Anything Is Possible Imagineerz Learning

SEL Read Aloud: Anything Is Possible by Giulia Belloni

Summary

In “Anything Is Possible” by Giulia Belloni, a sheep observes a flock of birds flying overhead and is inspired to create a flying machine in order to see the world the way they do. She approaches her friend, a wolf, to help. He is initially skeptical that it can be done, but ultimately agrees to help her. They work together to develop the sheep’s plan and test multiple prototypes, until they finally create one that works.

Comprehension Questions

Six questions aligned to Bloom’s taxonomy for teacher’s to evaluate students’ comprehension

Remembering: What did the sheep and the wolf gather to build their flying machine?
Understanding: Why do you think the book is written from the sheep’s perspective?
Applying: If you had to suggest another material for the flying machine, what would it be based on the story’s challenges?
Analyzing: What changes did the sheep and the wolf make between their first and last attempt to fly?
Evaluating: Do you believe that anything is possible? If not, where you do draw the line between what is impossible and what is simply really really really hard to do?
Creating: Create a new character to join the sheep and the wolf on their next adventure. What unique skills or ideas does this character bring to the team?

CASEL Discussion Questions

Five questions aligned to the CASEL competencies for teachers to foster an engaging discussion and foster social-emotional learning

Self-Awareness: Discuss a time when, like the wolf, you were skeptical about an idea but decided to support it anyway. How did your feelings change throughout the experience?
Self-Management: After their initial attempts failed, the sheep suggested trying again with a new idea. How do you decide when to keep pushing through a challenge versus when to try a different approach?
Social Awareness: The story implies a message of hope and dreams. How can listening to others’ hopes and dreams help us understand them better?
Relationship Skills: Conflict resolution is a theme in the story, as they had to overcome disagreements on their attempts. How do you resolve conflicts within a team or a friendship?
Responsible Decision Making: The story ends with them achieving their goal. Reflect on a decision you made that led to a positive outcome. What factors did you consider?

Design Thinking Challenge

Take students’ learning even further by incorporating the Imagineerz design thinking framework

Create your own flying machine

Understand

Begin with a discussion on the themes of perseverance, collaboration, and innovation found in “Anything is Possible” by Giulia Belloni.
Talk about the sheep and the wolf’s journey to achieve their dream of flying. Ask students to reflect on their own dreams and the challenges they might face in pursuing them.

Ideate

Invite students to brainstorm ideas for their own flying machines. Encourage them to think creatively about what their machine would do, how it would look, and what problems it might solve. Have them consider the sheep and wolf’s approach to trying different methods and materials.

Prototype

Students will then work in pairs or small groups to design and build a model of their flying machines using classroom materials like cardboard, paper, straws, balloons, fabric, and tape. Emphasize the importance of experimenting with different designs and materials, just like the characters in the book.

Test

Each group will present their flying machine to the class, explaining their design process, how their machine works, and how it embodies the concept of “anything is possible.”
If possible, create a simple testing zone where the machines can be gently launched to see if they can glide or float, even just for a short distance.
After all presentations, lead a class discussion on what was learned from the activity. Ask students to share how they overcame challenges during the building process and how working with others helped them achieve their goal. Highlight the importance of persistence, teamwork, and believing in oneself, drawing parallels to the sheep and wolf’s experience.

Read Aloud

If you appreciated getting to read this book with your class, you might also want to share this book with them!

Additional Resources

- Anything Is Possible on Amazon