Simba's College Application Essay discusses the plot of The Lion King. It describes how Simba is born but his father Mufasa is killed by Scar. Simba blames himself and runs away, living carefree with Timon and Pumba. Nala convinces Simba to return and fight Scar. Simba is visited by his father's ghost, who tells him not to run from his past. Simba returns home and overthrows Scar.

1. Simba's College Application Essay

2. Basic Plot

Simba is born.

Mufasa is killed by Scar. Simba blames himself and runs away.

Simba lives a care-free life with Timon and Pumba.

Nala finds Simba and tries to convince him to come back and fight Scar.

Simba runs away again.

Simba is visited by the ghost of his father, who tells him not to run away
from the past.

Simba returns to his home and overthrows Scar.

3. How do we create a character
with personality?

4. “Show don't tell”
(...what does that actually
mean?)

5. SCAR!!!

6. How might we introduce Scar
in an essay?

7. “Scar was an evil lion, mean and cruel to all of
the other animals.”

8. How does the film do it?
(play 4:38)

9. How could we write what the
film does?

10. “Scar watched the innocent, lost mouse scurry
along. He waited, and then he dropped his
huge paw on top of it, picking it up, still
alive, to eat it.”

11. Based on that statement? What
would you say about Scar?
Did you need me to “tell” you
those things?

12. What words would you use to
describe Simba?

13. Brave?

14. “A King needs to be brave. It might
be the most important characteristic
that a King can have. My father was
the king, and he was always very
brave, and he taught me to be brave.
Every morning, I do everything I
can to be brave, so I can be a better
and stronger King for my people.”

15. Show! Don't tell.

16. My father always tried to teach me to be brave. When he
died, it was my chance to be brave.
My Uncle Scar took control of the kingdom after my
father's death, and he was an awful king. He let the
hyenas run wild, abusing all of the animals. The rains
stopped, so the rivers dried up, and – pretty soon – there
was not one drop of water left in the kingdom.
I defeated my Uncle Scar. He was very scary and much
bigger and older than I, but my father always said that
being brave didn't mean not being afraid, but rather
being afraid and doing what needed to be done anyway.
By listening to my father's advice, I was able to be
brave, like my father taught me.

17. A story is about what changes,
not what stays the same.
(So let's keep the ending, but change the beginning, so that we see the
evolution)

18. I had not been home in so long. For years, I had been too
embarrassed to come home and face what happened when I was
a child. I chose, instead, to run away, but now it was my chance
to change that.
One night, I heard the voice of my father, reminding me of what he
had taught me about doing the right thing and standing up for
what you believe in
I defeated my Uncle Scar. He was very scary and much bigger and
older than I, but my father always said that being brave didn't
mean not being afraid, but rather being afraid and doing what
needed to be done anyway. By listening to my father's advice, I
was able to be brave, like my father taught me.

19. "You can discover more about a
person in an hour of play than
in a year of conversation."
- Plato

20. Now you try!

21. - Like every other day, I was _____________.
- Suddenly, _______________.
- So, I _______________.
- Until, __________________.
- As a result, ___________________.

22. Like every other day, I was getting ready to go
to school.
Suddenly, the building exploded.
So, I stayed at home and watched TV.
Until, the school was rebuilt.
As a result, I was behind.

23. What do we know about this
person?

24. Like every other day, I was getting ready to go
to school.
Suddenly, the building exploded.
So, I studied very hard at home.
Until, the school was rebuilt.
As a result, I was ahead of my classmates.

25. - Like every other day, I was _____________.
- Suddenly, _______________.
- As a result, I _______________.
- Until, __________________.
- Then, ___________________.