Disney Movie Exercise with Sympathetic Character and Social
Commentary
Your task in this assignment is to identify the author’s (or director’s) purpose in the
Disney movie or fairy tale you choose to write about, and then to explain how you know
that that is their purpose, and how the director accomplishes that purpose. You will work
with a group, and submit one paper for the whole team, but each member must be
involved and you will receive an individual grade for your participation and
contributions to the project, not a group grade.
At the end of the project your group will present (read) your final essay to the class.
Use the handouts you received on Social Commentary and Sympathetic Character for
reference.
1. Choose a movie or fairy tale from the following list and move to the MegaPost-it
on the wall that has that title written at the top. Please choose a movie that you
have seen and that you know well, or a fairy tale with which you are very
familiar. NO GROUP MAY HAVE MORE THAN 3 PEOPLE!
Mulan
Aladdin
The Lion King
Pocahontas
Sleeping Beauty (the Disney movie)
Hercules
The Rescuers Down Under
The Little Mermaid
Little Red Riding Hood
Hansel and Gretl
2. Your group will receive a copy of the handout “Social Commentary Thinking
Sheet.” You should work together to fill out the worksheet. You must include as
much specific information and as many details as you can think of, since you
will need that information for evidence in your essay. Use the MegaPost-it to
jot down ideas and quotes that you come up with that might go into your ouline.
3. As a group you will then create an outline for an essay answering the following
question: “What is the author’s/director’s purpose in making this film/story, and
how do they accomplish that purpose?” Your essay should discuss sympathetic
characters and show how your text is a social commentary. Write your outline
on a separate sheet of paper. Every group member must be involved in the
thinking process. If I see that you are not helping, or that you are shutting
out someone else who is trying to help, you will lose points.
4. When your outline is finished, you will turn it into an essay. The group member
who has the neatest handwriting should write your essay on the back of the
MegaPost-it in a dark enough color and large enough letters so that the class can
read it from their seats.
5. Finally, using colored pencils or different-colored highlighters, underline each
part of your essay to indicate which step it represents in the outline process, using
a different color for each step. Make a color key at the bottom of the sheet or on a
separate piece of paper.
Grading
Participation (respectful and involved) 20 points
Correct Use of Outline Structure 5 points for each step, total of 30 points
Defines and uses all literary terms correctly 20 points
Finished on time 10 points
Final essay is on-topic and answers the question 20 points
TOTAL: 100 points
Suggested Timeline:
Day 1- Choose group, fill out at least ½ of handout
Day 2- Finish handout, get to Step 3 of outline
Day 3- Finish outline, write at least ½ of essay
Day 4- Finish essay, highlight steps
Day 5- Presentations (project due at beginning of class)
If your group is falling behind and needs extra time, PLEASE tell me and we will arrange
a time for you to come in before or after school to work on the project. DO NOT send one
person home to finish any part of the project alone because that is not fair.
Option to Work Alone
If you would rather do this project by yourself than with a group that is perfectly fine.
The same timeline, instructions and grading system will apply to your project.