From and Idea to Disney
by Lowey Bundy Sichol Illustrated by C.S.Jennings
Informational Resources:
Author Information:
Visit Lowey Bundy Sichol’s website:
https://www.loweybundysichol.com/
Illustrator Information:
Visit C.S. Jennings’ website:
Activities & Resources:
Activities:
Achieving Your Goals:
Grit is the perseverance and passion to achieve long–term goals. In this article, the author gives you 5 ways you can develop grit.
Using Poetry Machine, create a poem about Walt Disney or another famous person that overcame obstacles to achieve greatness.
https://www.poetrygames.org/poetry-machine/poetry-13.php
Animation:
In the early days before computers, animators had to draw each movement frame by frame. Try your hand at this process by making your own flip book. Use this video tutorial: How to make a flip book animation - SO FUN and SIMPLE! (4:38)
https://safeshare.tv/x/ss5e4c2503c6251#
Walt Disney:
Watch an animated biography of the inspiring Walt Disney. (8:35)
https://safeshare.tv/x/ss5e4c25567dd15#
Explore the adventures and history of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. (3:40)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBRepFBx5KA
View “Steamboat Willie”, the first animated feature to include sound. (7:22)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBgghnQF6E4
Entrepreneurship/ Business:
Blue Chip Kids: Know About Money, Investing, and the Stock Market, this PBS series provides a fun and easy-to-understand introduction to the world of money and investing for kids and parents.
https://www.pbs.org/show/blue-chip-kids/
“The Market” is a way for students and teachers to explore how the Stock Market works by purchasing virtual shares of real companies. Students in classes can work together to achieve a classroom goal or compete against one another to see who makes the best investments.
https://mrnussbaum.com/the-market-online-stock-market-simulation
Get your head in the game of business. Do you have what it takes to make $$$ with a simple lemonade stand? Take the challenge!
http://bizkids.com/games/dollar-a-glass
10 Kid Entrepreneurs Who Achieved Success in Business:
https://www.edsys.in/kid-entrepreneurs-achieved-success/
MakerSpace Activities:
Create a word cloud using the online word cloud generator, Wordle. Choose words that describe character traits of successful entrepreneurs like Walt Disney.
Learn how to create your own theme park using story development, design, engineering and more. Go behind the scenes with Disney Imagineers and complete project-based exercises to design a theme park of your very own.
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/hass-storytelling/imagineering-in-a-box
Using Stop Motion Studio and Legos, create a video of a scene from your favorite Disney movie.
Using Makey Makey and Scratch, create an interactive cartoon character that sings, talks, or plays sound effects when they're touched.
Use your coding skills in Disney’s Moana Hour of Code and team up with a virtual village of coders to stop the Kakamora coconut pirates from wrecking the internet.
https://partners.disney.com/hour-of-code
Discussion Questions:
How do you think Walt Disney’s childhood impacted his future?
Things did not always go smoothly for Walt Disney. Give three examples of setbacks that Disney experienced in his career and how he handled them.
How can failure be a positive thing?
Disney was extremely innovative. Describe three ways he was innovative.
Why do you think the Disney brand is so strong and successful?
Describe the era known as “The Disney Renaissance”.
What is your opinion on Michael Eisner’s career as CEO at Disney? Support your opinion with details from the book.
Bob Iker became the CEO of Disney after Michael Eisner. Compare and contrast their visions for the company.
Why do you think Frozen was such a success?
How do the Disney theme parks stand out compared to the theme parks of other companies? What makes them so special and unique?
Choose three words to describe Walt Disney. Select examples from the book to support your three words.
“I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing—that it was all started by a mouse.” This is a quote from Walt Disney. What do you think he meant by this quote?
What is your favorite animated Disney movie? Why?
This book is only one book in the “From an Idea to…” series. From an Idea to Nike, From an Idea to Google, and From an Idea to Lego are other books in the series. Why do you think the author chose these companies for the series? What company should she include next?
This book is NOT a biography on Walt Disney. Summarize what the book is about and describe how it is different than a biography.
What facts in this book did you like learning about the most?
What types of text features are found in the book? How do they help the reader?
What pictures or illustrations did you like the most in this book?
Describe something you learned in this book that can help you in life.
Of the information you learned from this book, what would you most like to share with somebody?
Book Talk Teasers:
Show the book trailer for From an Idea to Disney.
Read the readers theater from this book.
Read Alikes:
Bodden, Valerie. The Story of Disney. Details the history of the company from its beginnings as the Disney Brothers Studio in Hollywood to the Walt Disney Company, the largest media and entertainment company in the world. (NoveList Plus)
Hahn, Don. Animation Magic: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at How an Animated Film Is Made. Taken from many of Disney's best loved animated films, a fascinating foray into the world of animation delves into the roles of the directors, story artists, songwriters, and animators who each play an important part in the creation of an animated feature and has been updated to include new artwork from such new films as Tarzan, Toy Story 2, and Dinosaur. (NoveList Plus)
Levete, Sarah. Maker Projects For Kids Who Love Animation. Presents the history of animation while readers also discover what inspired the world's greatest animators and their works. (NoveList Plus)
Scollon, Bill. Walt Disney: Drawn From Imagination. A portrait of the iconic "man behind the mouse" traces his humble early years on a Missouri farm, World War I service, and early ambitions that prompted the creations of Mickey Mouse and other major characters and films. (NoveList Plus)
Stewart, Whitney. Who Was Walt Disney? Highlights the life and accomplishments of the famous cartoonist who created Mickey Mouse, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and Bambi and was the owner of Walt Disney Studios and Disneyland. (NoveList Plus)