The Clocktower
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Teaching Ideas
The opening shots and panorama of the village present an ideal opportunity to use rich description. This setting could be used for children to create their own stories in. Perhaps create characters to live in these homes. Children could create their own fairy tale village using junk and papier mache or modrock to populate with characters. |
A story set in a fairytale land. A beautiful dancer spends all of her life stuck at the top of the clock tower. She spins on her toes incessantly in order for the clock to work.
One day she becomes curious about the world outside, especially the balloons that float past her window. As she steps into the outside world something has changed. All the colour has gone from the world and everything is frozen in time. The only thing that can bring it to life is our beautiful dancer, powering the clock again. |
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Write a back story or prequel to describe how the girl became the perpetual dancer. Was she cursed by a witch? Tricked by an evil prince etc?
Children could create a story based on her rescue [link with Rapunzel] They will have to think about how they will get the clock to work without her. Maybe an inventor saves her. Perhaps it's the inventor from 'Red Miss Take' in The Inventor's Shed. The children can practice using descriptive language to change the mood, the setting stays the same but goes from colourful to black and white. Can the children use subtle description to highlight the change in mood? |
I received an email today from a Literacy Shed Fan called Molly, She is 11 and has wrote this story based on The Clocktower. I thought I would share it here.
The Clocktower Round and round I go in this hugely tall clocktower, me in my pretty brown silk dress with a clockwork piece on the rim. Everyday I see beautiful, colourful balloons floating past my window. I do my special ballet dance day in and day out, with my pure original brown leather ballet shoes. I look out my window and I see a colourful land the ones you get in story fantasies but this was 100% real. I can feel the joy of everyone living in this little town when they skip around joyfully. The houses are tan with a brown roof, with clockwork pieces sticking out. I love this town but one day I decide to see what it is like outside this clocktower because I have never been outside. I go down the marble and wooden steps and open the brown main doors... what had happened? The town is silent and everything has turned grey. Over the little clockwork piece bridge, I dance but nothing happens. I touch the grey, dull and still balloon it turns green and floats for one second then stops. My heart sinks and I become dejected. But wait... am I the secret of this town? I turn around sadly walking slowly back to the clocktower. I stand in place and do my special dance again, clicking into the clockwork pieces. Everything suddenly turns back to its usual self. My window is open and a lovely pale green balloon floats in through gracefully. I do love being the secret of this amazing town. |
Maux-dits 'When Stories were not yet fairytales.'
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Told in French with English subtitles - children will have to read to stay engaged with the 'text.'
To make sure all children can access the text pause and allow the reading of each line. The story is narrated by a 3rd person telling us a story of an anti-hero travelling this fairytale land stealing treasures from well known characters. At the end of the story we see that our man will not be 'living happily ever after' The narration turns from 3rd to 1st person and we see that the man is cursed to tell his story over and over again as a punishment. |
Writing Ideas
You may want to show the film without subtitles in the first instance to allow the children to discuss and make predictions about what they think the film is about and what they think is going on.
Click on this button to see the film without the English subtitles.
- Write a description of the hero's home, the house made of sweets or Snow White's house.
- Write a dialogue between the hero and Snow White or between him and the pixie.
- Write a story in the same style about stealing some other 'treasures' from fairy tale characters. e.g the Axe mans bravery, Giant's golden goose or harp etc
- Experiment with 1st/3rd person narrative - combining the two to form a story, perhaps tell a well known fairytale in this way. e.g. Tell the 3 little pigs with 3rd person narrative, but giving the wolf 1st person narrative sections.
- Write an alternative ending - perhaps our hero was the inspiration for Goldilocks or Rumplestiltskin.
You may want to show the film without subtitles in the first instance to allow the children to discuss and make predictions about what they think the film is about and what they think is going on.
Click on this button to see the film without the English subtitles.
Le Chaperon Rouge
A futuristic look at the classic fairytale. There is no dialogue at all and the suspense builds up throughout.
Writing Ideas
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The Three Little Pigs - News reports.
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I to use this short film with my class when looking at reports and recounts.
I asked the children to write a Newspaper report about Jack and the Beanstalk. Jack has been put into prison for the murder of the Giant and the children had to write reports with bias, presenting him as innocent and interviewing his family and townspeople. They then had to write from the Giant's family's point of view with bias, using emotive language to describe both Jack and the Giant. They were really successful. |
You could choose different a different fairytale for this treatment.
Perhaps - little red riding hood lured the wolf to her grandmothers before killing him for his fur. Golidlocks could have an asbo for breaking into bears houses. I have used the story of St George and the Dragon before - the children wrote stories called; 'The Misunderstood Dragon' the dragon gave his point of view. It wasn't his fault the townsfolk kept bringing him food. One day he was resting and the next they were piling sheep outside the cave. How was he to know they were not for him? If only they had asked. Etc |
The Tale of 3 Brothers - Harry Potter Fairytale
"The Tale of the Three Brothers" A story from The Beedle and the Bard, as featured in Harry Potter. (For those of you who are not Harry Potter readers, this book can be purchased separately.)
The story is about three brothers who, travelling together, reach a treacherous river. They make a magical bridge over the river. Halfway across the bridge, they meet the personification of Death who is angry for losing three potential victims. He pretends to be impressed by them and grants each a wish as a reward. The eldest brother asks for an unbeatable dueling wand, so Death gives him the Elder Wand. The middle brother asks for the ability to resurrect the dead, so Death gives him the Resurrection Stone. The youngest brother doesn't trust Death and asks for a way to stop Death from following him, so Death reluctantly gives him his Cloak of Invisibility. Afterwards, the brothers go their separate ways.
The eldest brother, bragging about his powerful wand, is robbed of it and murdered while he is asleep. The middle brother uses his ability to bring back the woman he loved, who died before he could marry her. However, she is not fully alive and is full of sorrow. He kills himself to join her. As for the youngest brother, Death never manages to find him, as he stays hidden under his Cloak. Many years later, the brother removes his cloak and gives it to his son. Pleased with his achievements, he greets Death as an old friend and chooses to leave with him as equals.
Teaching Ideas
To begin with I would read the text before watching this film. Discussing with the children who they think the cleverest brother is and why?
I would then ask the children to watch the film and discuss what went on, why was it animated in this way?
You could link shadow puppets into a DT/Art session and make own stories.
The children could come up with their own fairytale/fantasy story where they meet death who grants them one wish.
They could describe the 3 brothers as we don't actually get to see them.
Think of other ways to cheat death.
Write a story from Death's point of view - what did he do when he couldn't find the 3rd brother? What was he thinking? Did he try to find him?
Imagine they had the 3 gifts - what would they do with them?
As with other videos - 'reading' activities can also be introduced. Children can make up their own comprehension questions. Discuss AF2 and AF3 and create questions for each focus. This will enhance the childrens understanding of inference and deduction.
The story is about three brothers who, travelling together, reach a treacherous river. They make a magical bridge over the river. Halfway across the bridge, they meet the personification of Death who is angry for losing three potential victims. He pretends to be impressed by them and grants each a wish as a reward. The eldest brother asks for an unbeatable dueling wand, so Death gives him the Elder Wand. The middle brother asks for the ability to resurrect the dead, so Death gives him the Resurrection Stone. The youngest brother doesn't trust Death and asks for a way to stop Death from following him, so Death reluctantly gives him his Cloak of Invisibility. Afterwards, the brothers go their separate ways.
The eldest brother, bragging about his powerful wand, is robbed of it and murdered while he is asleep. The middle brother uses his ability to bring back the woman he loved, who died before he could marry her. However, she is not fully alive and is full of sorrow. He kills himself to join her. As for the youngest brother, Death never manages to find him, as he stays hidden under his Cloak. Many years later, the brother removes his cloak and gives it to his son. Pleased with his achievements, he greets Death as an old friend and chooses to leave with him as equals.
Teaching Ideas
To begin with I would read the text before watching this film. Discussing with the children who they think the cleverest brother is and why?
I would then ask the children to watch the film and discuss what went on, why was it animated in this way?
You could link shadow puppets into a DT/Art session and make own stories.
The children could come up with their own fairytale/fantasy story where they meet death who grants them one wish.
They could describe the 3 brothers as we don't actually get to see them.
Think of other ways to cheat death.
Write a story from Death's point of view - what did he do when he couldn't find the 3rd brother? What was he thinking? Did he try to find him?
Imagine they had the 3 gifts - what would they do with them?
As with other videos - 'reading' activities can also be introduced. Children can make up their own comprehension questions. Discuss AF2 and AF3 and create questions for each focus. This will enhance the childrens understanding of inference and deduction.
