The Lion King is one of the most iconic Disney films ever made. Now, you can explore this classic story in a whole new way with our Lion King Unit Study and (DVD) Review! This unit study offers activities for students to complete while watching the film, including comprehension questions, and fun facts about Africa.
It also includes a DVD review that analyzes various aspects of the movie such as character development and animation techniques used during production. We hope you enjoy learning more about The Lion King with this amazing unit study!
There are many ways to enjoy the movie The Lion King. You could watch it on your television, listen to the soundtrack in the car, or sing along with friends at a karaoke party. But what about teaching your children about this wonderful tale of adventure and discovery?
Now you can do all three! This unit study is intended for homeschoolers, but it also works well for teachers who want to use The Lion King as an educational tool in their classrooms!
Winner of two Academy Awards for Best Music, both Original Score, and Original Song, The Lion King would have won Best Picture had it not been an animated film. Arguably the greatest full-length animated Disney feature of all time, The Lion King is a drama of epic proportions, and a film that forever extended the boundaries of the animation genre.
Hans Zimmer creates an original score that is second to none in cinematic history, and Elton Johns’s hit single Can You Feel The Love Tonight swept the nation upon the film’s release. With powerful and often mesmerizing visual sequences, the use of a timeless plot device, and brilliant direction, the film will stand the test of time as one of the best movies ever produced.
The Lion King takes place in Pride Rock, a serene jungle paradise on the African plain. In Pride Rock, every animal lives as part of a harmonious ecosystem, ruled by the greatest animal of all, the strongest and wisest lion, King Mufasa.
When Mufasa’s wife gives birth to the lion cub Simba, the young heir’s Uncle Scar begins plotting the overthrow of his brother and the taking of the kingdom by force. Forming a conspiracy with a pack of wild hyenas, Scar’s evil plan is to lure Simba and Mufasa into a valley where the hyenas stir up a herd of wildebeests which end up trampling Mufasa and leaving him clinging for his life on the edge of a cliff.
With his Mufasas life hanging in the balance, Scar seizes the opportunity to send his brother hurling to a bloody death.
Jealousy is a nasty thing.
With the king gone, and Simba too young to defend the kingdom, Scar and the hyenas ascend to power. Pride Rock is soon reduced to a desolate wasteland as its newest rulers ravage the landscape, while Simba is forced into exile. Fleeing to a faraway land free of predators, Simba befriends Pumbaa and Timon, a warthog and meerkat who live carefree lives feasting on grubs and insects.
As time passes, a chance encounter reunites Simba with his childhood destiny. Can Simba return to Pride Rock and reclaim his rightful position as king, or will he succumb to the temptations of an easy life, free from conflict and responsibility?
Widely considered the greatest animated film in Disney’s arsenal, and certainly the best of the computer-generated era, The Lion King is a cinematic masterpiece in any medium. If you tend to shy away from animated films as childlike or simply just not your cup of tea, you would be well advised to make an exception for The Lion King or simply watch its newer live-action version.
It’s quite simply an extraordinary epic, replete with dazzling choreography, well-blended musical scores, and characters the audience loves to root for. In one particular scene, the Disney animators’ use of Leni Riefenstahl’s patented camera angles to capture the hyenas marching in lock-step under the singular review of Scar creates an abundance of subconscious images reminiscent of Hitler and the Third Reich.
This illusion plants a manifestation of evil in the mind of the viewer that is instantly connected to Scar and his evil intentions That’s the type of symbolic and all-engrossing power Disney utilizes in this wonderful masterpiece loved by children, yet a deeply probing and breathtaking film for adult audiences. A perfect 10 of a movie, if you ask me…but if you aren’t a fan of the animated classic, try the newer live-action version.
Lion King Unit Study
Let’s talk about a few fun things, first of all, I have 4 worksheets for you to print off.
See it in our store HERE: Lion King Activity Set, Lion King, Digital Download, Printable Download, Instant Download, STEM, STEM Activity, Lion King Activity Set
Now, let’s look at things to do with that Lion King unit study.
Lion themed party food
We found a few great treats that you can make before the movie to enjoy as you watch it – making for a great Lion King Movie Night.
Lion King Pizza is a great main dish – and pretty darned easy to make. Cute too, if you ask me!
Let’s round that out with a Lion Vegetable Tray – just because lions are carnivores – it doesn’t mean we are!
For dessert? How about Lion King Dipped Oreos or even Lion King Cupcakes? Although it would be fun to whip out these Lion King Grub snacks when you get to the scene where Timon and Pumbaa are teaching Simba how to “hunt” them.
Lion King Unit Study 2021 Crafts
I have my Lion King Paper Craft lion below, but think these are a few fun Lion King Crafts to add to your possible activities:
My Lion King Unit Study Papercraft
This is pretty easy to do, you only need a few things AND this pdf template FREE printable.
Lion King Unit Study List of Supplies:
- Colored cardstock papers
- Craft glue
- Pencil
- Black fine-tip marker
- Scissors
Lion King Unit Study Craft Instructions:
Step -1:
Select 2 different shades of yellow and 2 different shades of orange colored craft papers. Trace the mane and the tail tip patterns on orange paper, trace the tail, body base and head patterns on yellow paper; trace the inner ear patterns on pink paper, the nose on a different shade of yellow paper; and finally, the nose tip on black paper.
Step -2:
Attach the inner ear cutouts in the middle of the ear parts joined to the head pattern; attach the tail tip on either side of the tail pattern and the small mane pattern in the middle of the big mane pattern.
Step – 3:
Attach the nose and the nose tip cutouts on the head cutout, from the top end. Use a black sharpie to draw the eyes, mouth, and whisker holes of the lion’s face.
Step – 4:
Attach the head pattern in the middle of the mane pattern.
Step – 5:
Take the body base cutout and roll it into a tube shape, join both open ends to secure the shape. Attach the tail pattern on either side of the body tube pattern.
Step – 6:
Attach the head pattern on the top side (the plain side) of the body tube pattern to complete the craft.
Your very own Simba is ready to go!
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