Lesson Plans - Kung Fu Panda

BEFORE THE FILM

This is a cute movie.  It is the classic tale of an individual finding his true expression in life and in so doing finding happiness and helping out the community along the way.  A Panda is not the typical sleek nimble animal for Kung Fu.  Plus Panda was born into a family of noodle (pasta) makers/sellers (this is not all together clear since Panda’s father is a goose?  And the issue of adoption is not addressed in the film) and is expected to follow suit.  Panda decides to let his passion be known and is helped by fate to arrive at his destination.

I think you could talk to the students about their passion in life.  What are they expected to do?  Do they have family traditions that are expected of them as adults?  Do they have other dreams?  What are they?  Do they know of others who have not followed the traditional route and instead chosen their dreams.  What are other stories they know?  What does the term, “destiny” mean?  What does the term, “dutiful” mean?

Main characters:

Po the Panda – voice by Jack Black, a very new and funny actor who has a mode of speaking that is casual and direct

Master Uguei – the head master

Master Shifu – the second master.  What animal was Shifu? 

Ti Lun – the cattivo in the film.  What animal was he? 

The Furious Five – the disciples of Master Shifu

The story of how Master Shifu became unhappy is described midway through the film.  You may need to help the students understand it.  Essentially Ti Lun was a gifted kung fu student from the beginning and Master Shifu raised him like a son.  But Master Uguei never named him as the Dragon Warrior “because he saw darkness in his heart.”  Finally in frustration after years of training, Ti Lun rebelled and attacked both masters.   Master Shifu was not able to stop his student since in the end he was unwilling to attack his own pupil, his “adopted” son.  And Master Uguei had to do so.  Shifu never got over the sense of betrayal – another good term to define ahead of time.  Master Shifu had been unhappy ever since.  And as the Furious Five explain the story, Master Shifu has wanted to train the real Dragon Warrior in an attempt to “make things right,” to recuperate for his mistakes.  He becomes frustrated when it appears he is “stuck” (a verb used often in the film and worth defining beforehand) with an overweight under-talented panda bear

Ask the students to look for the source of Ti Lun’s anger.  You can define terms like envy, pride, desire and arrogance.

The term inner peace is used in relation to living a happy life.  What does this mean?

Also, in the film the Furious Five are not able to defeat the Ti Lun.  Not even Shifu is able to defeat him.  But Panda yes.  Ask the students to watch the motivation of these battles and ask why one succeeds and the others no.  What is the difference?  Certainly Panda is not the most qualified?  Most fit?  Most talented in the traditional sense?  And yet Panda succeeds.  Why?

AFTER THE FILM

What is Po’s passion in life?   What is expected of him to do?  What does he want to do?

Explain the scene about the noodle (pasta) dream.  What did Po’s father think once Po said he dreamed of noodles?

Who were the Furious Five?  Can you name all five animals?

Master Uguei, the turtle, was a very wise master.  How would you describe him?  Was he serious arrogant and powerful?  Or was he simple, modest with a sense of humour? 

At the moment it was time to choose the Dragon Warrior, Master Uguei unexpectedly pointed to Po the Panda.  His reaction was “how interesting.”  What did he mean by that?  Then he said, “the universe has brought us the Dragon Warrior.”  Why does he use the term “universe?”

During the film, he Uguei said “there are no accidents.”  What does this mean?

He also said, “you often meet your destiny on the way to avoiding it.”  What do you think this means?

At the scene near the peach tree Uguei said “ The past is history, the future is a mystery, now is a gift called the present.”  Explain this line. 

He also said, “There is no good news or bad news – and then he said “that is bad news.”  Did you understand the joke?  (we all have principle that are broken at a certain point).

There is a scene that Shifu is arguing for control and Uguei is encouraging him to see things in a flow.  Do you remember this scene.  Shifu says you can control what seeds to grow.  But Uguei says once their in the ground you cannot stop them from becoming another peach tree.  But, he says, you can believe in it, nurture it.”  What was Uguei talking about?  The test seemed to be in the trust that Shifu had to have for his master.  How so?  What does faith mean?

What did the scene of the turtle transforming into flower pedals represent?

How did Shorgun Prison look like?  What are some adjectives you could use to describe it?

Once Po is selected to be the Dragon Warrior, Shifu and the Furious Five are bothered with the choice and determined to push the Panda out of the position.  They put him to the test and are surprised that he never gives up.  Do you remember some of those scenes?  What sorts of tests do they put Panda through?

But Panda surprises everyone and never gives up.  He says during a crucial monologue in the film, all the hits I took during those tests hurt “but not as much as it hurt being me.  I was hoping not to be me but to be transformed into something else.”  What was he talking about here? 

In the film Shifu has become bitter with the hand that fate has dealt him.  He is sure the Furious Five he has trained will be able to defeat Ti Lun.  When he is asked to direct his attention to someone else, he is bothered and determined to show his master he is wrong.  It is only when doubt surfaces and Shifu can admit he doesn’t know that progress is made.  Can you explain this?  Have you ever had this experience? Of being angry at what you are asked to do and sure you are right.  And it is only when you admit that maybe you don’t have all the answers that solutions are found?

What was the key in training Po?  How did Shifu discover this key?   

Once the scroll is unravelled, it says nothing.  At first, like everyone else Po doesn’t understand and feels defeated.  Then his father reveals to him that “there is no secret ingredient” (for the noodles) and Po sees the connection to the scroll.  He sees the truth in the secret scroll and the secret ingredient.  What is it in your opinion?  Nothing?  What does that mean?