Learn the History of “Annie” + a Movie & Musical Study

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I’m so very excited to share today’s movie study with you all. Of course most people know the original 1982 movie, but more recently the remake made a splash in the movie industry. Do you know what movie I’m talking about? Annie, of course – the story of our favorite red-head little girl!

However, did you know it was originally a Broadway musical that was actually based on a daily comic strip by Harold Gray? But even his ideas weren’t completely original, because they were based on the 1885 poem by James Whitcomb Riley titled “Little Orphan Annie” that eventually made its debut on August 5, 1924 in the New York Daily News.

Annie is one of my favorite musicals and my kids have fallen in love with it as well. And not just the original 1982 version, based on the Broadway musical, but also the 2014 remake too. This printable Movie Study is a great way to help them view the movies in a different way and learn to think more critically while they watch. #AnnietheMovie #moviestudy #musicalstudy #iaydhomeschoolers

Even though not all my children enjoy singing or performing (really only one of them does), they all enjoy watching musicals. And Annie is one of the absolute favorites. They know all the songs, most of the lines and a lot of the dance moves. I would like to say they haven’t ever danced along with “It’s a hard knock life” while watching, but that would be a lie.

That’s what makes musicals so fun and enjoyable – they are easy to sing along with and the dances are contagious. Our home and car rides can get a little wild when my kids watch musicals. But what I love most is that they bring my kids together. They may not always agree on their favorite movies, but with musicals they can love different parts of the same one and it connects them all.

Movie studies are just another way to sprinkle in learning and education with fun!

Discussion Questions

Discussion questions are a great way to help kids start working on their critical thinking skills. They will help the kids work on paying closer attention to the movie as they watch it. Not only are discussion questions good for reading, they can be equally good for movies and musicals. I usually let my children watch the first time for entertainment – just to have fun and enjoy the movie.

But the second or third time through, I’m ready to get them thinking, which is where these discussion questions come in perfectly. Have kids write them out on a separate piece of paper, record them on their phones like a fun video chat or just recite their answers to you verbally.

Compare & Contrast

If you’ve seen both the original and newer, remake version of Annie, then you have most likely compared them – even without knowing it. We have included several pages for your students to compare the original and remake movie versions as well as one that allows them to compare two of the main characters. You can also create more pages where they can choose their own characters to compare or anything else they wish!

The Great Depression

The original film takes place during The Great Depression. If you haven’t studied about it, this is the perfect opportunity to learn about it and possibly even create a unit study around it. While it might not be the ‘best’ time in our history, it is part of history and we can learn a lot from that generation.

The Music

The music in Annie is some of my favorite, but there’s more going on than just singing and dancing. Each song tells a story or expands on a thought. This last page of the study encourages students to look past the song and dance and talk about what is really going on during four different songs. This is a great exercise to push them to look past the ‘superficial’ and see how the song actually works in the whole of the movie.

Be sure to check out all our other Movie Studies!

Annie (Special Anniversary Edition) by Sony Pictures Home EntertainmentAnnie by Sony Pictures Home EntertainmentAnnie (Special Anniversary Edition) by Sony Pictures Home EntertainmentAnnie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)Annie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)Annie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)Annie (2014) (4K UHD)Annie (2014) (4K UHD)Annie (2014) (4K UHD)Annie: A Royal AdventureAnnie: A Royal AdventureAnnie: A Royal AdventureAnnie (Original Broadway Cast Recording)Annie (Original Broadway Cast Recording)Annie (Original Broadway Cast Recording)Annie (Original 1982 Motion Picture Soundtrack)Annie (Original 1982 Motion Picture Soundtrack)Annie (Original 1982 Motion Picture Soundtrack)

 

Annie is one of my favorite musicals and my kids have fallen in love with it as well. And not just the original 1982 version, based on the Broadway musical, but also the 2014 remake too. This printable Movie Study is a great way to help them view the movies in a different way and learn to think more critically while they watch. #AnnietheMovie #moviestudy #musicalstudy #iaydhomeschoolers

Annie is one of my favorite musicals and my kids have fallen in love with it as well. And not just the original 1982 version, based on the Broadway musical, but also the 2014 remake too. This printable Movie Study is a great way to help them view the movies in a different way and learn to think more critically while they watch. 

Download the Annie Movie Study

To download the Annie Movie Study, simply complete the form below. **Upon completion, you will be added to my Weekly Newsletter list.**

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This Post Has 4 Comments

  1. Debra Viau

    I can’t wait to download the Annie movie study guide

  2. MaryBeth Wagstaff

    Thank you!

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