Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Disney. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
Walt Disney is the world’s largest and best-known media and entertainment company. It was founded in 1926 by animator brothers Walt and Roy Disney. They became pioneers in making cartoons and full-length animated movies. Their creations are now an established part of our culture. Mickey Mouse, Fantasia, Snow White, Dumbo and Bambi are all cinema classics. The company’s theme parks are also world-famous. Disney has moved with the times and made several key acquisitions. In 2006, Disney bought Pixar Animation Studios from Apple founder Steve Jobs, and three years later it bought Marvel Entertainment. Disney thus added cultural icons like Toy Story and Spiderman. The Disney website explains the company’s “commitment to produce unparalleled entertainment experiences based on the rich legacy of quality creative content and exceptional storytelling”.
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Walt Disney on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. WALT DISNEY MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Walt Disney. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Walt Disney. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Walt Disney and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Walt Disney. They write these down and add the same number of things about the company that are false. Students test each other on which of their points are true or false.
6. FACTS:In groups, students write down as many facts as they can about Walt Disney. The winner is the group with the most facts. Teacher may wish to have groups share their facts to make sure they are real.
LISTENING / READING GAP FILL
Walt Disney is the world’s largest and _________________ entertainment company. _________________ 1926 by animator brothers Walt and Roy Disney. They became _________________ cartoons and full-length animated movies. Their creations are now _________________ our culture. Mickey Mouse, Fantasia, Snow White, Dumbo and Bambi _________________. The company’s theme parks are also world-famous. Disney has moved with the times and made ___________________. In 2006, Disney bought Pixar Animation Studios from Apple founder Steve Jobs, and three years later it bought Marvel Entertainment. Disney thus _________________ like Toy Story and Spiderman. The Disney website explains the company’s “commitment to produce unparalleled entertainment experiences _________________ legacy of quality creative content and exceptional storytelling”.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
Walt Disney is the world’s largest and best-known dmaie and entertainment company. It was founded in 1926 by armoitan brothers Walt and Roy Disney. They became nirpeeso in making cartoons and full-length animated movies. Their creations are now an established part of our lctreuu. Mickey Mouse, Fantasia, Snow White, Dumbo and Bambi are all cinema lascscsi. The company’s theme parks are also world-famous. Disney has moved with the times and made saeervl key acquisitions. In 2006, Disney bought Pixar Animation Studios from Apple founder Steve Jobs, and three years later it bought Marvel Entertainment. Disney thus added cluatulr icons like Toy Story and Spiderman. The Disney website sepnxali the company’s “commitment to produce unparalleled entertainment experiences based on the rich aglecy of quality veraitce content and exceptional storytelling”.
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
Walt Disney largest world’s the is known - best and media and entertainment company. It was founded in 1926 by animator brothers Walt and Roy Disney. They became cartoons and full - length pioneers in making animated movies. part creations now established Their are an of our culture. Mickey Mouse, Fantasia, Snow White, Dumbo all are Bambi and classics cinema. The company’s theme parks are also world-famous. Disney has moved with the and times acquisitions key several made. In 2006, Disney bought Pixar Animation Studios from Apple founder Steve Jobs, bought and years it Marvel three later Entertainment. added icons Toy thus cultural like Disney Story and Spiderman. The Disney website explains the company’s “commitment to produce unparalleled entertainment experiences based on the rich legacy of quality creative content and exceptional storytelling”.
walt disney is the world’s largest and best-known media and entertainment company it was founded in 1926 by animator brothers walt and roy disney they became pioneers in making cartoons and full-length animated movies their creations are now an established part of our culture mickey mouse fantasia snow white dumbo and bambi are all cinema classics the company’s theme parks are also world-famous disney has moved with the times and made several key acquisitions in 2006 disney bought pixar animation studios from apple founder steve jobs and three years later it bought marvel entertainment disney thus added cultural icons like toy story and spiderman the disney website explains the company’s “commitment to produce unparalleled entertainment experiences based on the rich legacy of quality creative content and exceptional storytelling”
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
Walt Disney .......... (be) the world’s largest and best-.......... (know) media and entertainment company. It was .......... (found) in 1926 by animator brothers Walt and Roy Disney. They .......... (become) pioneers in making cartoons and full-length animated movies. Their creations .......... (be) now an established part of our culture. Mickey Mouse, Fantasia, Snow White, Dumbo and Bambi .......... (be) all cinema classics. The company’s theme parks are also world-famous. Disney has .......... (move) with the times and .......... (make) several key acquisitions. In 2006, Disney .......... (buy) Pixar Animation Studios from Apple founder Steve Jobs, and three years later it .......... (buy) Marvel Entertainment. Disney thus added cultural icons like Toy Story and Spiderman. The Disney website .......... (explain) the company’s “commitment to .......... (produce) unparalleled entertainment experiences .......... (base) on the rich legacy of quality creative content and exceptional storytelling”.
Walt Disney is the world’s largest and best-known ____________ and entertainment company. It was founded in 1926 by animator brothers Walt and Roy Disney. They became ____________ in making cartoons and full-____________ animated movies. Their creations are now an established part of our ____________. Mickey Mouse, Fantasia, Snow White, Dumbo and Bambi are all cinema classics. The company’s theme parks are also world-famous. Disney has moved with the ____________ and made several ____________ acquisitions. In 2006, Disney bought Pixar Animation Studios from Apple ____________ Steve Jobs, and three years later it bought Marvel Entertainment. Disney thus added cultural ____________ like Toy Story and Spiderman. The Disney website explains the company’s “commitment to produce unparalleled entertainment experiences based on the rich ____________ of quality ____________ content and exceptional storytelling”.
icons
length
times
media
founder
creative
pioneers
key
legacy
culture
PROJECT WALT DISNEY
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Walt Disney. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Disney is better than the competition
How to beat the competition
Part 2. Change partners and look at their project. Suggest improvements. Ask for advice on your project:
Part 3. Make a presentation on your project. Give it to the class. Vote the best projects.
WALT DISNEY – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Walt Disney CEO
You believe your company is the best in the world. It pays its workers very well and working conditions are great. Your company is very green – it cares about the environment. You think your levels of customer service are great. Disagree with person B, C and D.
Role B – Walt Disney worker
You think it’s a bad company to work for. You’re very unhappy with pay, raises and bonuses. You are very unhappy with the working environment. You don’t like the company’s policy on the environment. You keep hearing profits are more important than customers. Disagree with A and C. Tell D the truth.
Role C – Walt Disney customer
You are a customer of Walt Disney. You used to think it was great, but not now. Its workers are always very rude. No one ever answers the phone. You are shocked about its policy on the environment. You think all staff should get less pay. You disagree with person A and B. Tell D the truth.
Role D – A journalist
You keep hearing bad things about Walt Disney. You want to tell the world in your newspaper. You heard the CEO gets a huge bonus every year. You found a company memo saying profits are more important than the environment. You want to know why so many staff are ill. Find the truth.
WALT DISNEY – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Walt Disney New Products Director
You have created a new product for Walt Disney. You believe the new product will be the company’s best ever. It will be a bestseller. There are people who do not agree with you. You need B, C and D on your side. Tell them why this is a product that will bring great things to Walt Disney.
Role B – Walt Disney Marketing Director
You think the company’s new product is a really bad idea. It will give your company a really bad name. You think the New Products Director is trying to destroy the company. Try to get him/her to understand there’s no way the new product will sell. Try to get person C and D on your side.
Role C – Walt Disney Market Researcher
You have interviewed thousands of people about the new product. They don’t like it or hate it. You think it will be successful if they make many changes. Tell the New Products Director he/she needs to change the product. You neither like nor trust person B. Disagree will him/her.
Role D – Walt Disney Shareholder
You know a lot about Walt Disney’s new product. You are worried it will not sell and share prices will go down. You think A is crazy and must find a new job. You agree with everything B says. You don’t agree with C. The new product should not go on the market.
Write a letter of apology to the customer. Explain why you cannot give a refund. Show your partner your letter. Correct each other’s work.
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HOMEWORK
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET INFO: Search the Internet and find more information about Walt Disney. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Walt Disney. What have they done recently? What are their plans? Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
4. WALT DISNEY POSTERMake a poster about Walt Disney. Make sure you sell the company to the public. Show it to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your posters.
5. MY WALT DISNEY LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Walt Disney. Make sure there is a good mix of things to do. Find some good online activities. Teach the class / another group when you have finished.
6. ONLINE SHARING:Use your blog, wiki, Facebook page, MySpace page, Twitter stream, Del-icio-us / StumbleUpon account, or any other social media tool to get opinions on Disney. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
