The Lantern
This film starts with a young boy sitting fishing on a bridge. Soon an 'angel' walks by, intrigued by the fireflies she runs off leaving her lantern behind. The boy follows her, unable to find the angel the boy comes up with a plan. He gets a rocket from his tree house and attaches it with string to his fishing rod. He catches a star with his rod and begins to reel it in. The angel spots this and the film ends with the boy and angel sitting hand in hand on the bridge. A love story created by Jason Dettner as a wedding present for his wife.
Teaching Ideas
I am sure there are many more teaching ideas - would be great if you let me know your ideas: rob@literacyshed.com
Many thanks to Jason Dettner for first creating this animation then allowing the literacy shed to include it.
You can see more of Jason's work here on his website or see The Lantern on Vimeo here.
vitaminjproject.com https://vimeo.com/22608144
Teaching Ideas
- Write a diary entry for the boy just after he spots the angel.
- Do some thought mapping and inner dialogue work, can he believe his eyes?
- The children can work on writing dialogue what would the boy and angel say to each other?
- Write instructions for 'How to catch a star.'
- Create an emotions timeline or graph for the boy.
- Retell the story from each of the characters point of view.
I am sure there are many more teaching ideas - would be great if you let me know your ideas: rob@literacyshed.com
Many thanks to Jason Dettner for first creating this animation then allowing the literacy shed to include it.
You can see more of Jason's work here on his website or see The Lantern on Vimeo here.
vitaminjproject.com https://vimeo.com/22608144
Anchored
A frustrated writer sits in his boat out to sea. (metaphorically or literally, I am unsure) He sends messages to his loved one via origami cranes and she replies by sending them back across the water.
A great soundtrack - why not listen whilst perusing? |
Teaching Ideas - Discuss why they might be sending letters rather than talking. - What do the messages mean? -Write diary entries for each of them. -Write a narrative -Write messages between the two of them on origami cranes. -Write messages to someone special in their own life. |
How to make origami cranes <<<click here
Life - a short story of love
'Life' is a short story about love. A young girl falls in love with a boy in her class and this animation charts the story of their love as they find a house, have children and grow old together.
How could this film be used in class?
Writing stimulus for:
Daydreams - This is a nice way of introducing a writing project based on dreams and daydreams. I like to write daydream stories in UKS2 - story starts off in the classroom but can go anywhere and have anything in them.
The film is worth a watch, just to listen to the soundtrack - 'Hoppipolla' by Sigur Ros
How could this film be used in class?
Writing stimulus for:
- biographies,
- flashbacks,
- diaries,
- narrative,
- storyboards,
- barebones,
Daydreams - This is a nice way of introducing a writing project based on dreams and daydreams. I like to write daydream stories in UKS2 - story starts off in the classroom but can go anywhere and have anything in them.
The film is worth a watch, just to listen to the soundtrack - 'Hoppipolla' by Sigur Ros
The Invention of love - a story from the world of nuts and bolts
This is a silent animation with a beautiful soundtrack. A man, an inventor, falls in love with a country girl. Pause at 3 mins and discuss what has happened – ask children to list events. Make predictions about what will happen next.
Pause again at 4:25 and repeat discussions and events. They have moved to a city away from her parents and family. City does not seem such a nice place – full of smog and factories. At 4:40 – 4:50 he seems too busy to go with her and she ventures into the city by herself.
She is desperate to see real flowers and animals again but is only surrounded by clockwork ones. Her husband throws out her only flower (reminder of home) and replaces it with a clock work one. She runs down into the depths of the city to get her flower back and falls ill. (7mins1.) The inventor learns of her demise and destroys all of the machines. At the end he creates a ‘new wife’ from the old machines.
Discuss with pupils the story behind the film – maybe it is saying that progress for progress sake is not always the best thing? You can decide on that one.
Writing Ideas
· Description of setting at 1min40
· Describe the man on his horse and the dialogue between the man and woman at this point.
· Write a diary from either characters point of view of events up to 3:00
· Write a letter from the woman home to her family describing the city.
· Design and describe some clockwork machines, animals etc and build them in DT
· Description of the city, links with Victorian England?
· Write dialogue between the various characters at certain points.
· Hot seat characters asking questions at various points in the film.
Pause again at 4:25 and repeat discussions and events. They have moved to a city away from her parents and family. City does not seem such a nice place – full of smog and factories. At 4:40 – 4:50 he seems too busy to go with her and she ventures into the city by herself.
She is desperate to see real flowers and animals again but is only surrounded by clockwork ones. Her husband throws out her only flower (reminder of home) and replaces it with a clock work one. She runs down into the depths of the city to get her flower back and falls ill. (7mins1.) The inventor learns of her demise and destroys all of the machines. At the end he creates a ‘new wife’ from the old machines.
Discuss with pupils the story behind the film – maybe it is saying that progress for progress sake is not always the best thing? You can decide on that one.
Writing Ideas
· Description of setting at 1min40
· Describe the man on his horse and the dialogue between the man and woman at this point.
· Write a diary from either characters point of view of events up to 3:00
· Write a letter from the woman home to her family describing the city.
· Design and describe some clockwork machines, animals etc and build them in DT
· Description of the city, links with Victorian England?
· Write dialogue between the various characters at certain points.
· Hot seat characters asking questions at various points in the film.
