Some activities for using this film with children:

Freeze Frame. This comes from Look Again, the fabulous primary  media literacy curriculum, widely used in Great Britain to for media literacy education in grades PK  - 6. 

Use the video pause button to help the class discuss each shot of a short moving image text or extract (eg 60 seconds long) by looking at and discussing:

● What they can see in the ‘frozen’ image; how the elements of the image are positioned in the frame; how lighting and colour affect what is seen.

● Distance between camera and subjects; camera angle; movement of the camera during a shot.

● How many shots there are and how the sequence of shots builds up information and ideas or impressions.

Possible follow-up:

● Use a storyboard or moving image software to change the order of the sequence or eliminate some shots.

● What and/or who can you see in the shot? (Why is the shot composed like this? What difference would it make if it were composed differently?)

● Where do you think the camera is? How many cameras do you think there are? (Why is the camera positioned in this way? What difference would it make if it were somewhere else?)

● When does the camera move from one shot to the next? How does one shot differ from another? (What difference does it make if the orderof shots is different or some are missing?)

● What can you tell about the time/place/setting? (How does the setting/ lighting contribute to the atmosphere/meaning of the shot?)

● What can you tell about the characters from how they are dressed? (What impression is given of the characters by their costume/ body language? Does it say any thing about their status or relationship?

Pupils should learn that:

● Every element of a visual image can carry meaning.

● Visual images can be ‘read’ like other texts

● The position of elements within the image, the colours used, and the lighting, can all affect interpretation.

● Camera distance (eg close-up, long shot etc), camera angle and camera movement all affect meaning.

● The number and order of shots affect meaning.