67 pages • 2 hours read
Hayao MiyazakiSpirited Away
Fiction | Graphic Novel/Book | YA | Published in 2002A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Activities
Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.
ACTIVITY 1: “Design a Shrine”
In this activity, students will construct or illustrate a Shinto shrine that represents one of the novel’s three main themes.
Considering the novel’s themes (Modern Humanity’s Abandonment of Spirituality and Nature; The Dangers of Decadence and Greed; How Love Propels One Toward Bravery and Maturity), you will create a representation of a shrine using either three-dimensional materials or by illustrating/painting it. Your project will include a brief 3-5 sentence description of your shrine and how it relates to the novel’s themes.
- Decide whether you want to create a three-dimensional or two-dimensional piece.
- Consider facts on Shintoism using the paired resources, reviewing your notes, conducting research, and talking with classmates.
- Think about the novel’s themes and how they relate to Shinto shrines, as well as how these shrines are depicted in the story.
Share your project with classmates and offer a brief presentation on the ways in which it connects to the chosen theme. Your projects will be on display in the classroom for others to view and admire!
Teaching Suggestion: This activity is designed to help bridge the themes to the story’s elements, reinforce paired resources, and add a way to relate personally to the ideas presented in the novel and through Shintoism as a philosophy.
