Dances with Wolves (1990): Complete Movie Guide

About this resource

What's inside this resource

"Dances with Wolves" is a 1990 epic Western film directed by and starring Kevin Costner, with a screenplay by Michael Blake, who also wrote the novel on which the film is based. The film is set in the 1860s and tells the story of Lieutenant John Dunbar (Costner), a Union Army officer who is sent to a remote outpost on the American frontier. There, he meets a tribe of Sioux Indians and gradually becomes accepted as one of them. Dunbar, who is given the name "Dances with Wolves" by the Sioux, falls in love with a woman named Stands with a Fist (Mary McDonnell), who was raised by the tribe after her family was killed by white settlers. As Dunbar spends more time with the Sioux, he comes to respect their way of life and begins to question his own beliefs about the Native Americans. However, his presence and friendship with the tribe soon attracts the attention of the U.S. Army, which sees the Sioux as a threat to American expansion. The film culminates in a brutal battle between the U.S. Army and the Sioux, in which Dunbar chooses to fight alongside his adopted tribe. The film ends with Dunbar leaving the Sioux and his old life behind to live among them as one of their own. "Dances with Wolves" was a critical and commercial success, winning seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Costner, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Blake. The film is widely regarded as a classic of the Western genre and is known for its portrayal of Native American culture and history.

This 36 question movie guide will help your students get the most out of this powerful movie. This movie guide comes with an answer key. Ready to print and ready to use! Enjoy!

** This movie is available on Netflix and iTunes.

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

Follow a feature-length narrative film in sequence and record specific details as they occur
Identify characters by name and by how their names were earned — Dances with Wolves, Stands with a Fist, Two Socks, Wind in his Hair, Smiles a Lot
Explain characters' motives, such as why Dunbar chose his frontier posting and why he decides to leave the Sioux at the end

Teaching tips

Hand the guide out before the film starts — the numbering follows the film's own order, so students work straight down the sheet as they watch
Pause once Dunbar reaches the fort: questions 6 through 11 all sit in that stretch and arrive quickly one after another
Give questions 21 and 22 their own discussion — both explain how a Sioux name is earned, which is the film's central idea in miniature

Skills covered

Chronological viewing comprehension — students answer thirty-six numbered questions in the order the film presents them, from the field hospital to the ending credits.
Character and name tracking — items ask how Dances with Wolves, Stands with a Fist and Two Socks came by their names, and who Wind in his Hair and Smiles a Lot are.
Motive analysis — questions ask why Dunbar chose his posting, why the children took his horse, why the tribe moves camp and why he finally leaves the Sioux.

Good to know

Questions teachers ask about this resource

How much of the film does the guide cover?

End to end. Question 1 is why Dunbar left the field hospital, in the film's opening, and question 36 asks what the ending credits state about the Sioux people. The numbering follows the film's own order throughout.

What kind of answer does each question want?

A short written one, usually a phrase — "Fort Sedgwick" for the name of the fort, "Cisco" for the horse, "A buffalo" for the animal Dunbar pantomimes. Two items break the pattern and take a true-or-false response instead.

Is the film itself part of the download?

No — the guide is written to be completed while the 1990 film plays, and its only instruction says so directly. No summary, transcript or excerpt is supplied, so the film needs to be sourced separately before the lesson.

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Resource details

Concepts & topics

Core concepts

Film viewing guide
Plot comprehension
Character motivation
American frontier history

Topics

APUSH Dances with Wolves Westward Expansion Native Americans Civil War Movie Guide US History Video Guide

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Categories this resource belongs to

ELA Activities Social Studies Activities Fun Activities For High School Students 8th Grade Activities High School Middle School Activities

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