...

3

Friends: Adoption Letter thumbnail

Friends: Adoption Letter

In an effort to use many sophisticated words, Joey uses a thesaurus on every word in his adoption...

4

The Book Thief: Make the World Yours thumbnail

The Book Thief: Make the World Yours

Max teaches Rudy how to incorporate imagery into writing. He pushes her to use more descriptive v...

5

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Daniel Radcliffe Raps Alphabet Aerobics thumbnail

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Daniel Radcliffe Raps Alphabet Aerobics

Daniel performs Blackalicious' song, "Alphabet Aerobics," which contains plenty of alliteration.

7

Despicable Me 2: Gru's Bad Date Experience thumbnail

Despicable Me 2: Gru's Bad Date Experience

Gru tucks the girls into bed and flashes back to an unpleasant time in school when he tried to as...

10

Toy Story: Sid Learns a Lesson thumbnail

Toy Story: Sid Learns a Lesson

As Sid creates his own rendition of a launch with his toys, he prepares to set Buzz Lightyear afl...

11

Forrest Gump: Life Is Like a Box of Chocolates thumbnail

Forrest Gump: Life Is Like a Box of Chocolates

Forrest introduces himself to a stranger after she sits down next to him on a park bench. He offe...

13

Spanglish: My Mother's Daughter thumbnail

Spanglish: My Mother's Daughter

Cristina is upset with her mother, Flor, for taking her out of private school and narrates their ...

14

Everybody Hates Chris: Aunt Grievey thumbnail

Everybody Hates Chris: Aunt Grievey

Chris' mother has relatives over the house, and Chris explains of their nicknames. Each nickname ...

16

That '70s Show: Jackie Fights Laurie thumbnail

That '70s Show: Jackie Fights Laurie

Laurie instigates Jackie, and they get into a fight that is illustrated by Batman-style hit flashes.

17

Happy Gilmore: Rhyming with Shooter thumbnail

Happy Gilmore: Rhyming with Shooter

What starts out as small talk between Shooter and Happy turns into a confrontation, as Shooter at...

18

Hey Arnold!: Oskar Memorizes "A Tale of Two Cities" thumbnail

Hey Arnold!: Oskar Memorizes "A Tale of Two Cities"

Oskar tries to prove he can learn to read by memorizing the beginning of "A Tale of Two Cities." ...

19

Friends: Trapped in an ATM Vestibule thumbnail

Friends: Trapped in an ATM Vestibule

Chandler is using the ATM at a vestibule and tries to leave when the power goes out. He is trappe...

20

The Replacements: Fears and Quicksand thumbnail

The Replacements: Fears and Quicksand

Coach McGinty asks his team to share their deepest fears. Intially, they think of their small fea...

21

The Electric Company: Possessive 's' thumbnail

The Electric Company: Possessive 's'

Captain Cluck explains how apostrophes can be used to show possession on each chicken's food. Tha...

23

The Electric Company: N Apostrophe T thumbnail

The Electric Company: N Apostrophe T

This clip introduces contractions and illustrates how they can be used in everyday speaking and w...

24

Thank You for Smoking: Who Has the Best Government? thumbnail

Thank You for Smoking: Who Has the Best Government?

Nick teaches his son how to think about the writing prompt that his teacher assigned him. He enco...

25

The Truman Show: Good Afternoon, Good Evening, and Good Night thumbnail

The Truman Show: Good Afternoon, Good Evening, and Good Night

Truman Burbank goes through his daily routine and shows off his good manners in the process. He i...

26

Hey Arnold!: Oskar Memorizes "A Tale of Two Cities" thumbnail

Hey Arnold!: Oskar Memorizes "A Tale of Two Cities"

Oskar tries to prove he can learn to read by memorizing the beginning of "A Tale of Two Cities." ...

27

Beauty and the Beast (1991): Be Our Guest thumbnail

Beauty and the Beast (1991): Be Our Guest

Belle is welcomed as a guest and treated to a performance by Lumiere (the candlestick), the dishe...

31

Good Will Hunting: Your Move, Chief thumbnail

Good Will Hunting: Your Move, Chief

Sean talks to Will about his life and how it was wrong of Will to believe he understands Sean fro...

32

Forrest Gump: Stupid is as Stupid Does thumbnail

Forrest Gump: Stupid is as Stupid Does

Forrest introduces himself to Bubba's family and pays his respect to Bubba after the war. When ta...

34

Malcolm X: Dictionary Exercise thumbnail

Malcolm X: Dictionary Exercise

Baines teaches Detroit Red the symbolism of language through the contrast of the two words, "blac...

35

The Amanda Show: "Snap Krackle Kaboom" Cereal thumbnail

The Amanda Show: "Snap Krackle Kaboom" Cereal

Just when the kids get bored of their cereal, a friend introduces them to an exciting new cereal ...

37

Kung Fu Panda: Master Oogway's Wisdom thumbnail

Kung Fu Panda: Master Oogway's Wisdom

When Shifu hears about Master Oogway's vision, he tries desperately to keep Tai Lung from returni...

41

Monty Python's Life of Brian: Stoning thumbnail

Monty Python's Life of Brian: Stoning

Mathias is found guilty for uttering the name of their lord, Jehovah, and is sentenced to death b...

45

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl: Commandeer The Ship thumbnail

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl: Commandeer The Ship

Will and Jack Sparrow are on a misson to steal a ship. When Will indicates which ship they are go...

47

Star Trek: Not With My Ship You Don't thumbnail

Star Trek: Not With My Ship You Don't

Captain Kirk tries to communicate with Mr. Spock about the status of his ship and the next course...

48

Moonlighting: Seussian Rhyming thumbnail

Moonlighting: Seussian Rhyming

David, Maddie, and a hotel security officer all speak in Seussian rhyming couplets. This is an ex...

50

A Tale of Two Cities (1980): It Was the Best of Times thumbnail

A Tale of Two Cities (1980): It Was the Best of Times

In this scene, Marquis St. Evrémonde runs over a young boy with his carriage and has a cavalier r...

51

One Man Band: Who Gets the Coin thumbnail

One Man Band: Who Gets the Coin

Two street performers try to win the affection of a young boy, who wants to give money to the bes...

53

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1: Peeta Warns Katniss thumbnail

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1: Peeta Warns Katniss

Peeta warns Katniss of impending doom. He claims that no one can escape and that no one is safe r...

54

All Quiet on the Western Front: The Butterfly thumbnail

All Quiet on the Western Front: The Butterfly

A tired, worn-down soldier sees a butterfly through the gaps in the sandbags that protect him. He...

55

The Office: Phyllis' Clichés thumbnail

The Office: Phyllis' Clichés

Phyllis is known for saying clichés about the rain, so everyone in the office tries to get her to...

56

The Simpsons: Metric Booby Traps thumbnail

The Simpsons: Metric Booby Traps

When an important package is passed on to Homer, he delivers it to Mr. Burns, the sender of the p...

59

The Simpsons: Bart Gets Hit By a Car thumbnail

The Simpsons: Bart Gets Hit By a Car

Bart and Mr. Burns exaggeratedly describe the events of a car accident that they are on trial for.

61

Johnny Bravo: Johnny's High School Crush thumbnail

Johnny Bravo: Johnny's High School Crush

Johnny Bravo goes down memory lane as he reminisces over his high school crush, Sandy Baker. He h...

62

Finding Nemo: Dory Speaking Whale thumbnail

Finding Nemo: Dory Speaking Whale

When Marlin and Dory realize they are lost, Marlin starts to panic. Dory suggests they ask a whal...

63

Les Miserables (2012): Valjean's Soliloquy thumbnail

Les Miserables (2012): Valjean's Soliloquy

Valjean's soliloquy takes place after the Bishop pardons his sins. He grapples with the idea that...

64

Dangerous Minds: What is the Prize? thumbnail

Dangerous Minds: What is the Prize?

A student in Louanne Johnson's class asks her what the prize is for reading poems. She states tha...

65

A Dangerous Method: Our Work Will Be Rejected thumbnail

A Dangerous Method: Our Work Will Be Rejected

Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud staunchly defend their opposing positions on the nature of their work...

66

Great Performances: Is This A Dagger Which I See Before Me thumbnail

Great Performances: Is This A Dagger Which I See Before Me

Macbeth ponders his decision to murder Duncan as he waits for his signal, the bell, to commit the...

67

To Kill a Mockingbird: All Men Are Created Equal thumbnail

To Kill a Mockingbird: All Men Are Created Equal

Atticus gives a speech to the courtroom in which he expresses his disapproval of society's attitu...

68

Aladdin (1992): At the Marketplace thumbnail

Aladdin (1992): At the Marketplace

Jasmine gives an apple from a fruit stand to a hungry young boy. She is quickly accosted by the f...

69

The Sandlot: The Legend of The Beast thumbnail

The Sandlot: The Legend of The Beast

Squints tells the other kids about the legend of the beast, a guard dog that was a ruthless kille...

71

The Campaign: Presidential Debate thumbnail

The Campaign: Presidential Debate

During a presidential debate, both the incumbent and the challenger are asked how they will bring...

72

Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Unladen Swallow thumbnail

Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Unladen Swallow

King Arthur and his servant, Patsy, encounter a castle guard while searching for knights to join ...

73

Spider-Man: Power and Responsibility thumbnail

Spider-Man: Power and Responsibility

Before dropping Peter off to school, Uncle Ben speaks with him for a few minutes in the car. He t...

74

2001: A Space Odyssey: Ascension thumbnail

2001: A Space Odyssey: Ascension

Dave is laying down in bed when the monolith suddenly appears again. He tries to reach out to tou...

75

Oprah's Master Class: Be a Rainbow in Somebody’s Cloud thumbnail

Oprah's Master Class: Be a Rainbow in Somebody’s Cloud

Maya Angelou analyzes a 19th century African American song and explains what it means to her and ...

76

The Imitation Game: Are You Paying Attention? thumbnail

The Imitation Game: Are You Paying Attention?

In this opening scene, Alan Turing stresses to viewers the importance of listening closely and wa...

78

Up the Down Staircase: Class Discussion thumbnail

Up the Down Staircase: Class Discussion

Sylvia facilitates a discussion with her students about Charles Dickens' novel, A Tale of Two Cit...

79

Elf: World's Best Cup of Coffee thumbnail

Elf: World's Best Cup of Coffee

As Buddy is exploring New York City, he comes across a coffee shop that claims to have the world'...

81

Titanic: The King of the World thumbnail

Titanic: The King of the World

Jack is traveling through the ocean on the Titanic and is admiring the beauty of the seas. He cla...

83

The Big Bang Theory: Sheldon's Personalities thumbnail

The Big Bang Theory: Sheldon's Personalities

Shelson adjourns a meeting with his different personalities. Each personality checks into the mee...