A Research-Based Tool Kit

The documentary short film Y’All R Real Ones: Middle School Moments is part of a larger middle school documentary tool kit — currently in post-production and COMING SOON.

This research-based documentary tool kit is designed for use with:

teachers and school counselors in training
professionals currently working with 10-14 year olds (i.e., educators, admins, school counselors / psychologists, after school staff, religious school staff, and camp staff)
middle school students

The tool kit includes:

Middle Schoolers – 62 min documentary by an award-winning independent documentary filmmaker
Y’All R Real Ones: Middle School Moments – 10 min stand alone short documentary
Discussion Guides developed by educational researchers and child development specialists with emphasis on the growing body of research regarding school belonging and social emotional learning
Research Resource List
Info Sheet re: School Specifics
Filmmaker Statement

Middle Schoolers offers an unprecedented opportunity to hear directly from a diverse collection of middle school students and observe them over the course of one school year. The film showcases the social emotional development of 10-14 year olds, and provides a jumping off place for discussions about the complexities of friendship, identity, self-expression, ethics and school practices that foster a sense school belonging.

Y’All R Real Ones: Middle School Moments is a documentary short, created as part of a larger MIDDLE SCHOOLERS documentary project, developed in conjunction with child development experts, psychologists, researchers and teacher educators. For use with pre-service and in service professionals (teachers, principals, school counselors, psychologists, teacher educators, after-school counselors, religious school educators, wellness leads) as well as students and families.

Director/Producer Camilla Calamandrei