Using animated short films for kids is a great way to motivate students to learn. The animated short The Box (by Merve Cirisoglu Cotur) tells a wordless story of a Syrian boy whose cardboard playhouse transforms into a symbol of survival during wartime. When paired with Mahmoud’s journey in the novel Refugee by Alan Gratz, this lesson becomes a powerful way to teach students how setting shapes mood, conflict, and character decisions—especially in stories of displacement.
This post includes a free printable pack to help your students analyze how setting impacts a story’s tone and theme. Using a film and novel comparison, students explore setting, mood, and visual storytelling—while building empathy through real-world connections.
Be sure to get the handout. It Includes setting/mood chart, comparison organizer for The Box and Refugee, background info, and Google Slides version.
Comparing Stories with Short Films for Kids
🌍 Why This Pair Works So Well
The Box uses music, sound effects, and visuals (with no dialogue) to convey the emotional and physical realities of war. Refugee does the same through powerful language and detail. Together, these two texts help students make deep connections between story, structure, and setting.
🎥 The Box (2:00 – 2D Animation)
A young boy plays happily with a cardboard box—until bombs hit his home. His beloved box becomes a makeshift shelter, then a boat, as he flees violence in search of safety.
📚 Mahmoud in Refugee (excerpt from the novel by Alan Gratz)
Mahmoud, a Syrian refugee, escapes with his family after a bombing, traveling overland and by sea in a dangerous journey to Germany. The setting constantly shifts—from war zones to refugee camps to the open sea—and plays a key role in every life-or-death decision.
📝 Lesson Plan Overview
This lesson spans 2 class periods and is designed for grades 4–6.
Students will:
- Describe the physical and emotional settings in The Box.
- Analyze how visuals, color, and sound create mood.
- Compare The Box to a novel excerpt about a refugee’s journey.
- Discuss how setting influences a character’s choices and sense of safety.
- Write explanations using evidence from both visual and written texts.
Standards-aligned with RL.4–6.3, RL.4–6.7, W.4–6.2, and SL.4–6.1.
Classroom Activities Preview
1. Setting & Mood Exploration
Students complete a guided chart to examine how the setting changes throughout The Box—from home, to refugee camp, to sea—and how these shifts affect the tone and tension of the story.
2. Text-to-Film Comparison with Refugee
Using a comparison chart, students connect the animated short to Mahmoud’s journey in Refugee. How are their experiences similar or different? What challenges does each setting present?
3. Writing from the Setting
Extension option: Students write a journal entry from the point of view of the boy in The Box, describing what it feels like to live in a place that once felt safe but is now filled with danger and uncertainty.
4. Visual Storytelling Discussion
Discuss how The Box communicates powerful ideas through visuals alone. How does the absence of dialogue make the story more emotional or universal?
🗂️ What’s Included in the Free Handout Pack
✅ Setting & Mood Chart – Analyze locations, historical context, mood shifts, and emotional tone
✅ Comparison Chart: The Box vs. Refugee (Mahmoud) – Focused on setting, journey, and survival
✅ Context & Background Info – Historical context on the Syrian conflict (student-friendly)
✅ Answer Keys + Digital Option – Google Slides version included for classroom flexibility
Get the Free Printables + Google Slides Version
Use this resource as part of your reading block, writing workshop, or even a social studies cross-curricular lesson. Whether you want to deepen understanding of the setting or build empathy through stories of survival, this lesson will spark meaningful conversations in your classroom.
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If you are looking to add some high interest activities to your lessons, try using animated shorts to teach reading and writing skills. This packet contains graphic organizers covering many Common Core skills. $Save$ when you purchase this mega bundle which includes all 12 units.
