Mr. Popper’s Penguins

After watching a movie with your children or students, we encourage parents and teachers to look for education opportunities to teach with movies. Here are a few discussion topics that can help with lesson plans or teaching in the home.

What impact does Popper’s absentee father seem to have on him? How has that apparently affected his ability to parent his own children? How might children of divorced parents view this movie’s ending?

What does this script say about using television as a babysitter?

Should filmmakers have the right to change a story significantly when they adapt a book to a film? Which story do you prefer?

You can find the original children’s novel by Florence Atwater at your local library or bookstore.