Chances are your school has online resources for you to do schoolwork with your kids for the next few weeks. But maybe you’re looking for something to supplement those materials, something more in line with your interests, something…. Disney related.
While I was putting together our guide to Disney+ watching in March, my retired teacher brain was going into overdrive. Some of these Disney+ options would make excellent material for an integrative lesson plan. I was looking into supplementary materials and my brain was hollering at me “sub plan! sub plan!”
For my non-teachers, sub plans are created by the classroom teacher for substitute teachers to implement in their absences. Sub plans need to address topics the students are currently learning, while also being flexible enough that they can be taught by a variety of teachers at a variety of levels. In short: they need to be effective and relatively simple to implement. Which means, for my parents who find themselves suddenly homeschooling, they will be perfect for you!
Depending on how long you’re doing school work each day, Disney inspired lessons can last as long as a week!
Some quick tips: Adapt this as needed! I know we’re all at our wit’s end with worksheets, so these are just designed as a different way to approach enriching our kids’ days. But they’re just suggestions.. You want to have a conversation instead of having your kid write? Do it! You want to change the order of the days? Do it! You want to read the book and make up your own activities? DO IT!
Lesson Plan: Stargirl
Age Appropriate: 7th-9th Grade
Common Core Standards Addressed:
- Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
- Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
- Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors.
- Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film)
- Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
Before beginning this lesson: Purchase a copy of Jerry Spinelli’s Stargirl, or access through your library’s online programs.
*If you are unable to access the text, modify the lessons to address only the film! Your student can still work on vocabulary and creates a response to the movie, either in speech, writing, or artistic form.
Lesson 1: Vocabulary
The follow are 50 words your student will encounter they read Stargirl. Here are some ideas about helping your students familiarize themselves with new language before they begin reading, to maximize their comprehension and retention. If your student is familiar with most of these terms, you can skip this lesson.
- Have your student look the definitions of each vocabulary word and write them down.
- Have your student use each of the vocabulary words in a sentence.
- Create a bingo board with the vocabulary words. When your student reads a word they can mark it off their card. Bingo wins some kind of prize, to be decided by you.
- ukulele
- marquee
- nonconformity
- balking
- amok
- perpetual
- elusive
- aviary
- disdainful
- antic
- blithe
- convene
- oratorical
- dormant
- empathy
- sullen
- amorphous
- elated
- mourn
- mortified
- suppress
- oblivious
- hapless
- inquisition
- spiel
- impromptu
- cascade
- raucous
- jubilation
- ferocity
- smitten
- promenade
- serenity
- veer
- shunning
- derelict
- masochistic
- rapture
- revel
- introverted
- facetiously
- torrent
- tentative
- gander
- klutz
- pirouette
- disembark
- primordial
- wistful
- gouge
Lesson 2: Adaptation & Preview
This lesson will introduce your student to the two mediums you’re working with (film and novel) and introduce the central idea of the story. Students will contribute to the lesson plan by choosing the course of the next two lessons. Students will articulate a main point (thesis) and develop reasoning and supportive details.
- Show your student a trailer for the Disney+ film Stargirl.
- Then have them read the book description from Amazon or Barnes & Noble’s websites.
- Based on these two previews, ask them to choose whether they would like to watch the movie first or read the book first.
- They will expand and articulate their choice in 300-500 word essay. Word count will be dependent on grade level and or ability. Possible points to address in the essay: why they chose the medium they did, what they like about book to movie adaptations, what they don’t like about book to movie adaptations, why they prefer books to movies or movies to books, what they are most excited to see/read from the previews they watched, what they think may happen in the book/movie. The essay should have a clear introduction, conclusion, and body with thesis and supporting points.
*If you want to skip the writing portion, use the above questions as discussion points and have a conversation with your student. Or encourage their public speaking skills by having them present their opinions to you as a speech. Adapt these plans to what fits best for your student (and you!)
These first two lessons are designed to prime your student for the text as well as get their analytical gears moving for the following lessons. Be sure to check back tomorrow for Lessons 3-6!
What are some ways you are integrating Disney into this unscheduled home time? Share them in the comments!
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey five years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!