5.
TV Time
With everything going on, our screen time might be on the rise. Fear not, we can make it educational!
Here are some popular movies/shows that kids might be watching and some activities you can have them do before, during and after!
Frozen II
Frozen II has so many awesome lessons!
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Elsa learns to follow her heart and stay true to who she is, the fifth spirit!
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If your life was an adventure, what would it be like? How can you transform your "growing up story" into a fantasy adventure?
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Elsa wants you to show yourselfffff, what would your ultimate identity outfit be?
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Anna learns to do the right thing for her kingdom.
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Think of a couple scenarios that require a big diversion, like Anna's decision to destroy the dam. Pose these scenarios to a friend and discuss what the right thing would be to do.
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Write a short story about a difficult decision
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Olaf learns that some things never change, but lots of stuff does change!
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What is something that has changed for you recently? Write a letter to yourself before that change, what advice would you offer yourself?
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What is something you don't understand right now, but hope to understand when you're older? Ask your parents or start an inquiry research journey!
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Lot's has changed recently, re-write Olafs song "When I Am Older" to fit in all the craziness in the world
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Kristoff learns to be brave and express his true feelings.
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Are reindeers better than people? What would your sassy animal sidekick be? Write a dialogue between you and your sidekick.
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Ahtohallan
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Water has memories! Like our friend Olaf said, the water we drink has pasted through at least two other beings before us and remembers everything. What might the life of a water molecule look like? What would it remember? Where would it go?
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If water has memories, what else can water do?
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Zootopia
Zootopia is a great movie to introduce themes like race, racism, discrimination, fairness, and friendship.
Activities:
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Judy is determined to follow her dream and knows how to get there. What is your dream? How might you get there? Create a plan that outlines how you will follow that dream.
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If you were an animal in Zootopia, which would you be? Why?
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Now that Nick and Judy are working together, what will the next movie look like? What challenges will Zootopia face in Zootopia 2?
Paddington
Probably one of my favourite movies ever! Paddington 1 and 2 are great films that show how important being your happy self is.
Activities:
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Marmalade!!! Talk about a sugar rush. Try and make Paddington's favourite snack with this recipe: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/seville_orange_marmalade/
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If there is a breed of bears that can talk, what other animal is out there that could talk? Where would they want to travel to and why?
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Paddington finds a loving home in England with the Browns. What makes a home? Brainstorm everything you can think of that makes a home! What does home mean for you?
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Track the Brown families character development over the course of the movies. Who changes? Who stays the same? Why do some characters change?
Onward
Recently released on Disney Plus and was really great. Two brothers go on a magical adventure to bring back their father for a one day visit. This story is all about family, love, being yourself, and loving the truth people choose to live.
Activities:
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Throughout the movie Ian could really use some friendly advice. Every time he runs into a problem, pause and think (or write) of what you would tell Ian in that moment.
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What happens when you do not value someones ideas?
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How can we appreciate what someone has to offer? What would the world look like if everyone listened to one another and were kind and accepting?
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If you were confronted with a secret spell from someone you love, what would it be? Where would it lead you?
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Now that Ian has mastered magic, what will happen to the rest of their world? If there was magic in our world, what would we do with it?
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Create a comic strip that shows what our world's magic would look like.
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If you weren't scared of anything like Barely, what would you do?
Coco
One of my favourite movies, all Miguel wants to do is make music, but his family strictly forbids music. As is thrust into an adventure him and his family find out what's more valuable that hate and fear.
Activities:
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Ask students to think of something they have banished from their lives because of hate or fear (maybe broccoli or Canadian Geese). Have them re-evaluate their thoughts and write about how they could live together with what they had banished.
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Music is a precious outlet for Miguel. What is the one thing you love so much your heart would break if you couldn't have it.
National Film Board
NFB of Canada has so many awesome videos created by Canadians for Canadians. There are science videos for teachers, kids shows for families, and movies about Canadian cultures for everyone!
There is a search function to find themes you are looking for as well as a blog where lessons are posted by the NFB themselves.