Preview ELA/Film Comparison Activity: Comparing Opening Scene and Chapter of Bridgerton and The Duke and I.

Analyze Adaptation Choices with this Literary and Media Comparison Activity for Middle and High School ELA

Looking for a high-interest way to teach literary analysis and media literacy? This Bridgerton & The Duke and I compare and contrast lesson is the perfect way to help students explore the differences between a book and its screen adaptation. Students will examine the Bridgerton Netflix series alongside the novel The Duke and I by Julia Quinn to compare how characters, tone, structure, and theme shift across mediums.

🔍 This resource is ideal for:

• Book vs. movie/show comparison lessons
• Literary analysis in middle and high school English
• Teaching character development and author/director choices
• Homeschool and hybrid classrooms focused on media literacy

✅ What’s Included:

• A literary and film analysis worksheet (PDF)
• Two versions: Original and scaffolded for differentiation
• Characterization charts and guided viewing notes
• Post-viewing questions on adaptation choices and narrative focus
• Printable and easy to assign digitally

🧠 Skills Covered:

• Compare and contrast (book vs. show)
• Textual evidence and inference
• Media literacy and storytelling structure
• Critical thinking about adaptation and audience impact

🎬 Lesson Overview:

Students read the epilogue and chapter one of The Duke and I, then watch the first 15 minutes of Bridgerton Season 1, Episode 1 (“Diamond of the First Water”). Through structured questions and note-taking, they analyze how characters like Daphne, Simon, and Violet are introduced, and how the show’s focus shifts from the book’s original structure.

📂 Perfect For:

• English Language Arts teachers
• Literature and film studies units
• Homeschool families looking for engaging curriculum
• Any educator teaching Bridgerton or modern literary adaptations

📝 What's included:

• Two print-ready English class handouts/PDFs.
• The first features basic organization and space to take notes on characters and their depictions in the epilogue and chapter one of the book, and in the first 15 minutes of the Netflix series.
• The second PDF is a scaffolded version with a bit more "graphic organizer" space to call for detailed note taking, as well as more detailed followup questions to encourage deeper engagement.

**PLEASE NOTE -- This activity requires that you read the epilogue and at least part of chapter 1 of The Duke and I, as well as watch the first 15 minutes or so of the Netflix series, Bridgerton, but it does NOT include the text and scenes itself. You can access the epilogue and start of chapter 1 in a "free sample" Kindle download, but you will need to have access to Netflix in order to complete this lesson.

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