Shark Tale, a popular animated film released in 2004, features a star-studded cast that brings the underwater world to life. Teaching students about the cast of ‘Shark Tale’ can be a fun and educational way to introduce them to the world of voice acting while enhancing their understanding of animation, storytelling, and character development.
In this lesson plan, we outline how to teach students about the cast of ‘Shark Tale’ through engaging activities that will help them appreciate the art of voice acting and animation.
Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will:
1. Understand the role of voice actors in animated films
2. Identify key members of the cast of ‘Shark Tale’
3. Analyze how actors’ voices influence our perceptions of characters
Lesson Procedure
1. Introduce Shark Tale (10 minutes)
Begin by introducing your students to the film ‘Shark Tale’. Show them a brief snippet or trailer to generate interest and give them an overview of the plot. Explain that behind every character they see on screen, there is an actor providing their voice.
2. Meet the Cast of ‘Shark Tale’ (15 minutes)
Introduce your students to the main cast members of Shark Tale, emphasizing their respective characters in the film.
– Will Smith: Oscar (protagonist – small fish with big dreams)
– Robert De Niro: Don Lino (antagonist – powerful mob boss shark)
– Renée Zellweger: Angie (Oscar’s best friend)
– Angelina Jolie: Lola (alluring femme fatale fish)
– Jack Black: Lenny (Don Lino’s vegetarian son)
Using photographs or video clips, help your students recognize both the voice actors and their characters. Later, engage them in a discussion about what kind of voices or tones would be suitable for each character.
3. Analyzing Character Voices (20 minutes)
Divide the students into small groups and assign each group a character from Shark Tale. Ask each group to create a short scene that showcases their character’s voice and personality.
Before starting the activity, play short clips of each character speaking. Encourage students to listen carefully to the actors’ tone, pitch, and delivery styles and think about how these vocal qualities contribute to their characters’ unique personalities.
4. Performances and Discussion (15+ minutes)
Have each group present their scene to the class, imitating the voice of their assigned character as accurately as possible. After each performance, hold a brief discussion about how the students captured the character’s voice and what aspects could be improved.
5. Conclusion (5 minutes)
Recap the lesson by reinforcing how important voice actors are in animated films like Shark Tale. Remind students that voice acting is a form of storytelling that brings characters to life and leaves a lasting impression on viewers. Finally, encourage students to think about how they can apply these skills to school projects or other creative pursuits.
In summary, teaching students about the cast of ‘Shark Tale’ provides them with an opportunity to learn more about animation films’ behind-the-scenes process and appreciate the intricacy of voice acting. Through engaging activities that explore characters’ voices, students will better understand the connection between an actor’s performance and character development in animated storytelling.
