Lesson plan:

Explore visual language

Ask students to look at a picture, or a picture storybook page, or a poster and tell the story. List what evidence students use to back up their assumptions, for example written words, colour, prior knowledge. Introduce the term Storybusters and explain that they are the things that give the audience important clues to 'reading' a viewed text. Begin a class list of Storybusters. Add to it as students find more examples.

View and discuss an animated segment of Lift Off

Non-verbal language plays a very important role in television story telling. Play a self contained complete segment of Lift Off (such as Grandma's Knee or another three minute animated feature story) with no sound and ask the students to imagine what the storyline is about and what it sounds like. Discuss why students think it is so e.g. acting, colour, movement.

Play Grandma's Knee without sound until the image of the empty chair. Pause on this image and ask students to try and work out what the story is about, what sort of story it is, and who it is about. Ask them to use Storybusters to give reasons for their answers. For example they may say that the story is about someone missing because of the empty chair, that it is sad because of the people's faces and the doll left on the stairs etc. Encourage them to look for as many clues as possible in the text.

Click image for large version

Look again at the image of the empty chair. Discuss the imagery. What do the students see? What does it make them feel?

View the segment with sound and compare

Following the discussion, show the clip again this time with sound and all the way through. Compare the story to the students predictions and discuss.

Compare different media

Explain to students that a story can be told in many different ways. Compare different ways of telling the same story, choosing a story that is readily available in a number of mediums e.g. well known story/films such as The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White. These are available as picture books, chapter books, cartoons, comics and feature films.

Let students experience the story through at least two different mediums and encourage them to make comparisons and judgements about the different versions. Which was better? Why? What was different? Why? Focus on changes to the storyline, to the number and types of characters, changes to the length of the story, to draw out the possibilities and limitations of each medium.

Some Lift Off 1 animated feature stories are also available as picture books for comparison with the animated version.

Bip, the snapping bungaroo , written by Narelle McRobbie, illustrated by Grace Fielding, Magabala Books.1990. (Into the unknown ep 6A Lift Off 1 ACTF)
Felix and Alexander , written and illustrated by Terry Denton, Oxford, 1986. (Real Friends ep 20A Lift Off 1 ACTF)
How the birds got their colours Ashton Scholastic 1983.(Lost ep 21A Lift Off ACTF)
Let the students experience one of these stories in the two different mediums. Encourage them to make comparisons and judgements about the different versions. Focus on any changes to storylines, characters, the length of stories, etc. in order to draw out the possibilities and limitations of each medium.

What makes a good story?

Discuss with the students what they think makes a 'good' story. What are the elements that make them want to watch a television program? Think about characters, plot, context or setting, structure and audience appeal. Talk about their favourite television shows. List them with their points of appeal. Compare these with the main elements of a Lift Off program. If you want to explore plot or character in more detail go to the related Learning Activities, What's the plot? and What a character! hotlinked at the end of this Learning Activity.

Analyse how stories are promoted

Look at some film posters or video covers and discuss the characteristics. Identify the information contained on them. Consider the use of visuals, photographs, labels, signs and words.

After viewing a Lift Off episode ask the students to identify information that could be included to advertise the episode. Students could then design their own poster or video cover that conveys the story to entice someone to watch it.

OR

Tell the students that Lift Off is shown in other countries around the world. Have them design a poster which could be used to advertise Lift Off to younger children in an English speaking country - you could also choose the 'languages other than English' country that the students are studying.

Related lesson ideas

Giving credit
Smile, you're on candid camera!
Sound FX
What a character!
What's the plot?
Animated stories