Using Jonathan Miller's Alice in Wonderland in Year 7

This unit stands by itself as a study of the film, but it could be used as part of a scheme of work centred on the novel . (Video/DVD times are given in minutes and seconds e.g.: 00:00)

Lesson 1

Resources

TV and VCR or DVD player VHS or DVD of Alice in Wonderland Flipchart and pen Students' writing books and pens

Starter

1. Do not tell students what the text is at the start of the unit; see if they can guess.

Cover the TV screen so students can only hear the sound. You are going to play the opening of the film to the bees buzzing, just before the white rabbit appears (0:00 to 4:12) Ask students to think about the following questions as they listen:

• What can you hear?
• What do you think is happening?
• Where do you think it is set?
• What pace is set?
• What atmosphere is created?

2. Listen to the section.

3. Ask students in pairs to discuss the above questions.

4. Discuss as a class. Ensure students explore the details of the sequence: the words, how they are spoken, her voice; the muttering and what it may indicate; the sound of the birds, bees, crickets, etc; the music, its tone, instruments etc; why the pace seems really slow; what is contributing to the atmosphere. Can they fit it to a genre? Does anyone recognise what the story might be?

Model

5. Go over the basic camera shots, angles and movements. List them on the flipchart so they can be referred to again if necessary.

6. Play the opening sequence again, this time with the pictures.

7. Discuss as a class what difference the images make. Had any of them thought of it in black and white? Had any of them recognised it as Alice in Wonderland? Does it still seem slow? Ask students to describe the atmosphere in the opening sequence.

Development

8. Explain that you are going to do a detailed analysis of how the atmosphere is created in the opening sequence. This time, ask students to take notes as they watch and to write down anything they think is contributing to the atmosphere. Talk them through the very first part; keep asking them what effect each element that they identify has, eg the fade from black; the close up of Alice; what she says (is she saying it or thinking it?); her eyes closing; the mise en sc�ne (what is put into the scene), such as Alice's position slightly to one side of the frame and the photographic quality of the leaves.

9. Gradually, in small sections, play the opening again, pausing regularly, giving students time to make notes. Then discuss the section as a class.

Plenary

10. Pose question: How does sound contribute to the meaning of this film? Ask what would be lost if the sound was removed?

Extension/homework

• Play the opening section again, without the sound and see if students can form a better answer to the question 'what would be lost if the sound was removed?'
• Reflective writing: Ask students to write 'An analysis of the opening section of Miller's Alice in Wonderland.' Go over how to do this successfully: use of formal language: passive voice, third person or first person plural, present tense; plus use of supporting evidence from the sequence.

Lesson 2

Resources

Whiteboard and pen Students' whiteboards and pens Flipchart and pen TV and VCR/DVD player VHS or DVD of Alice in Wonderland

Text from Chapter 1 of the novel, pages 1�2, from 'Alice was beginning �' to '� pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge.' (This is about one side of text.)

Students' writing books and pens

Starter

1. Quick fire revision of some of last lesson:

• Ask students to draw, then hold up, the shots you name (on small whiteboards if possible). Ask for a mid-shot, a close-up, a long shot, a big close up. (Make this a quick activity � the drawings don't have to be artistic!)
• Ask someone to explain what a high angle shot is, and then a low angle, a tilt, a pan, a tracking shot.
• Ask students to focus on the opening of Alice in Wonderland: collect words on board to describe it. Then ask for a reminder of how the atmosphere was created: list these on board leaving room for another list next to it.

Model

2. Ask students to explain what the opening of a text (novel, film, drama, etc) is designed to do. Give them two minutes to consider the question in pairs and then discuss it as a class. They could identify the setting of the scene, the style and the atmosphere; grabbing the audience's attention, etc. List these things on the flipchart

3. Ask for ideas on how a writer may open a text in order to do these things; again give pairs two minutes to consider the question and then discuss it as a class. They could suggest, for example, in the middle of an exciting bit; with a conversation; a description of the setting, etc. Again list these on the flipchart.

4. Relate this back to Alice in Wonderland: ask them to think how the filmdoes these things. Watch the opening again to remind them and discuss, relating the film to the ideas on the flipchart.

Development

5. Look at the opening of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.Discuss how it works as an opening, referring to the points listed on the whiteboard. Ask pairs to look closely at the text and at the list on the flipchart, and to annotate the text. Allow five minutes for this.

6. Discuss the findings as a class. Add another list to the one on the whiteboard relating to the novel. Ask students to consider if there are any differences between the opening of the film and the book. Discuss. (In general the novel is not as sinister and menacing as the film: why?)

Plenary

7. Ask students in pairs to write an opening sentence to a story that grabs the reader's attention and creates the same sort of weird menacing atmosphere. Allow three minutes. Share some of the sentences and discuss how successful they are.

Extension/homework

• Students could take their opening sentences and continue the story, writing the opening paragraph or half page, concentrating on creating a mysterious, sinister atmosphere.
• Individually students could analyse an opening sequence of a story or a film and assess how successful it is.

Lesson 3

Resources

TV and VCR/DVD player VHS or DVD of Alice in Wonderland Copy of Chapter 12 of the novel, pages 135�136, from 'Off with her head' to 'What a wonderful dream it had been.' Flipchart and pen Whiteboard and pen Students' books and pen.

Starter

1. Ask 'How do film directors make things seem to go fast and frantically?'

Model

2. Watch the Caucus-race from Dodo saying 'to do it' to them all collapsing on the church pew (11:20 to 12:05). Watch again and ask students to count shots. (There are six.) Watch again and ask them to try to time each shot, and to note camera angles and movements. Watch one last time asking them to spot the transitions.

3. Gather all information on the whiteboard in a kind of timeline, with a total of seconds for the whole section (about 45 seconds).

4. Ask students to look at the information carefully and try to identify rules on how to create fast paced action on film. Collect ideas on flipchart.

Development

5. Now find the section from 33:50 to 37:24 on the DVD/VHS. It is the tea party and the dormouse's story, from 'Then the dormouse will,' to 'This is the stupidest tea party I was ever at'. Ask the students again to count and time each shot, to note the camera angles and movements, and to spot the transitions. Having done it once they should be able to do it more quickly this time. Ask groups of four to create their own timeline and put all the information on it.

6. As a class, briefly discuss the atmosphere and pace of this section. Ask the groups to come up with some rules on how to identify rules on how to create a slow scene on film.

7. Feedback and list on flipchart.

Plenary

8. Give students the section from the novel. Ask them in pairs to consider how they would film this section and whether it would have to be fast and frantic or slow and lazy. Allow eight minutes or so and then ask for, and celebrate, their ideas.

Extension/homework

• In the plenary, have each pair of students join with another pair to make groups of four. Ask them to talk through their ideas before feeding back to the class.
• Ask students to look out for how the style and atmosphere of a moving image text dictates how it is filmed when they are watching films and TV.

Lessons 4 and 5

Resources

TV and VCR/DVD player VHS or DVD of Alice in Wonderland Plain A4 paper, pencils and pens.

Starter

1. Remind students of the last lesson. Ask them how they would film something to make it seem fast and crazy, and then how to make it seem slow and lazy. Relate answers to the information on the flipchart from last lesson.

Model

2. Explain that they are going to view the film in its entirety. Ask them to consider as they watch:

• What things indicate that it is all a dream?
• How is Alice made to seem really big and really small?
• What parts are particularly sinister, and how are they made to seem so?
• How does Jonathan Miller help the audience relate to Alice?
• How is silence used in the film?
• How at the end, before Alice wakes, is the film given a nightmarish quality? (It may be a good idea to have these on the flipchart next to the TV.)

3. Students watch the film.

4. Discuss the questions. Encourage students to use film language.

Development

5. Students are to try and put what they have learned about film into practice. They are to plan out a filmed sequence on a storyboard, featuring a picture of each shot and notes on camera shot, angle, movement and length; transitions, and sound. Give four scenarios:

• Someone running away from something or someone;
• A student in a long, boring lesson;
• A giant entering a town;
• A dream sequence designed to make the audience feel uncomfortable.

6. Students work on their storyboards.

Plenary

7. In groups of four, each student talks through their film sequence, explaining the effect they were hoping for. Groups nominate one or two students to share their ideas with the class.

Extension/homework

• In groups of four, students decide which storyboard is most successful, and film, edit and present their film sequence.
• In class, involve students in an evaluation of the storyboards and films.
• Individually, students could write evaluations of their own films and/or another film made by the class.

Further ideas for working with this film in Year 7

• In pairs, students could write and perform a commentary for the 1903 Alice in Wonderland film (on the DVD).
• You could work on story endings using the Miller film as a springboard.
• You could look at how written texts produce effects: look at a section of a novel that produces a rushed effect and one that produces a long, slow effect. Students could write the caucus-race and tea party section to produce the same effect as the film.