True Crime Documentary Activity for Middle School ELA
My seventh graders always LOVED investigating a fun true crime topic in our ELA class. They enjoyed researching heists, scams, and missing people, but another crime topic recently caught my attention. The Trainwreck: Balloon Boy documentary on Netflix gives first-hand accounts of the 2010 balloon boy scandal.
What happened to the Balloon Boy?
In a nutshell, 5-year-old Falcon’s parents called the police (and the local news station) to report that their son had floated away in a giant balloon and was traveling high above the earth at around 60 miles per hour. Rescue crews chased down the balloon to find it empty when it landed. Later that afternoon, Falcon was found at home and told his family he had been hiding in the attic the whole time. All was well until the family was interviewed on live TV and Falcon said his parents told him to stay hidden.
Suddenly, Falcon’s parents were suspected of lying to police and intentionally causing a media sensation. At the time, they plead guilty to the lies, but years later, the parents want to tell the world of their innocence.
Why is this a perfect topic for middle school?
Look, I don’t have to tell you that middle schoolers love to argue. They want to argue about homework, about sports, about whether or not water is wet . . .
And this particular “crime” has a lot to argue about.
Did Falcon’s parents know he was in the attic?
Was the whole ordeal just a big media stunt?
Who is to blame for this mess?
This story is perfect for healthy, evidence-based debate.
How does the Balloon Boy scandal fit with middle school ELA standards?
One of the most important ELA skills we teach our middle schoolers is supporting claims with evidence. And the Trainwreck: Balloon Boy has tons of details that can serve as evidence for your students’ claims about this possible crime.
This free activity helps middle school students weigh evidence from the documentary as they decide whether or not justice was served.
(Note: In the video clips from 2010, the dad can be heard saying several swear words as the balloon rises into the air. You may want to mute or skip these clips in a middle school setting. As always, be sure to watch any video in full before showing it to your students to make sure it is a good fit for your class.)
Are you ready for a little more ELA movie magic? I’ve teamed up with TEN secondary ELA teachers to put together a full Movie Marathon in ELA to help you get through the craziest school days of the year with lessons that are fun and aligned to the standards (so that you can actually get away with it). Grab the entire collection of Movie Marathon ideas at Mrs. McManus ELA’s blog.