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Learning task 1

Diagnostic assessment

Designed to assess students' familiarity with the basic terms and techniques associated with film. Close read a visual text, and answer questions about shot types, camera angles, lighting, sound.

View the film (3 lessons).

Ada's background

View: The opening montage.

Teacher Instruction: Brainstorm all the information the class can remember about Ada McGrath. Identify decisions in this information and suggest what this shows us about the nature of her character. Most of this information is summarised in ada_profile (RTF 8KB) .

Student activity: ada_grid (RTF 17KB)

Character: Stewart.

View: Scene following the arrival of Stewart's party on the beach until the shot of the piano alone on the beach. (10-14 mins) This allows us to see some of Stewart's character.

Pay close attention to the things he says, for example "You're small, I never thought you'd be small."
Discuss how our ideas of this character are formed over the course of this scene. Copy each of stewart_quotes (RTF 16KB) onto a separate piece of paper, divide the class into mixed ability groups and give each group a copy of each quote.

Student instruction: All of these statements are made by Stewart at some stage throughout the film. Put them in the correct order as they occur in the film.

  1. Identify exactly where it occurs during the film.
  2. Identify who it is said to.
  3. Comment on what it reveals about Alisdair Stewart. (It may reveal several things.)

Character: Baines.

View: The same scene as the previous lesson. (10-14 mins) Explain that a lot of our knowledge of Baines is developed through the way he is contrasted with Stewart.

Stewart: "What do you think?"
Baines: "She looks tired sir."
Stewart: "She's stunted, that's one thing."

Student instruction: Complete this comparison_table (RTF 29KB) comparing Baines, Stewart and Ada.

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