Writing our own paragraphs

Over the past few lessons we have been building up our skills with identifying film techniques and explaining the effect of each technique in a particular piece of film.  Below are the paragraphs that I wrote and then cut up and that each group assembled on Tuesday.  Now we are each going to write our own paragraph that answers the question:

What do we learn about Akeelah's life from the opening scene in Akeelah and the Bee?

Write your own paragraph in your Akeelah and the Bee document in your English google folder.  Later in the lesson I will ask everyone to add their paragraphs to Socrative. 

Wednesday 8 May: Akeelah & the Bee

Learning Objective: to identify, describe and explain the use of film techniques in Akeelah and the Bee.
Success criteria:
1. We can define a range of film techniques in our own words
2. We can give an example from the trailer for Akeelah and the Bee
3. We can explain how the technique develops or emphasises an idea about a person or event in the film trailer.

Do now: Open your document on film elements from yesterday.  Read through what you wrote and see what more you can add.  Make sure your definitions are in whole sentences which show your clear understanding of each element.  Add an example from Akeelah and the Bee wherever you can.

Today we are going to use the trailer for Akeelah and the Bee to learn a range of film techniques.

The techniques are well explained in this resource from Prime Education.  There are some good examples of cinematography techniques in this resource from Adorama.

Using the resources above, you are going to:

1. add the following techniques to your "film elements" table: wide shot, close up, medium shot, diegetic sound, lighting, non-diegetic sound, low angle shot, + 3 more that you choose.
2. write a definition in your own words
3. Give an example from the trailer.  This will be a still which you have captured from the trailer using a screen shot.
4. Explain, underneath each still, how this technique develops or emphasises an idea from the trailer.

Tuesday 7 May: Cartoons, resilience, Mrs Newton & Still I Rise

Learning objective: to develop our understanding of what resilience is through a range of texts.

We have several activities on offer today:
1. Mrs Newton is working with a group of students, building on the skills and discussion developed in her last session: Ikhlas, Dayton, Blake, Jaxon, Isaac (+ Troy, Lakin & Ridge?)

2. For students who have not yet completed their work on three cartoons from the Diary of a Part Time Indian, you have time to work on this.  Instructions are here.  Remember to use your wider knowledge of the book to help you pull out the significance of each cartoon (ideas in the cartoon and why they are important).

3. For students ready for some thing new, our next text exploring resilience is Still I Rise by Maya Angelou.  There are lots of versions of this poem online.  For the text only, see here.  This visual + audio version uses images from throughout history to add meaning to her words.  It links in beautifully to our focus on film which starts later this week.

Take some time to read the poem (I will have printed copies) and to watch the visual+audio version.  You may also want to read about Maya Angelou herself before you work on the Socrative questions.  If you google "Maya Angelou biography" you will get plenty of quality options.

Then please log onto Socrative.  Your room is MSQUICK. The quiz is waiting for you to do.  You do have to use your real name please, but I won't reveal the names - only I will have that access.

Cartoons in Part Time Indian & Resilience