Story Shorts
A film and literacy resource for seven- to eleven-year-olds
Film and television play a central role in children's lives and cultural understanding. Children love sharing the experience of watching films. Story Shorts explores and demonstrates the richness of short films as texts to support the development of children's literacy and cineliteracy. It features five short films, accompanied by notes for teachers that support their use in the classroom. Ideal for Key Stage 2.
Contents
This VHS or DVD compilation features five short films for use in the Literacy Hour. The films have been carefully selected to exploring different ways of telling a story. They offer a cross-section of film styles and are rich in closely observed detail:
- El Caminante, Debra Smith, 1997, 5 minutes;
- Growing, Alison Hempstock, 1994, 5 minutes;
- Second Helpings, Joel Simon, 1999, 6 minutes;
- Mavis and the Mermaid, Juliet McKoen, 2000, 14 minutes;
- Train of Thought, Jonathan Hodgson, 1985, 3 minutes.
The accompanying teaching pack provides detailed notes on how to use these short films in the Literacy Hour, together with photocopiable support materials and activity sheet developed by practising teachers.
Teachers' comments during the piloting process
- "An overall improvement in wanting to learn."
- "I've been more surprised by their reaction to these films than anything else I've ever seen."
- "The children learnt to interpret a film in the same way we interpret a text and that's something new."
Ordering information
- VHS compilation and teaching guide
- Catalogue no: BR022
- Price: £24.99 (inc VAT)
- DVD compilation and teaching guide
- Catalogue no: BR022D
- Price: £39.95 (inc VAT)
Buy online from the BFI Filmstore or phone Palgrave Macmillan Orders on 01256 302866.
