Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
- Grades: 7 to 9
- Common Sense Media: read the review
- CS strength: 1 out of 5
- SEL strength: 4 out of 5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 87% critics
What happens
A thousand years after a war destroyed the world, a poisonous jungle full of giant insects called Ohmu is spreading across the land. Nausicaä is the young princess of the Valley of the Wind, a small village that the jungle’s poison has not reached. When a neighboring army invades the Valley and wants to burn the jungle, Nausicaä discovers a secret about it and tries to stop the fighting before it destroys everyone.
Why we watch it
This is Miyazaki’s first big film, and it is about taking care of the world, choosing peace over revenge and trying to understand something before you decide to destroy it. It is rated PG for violence: there are war scenes and a death in the first part, so it suits older students better than the other films on this list. It is slower and more serious than most animated movies. The worksheet is all reflection, with no computer science.
Standards alignment
Answer key and teacher notes
- B What does Nausicaä do that most people in the Valley do not?
- B What secret does Nausicaä find under the Toxic Jungle?
- A Why does the Tolmekian army want to burn the jungle?
- B Why do the Ohmu stampede toward the Valley?
- B How does the stampede end?
Questions 1 to 3 are plot comprehension. Questions 4 and 5 ask students to read motive and consequences.
CASEL focus by question:
- Social Awareness: fear of the unknown, curiosity and perspective
- Responsible Decision-Making: violence as a solution to fear
- Self-Management: handling anger and grief
- Relationship Skills: choosing peace over revenge
- Personal Connection: self-reflection
Content note: Rated PG for violence. A parent figure is killed, there are battles and people die, and the stampede is intense. It is slower than most animated films and may be hard for younger students. Best for grades 7 to 9. Check which dub your streaming service offers; the 1985 “Warriors of the Wind” edit is a different cut and not this film.