The Child’s Eye - Understanding Childhood

Using film in Personal Social and Health Educationin primary school to explore childhood emotional development

The Child’s Eye

The Child Psychotherapy TrustThe Child Psychotherapy Trust is a national charitythat helps emotionally damaged children and youngpeople and their families. The Child PsychotherapyTrust:c Raises awareness of the value and methods of child

psychotherapy among families and professionalsc Provides information about children’s behaviour

and emotional development to parents and othersworking with children and families in thecommunity

c Funds child psychotherapy trainingc Runs child psychotherapy projects which benefit the

mental health of children.

The Child Psychotherapy TrustStar House104-108 Grafton RoadLondon NW5 4BDtelephone 020 7284 1355fax 020 7284 2755email [email protected]

The child’s eye projectAll children need to be able to think about and talkabout their feelings. The child’s eye project focuses onthe medium of film to illustrate and explore theemotional development of children and the effect ofearly experiences, good and bad, on their adult life.We hope that teachers will find these materials helpfulin understanding a child’s state of mind and that theywill provide an interesting opportunity within PSHE tohelp children explore and make sense of the worldthey are in.

The materials are designed to support a child’slearning and literacy. It is important to recognise thatthey are not designed to explore or discuss emotionalproblems and experiences in depth – special trainingand resources in the school would be needed to do so.The materials may not be appropriate if a teacher isunfamiliar or uncomfortable with the approachesdescribed here. Teachers often become aware of achild’s problems and difficulties in the normal courseof events. If this is the case when using thesematerials the teacher should follow the normal schoolprocedure to ensure the child is helped.

AcknowledgementsThe Child Psychotherapy Trust would like to thank arttherapist Dominik Franklin and film consultant SylviaPaskin for researching and writing this booklet and themany people who contributed to it and gave us theircomments. These include:Chris Archibald TeacherLiz Dodd Teacher Sue Davis Educational TherapistEva Holmes Educational PsychologistJane Jenks Educational ConsultantGabriella Kein Child PsychotherapistPaul Mills Teacher Eileen Orford Child PsychotherapistLouise Pankhurst CPT DirectorSue Plant Educational ConsultantBarry Rainsford Teacher J W Rees Teacher Julie Roberts Film EducationLiz Stones Film Consultant, British Board of Film

ClassificationJo Wilcox Southern Region Film Education OfficerLouise Wordsworth Film Education

A very special thank you to teachers Lesley Pearce,Monica Forty, Mrs Hassinin and Sina Anderson andthe children in PSHE pilot sesssions at NorthwoldJunior Mixed and Infants, Bangabandhu and SebrightPrimary Schools in Hackney.

Special thanks to child psychotherapist Gabriella Kleinfor her advice and support on the pilot sessions.

We are grateful for the support of the CalousteGulbenkian Foundation and Carlton Television Trust indeveloping these materials.

Designed by Susan Clarke for Expression, IP23 8HH

Front cover illustration: The Indian in the Cupboard,Omri meets Little Bear for the first time

Photographs: Filmbank, pp 11 and 18 Sally Greenhill

ISBN 1 900870 18 5

3

Acknowledgements 2

Introduction 4Developing the materials 5

Section 1The child at school 6Starting school 6Children at school 7

Section 2Personal Social and HealthEducation and citizenship 8The scope for considering childhood emotional

development 8

Section 3The role of film 9How can film help as a tool and resource

in PSHE? 9Understanding and interpreting film 9Films for use in PSHE 10Films – Key Stage 1 10Films – Key Stage 2 11Charlotte’s Web – Key Stage 1 12The Indian in the Cupboard – Key Stage 2 13

Section 4Planning your session 15Approaches and techniques – some possible

activities 15

Section 5Assessing the learning outcomes 18Learning Outcomes of Personal Social and

Health Education 18Potential outcomes for Key Stage 1 19Potential outcomes for Key Stage 2 19

Section 6Observation reports 20Key Stage 1 20Key Stage 2 21Further observations 25

Appendix 1Further reading 27Useful addresses 27

Appendix 2Passport learning objectives 28Passport: Framework for Personal and Social

Education 28Keystage 1 28Keystage 2 30

Contents

4

The pressure on the curriculum over the last fewyears has meant that time – time to talk topupils, for Circle time activities, time to discussimportant events in the life of the child, theschool or the wider world – has been severelyrestricted. The value of Personal Social andHealth Education is that it can help children todevelop self-awareness and social skills, whichmay go hand in hand with improvements intheir literacy and numeracy.

The Child’s Eye – Using film in PersonalSocial and Health Education in primary schools is abooklet introducing the use of film to supportKey Stages 1 and 2 in the PSHE curriculum.It is designed to link in with and enhance thecurriculum and provide an opportunity forchildren and teachers to discuss childhoodemotions and experiences in a well-structurededucational setting, thus facilitating work in aclassroom setting on emotional issues that arisewithin PSHE. The curriculum follows thepattern of children’s developmental stages andimportant emotional and behavioural issuesare identified within it such as friendship, lossand change, fear, joy and empathy, allavailable to be explored in an interesting andeducative way using the medium of film.

One of the learning outcomes expected forthe child is the ability to reflect creativelyduring the session on simple emotions shownin the film clips and then to describe them.The use of group-work and Circle Time1 is

suggested as an effective approach. Interactionbetween children themselves and betweenchild and teacher is more likely using CircleTime and similar techniques.

Two films easily available on video andespecially suitable for follow-up work inPSHE have been selected for use with primaryage children – Charlotte’s Web and The Indianin the Cupboard. These films found afavourable response during the pilot stage anda summary of some of the observation reportsfrom the pilots is included as Section 6.

Film, by which we mean cinema, televisionand video, is one expression of the worldaround us and can provide insights into a widerange of cultures and situations and stimulatedebate around them. Watching film in asupported teaching environment can be anexcellent resource to help children thinkabout themselves and their relationship toothers. In fact, children already spend aconsiderable amount of their leisure time infront of the small screen; for example,children between four and 15 watch about 18hours of television a week.2 Over four inevery five 6-17 year olds watch videos; onaverage they spend just under two hours ontwo or three days a week doing so, and ofcourse they go to the movies. It is importanttherefore to develop skills in media literacyalong with literacy skills, especially as the twocan support each other.

Introduction

The materials were developed over 18 monthswith contributions and comment frominstitutions and individuals involved with film,education and therapy. A feasibility study wascarried out consisting of 30 interviews withteachers in primary and secondary educationand professional advisers, in order to establishboth the ways in which film could be used tosupport the National Curriculum and also inwhich subject areas film could be used tomost benefit. The results of the feasibilitystudy suggested that a resource package usingfilm would be of particular use in PSHE. Itwas felt that PSHE could raise awareness andencourage progress in thinking aboutemotional issues, presenting both anopportunity and a challenge. The possibilityof an additional resource using film waswarmly welcomed.

The ideas and materials were piloted overfour to six sessions in each of three primaryschools in the Hackney Tower Hamlets area:Bangabandhu Primary School, Sebright

Primary School and Northwold Junior Mixedand Infants School. Particular attention waspaid to the needs of the teachers and themethods and approach they used. This stageof the pilot gave important information aboutthe practicalities of using the material for bothteacher and children. From the start it wasenvisaged that the resource should be flexibleenough to suit the teacher’s own style ofteaching and experience. Observers attendedall the pilot sessions and a child psychotherapistwas available to the teachers. We hope youfind the observation reports of the pilotsessions useful. The draft materials werecirculated to the teachers involved and to agroup of relevant professionals for comment,and amendments made accordingly.

The final draft was sent to 25 schoolsthroughout the UK that had expressed aninterest in the materials for comment. Theseschools offered a variety of settings includingspecial needs.

5

Developing the materials

Starting schoolThe transition from home to school involvescrossing a boundary from early childhood,where the focus is primarily on the home andparents, to a wider world where the child willhave relationships and interests independent ofthe parents.3

Children are ready for this step at differentages. Some children have older siblings, orhave led a sociable early life and may be readyat about four for the crowds of children, andthe books, learning and playto be found in thestructured setting of school.Other children will haveled a more sheltered life andmay not be ready until theyare much older. They mayalso need a ‘settling in’period.

It is quite normal forchildren to find thistransition difficult and thismay be expressed through arange of differentbehaviour. It is common tocry and cling or return to‘baby’ habits, such as thumbsucking, bedwetting or‘accidents’ at school,tantrums and babylanguage. It is as if the childis giving the parent themessage that he wants to gobackwards, not forwards.Parents can also have mixedfeelings about theseparation. They may be sador jealous, unwilling to letgo and move on. They maybe unaware that they arefailing to give a confidantand encouraging signal totheir child, thus allowinghim too to move on.

It is very common, both at home and atschool, to see a big difference in moods, sothat the child is sometimes dependent andsometimes independent, a little baby oneminute and a bold four-year old the next.Sometimes parents are amazed to hear howconfidently their child is managing at schoolwhen what they see is a demanding ‘little’child at home.

6 Section 1The child at school

Charlotte’s Web: Fern has saved Wilbur

The young child’s ability to settle intoprimary school depends to a large extent onthe emotional picture – if he is too full ofworries and anxieties connected with home,he will not feel ready to take in all the newlearning experiences of school. Teachers inthe early years of primary school understandthat many children in these years need easinginto the demands of school, and also that ifthey can establish a good partnership with theparents the child is more likely to do well.

During this time at school the child willhave a lot on his plate. Not only will he bedeveloping, and learning to master new skillsand interests, but he will also be learning tomanage his emotions in a large group, oftenwith only one adult to attend to the needs of30 children. This is likely to be disappointingand frustrating at times. The child is strugglingto get on with his new peer group andlearning to accept the rules and boundaries ofthe new school. He is also likely to come upagainst the hard truth that he is not aspowerful or as important to others as he mayhave thought he was. The schoolchild will bemoving towards independence, but he stillneeds to touch base at home. He has acontinuing need for love, support,encouragement and empathy from thosesignificant and central adults in his life.

The children who cause most concern tothe parents and teachers of primary school ageare generally those who act in provocativeways, who fail to concentrate on and attend tothe task in hand, who are restless ordisruptive, who irritate other children and theteacher, who demand attention, but do notseem able to pay attention. These childrencannot tell us in words what is the matter andsay how they are feeling, but instead have toshow us what they feel by their behaviour,which is often challenging.

Because they behave in immature ways, weoften find children like these hard to dealwith. Perhaps they had the disadvantage ofbeing moved from foster home to fosterhome. They may have suffered a loss, hadmultiple caretakers, or have been in someother way neglected or abused. Their homesmay appear to offer every advantage, but theirparents may have been in some way

preoccupied or distracted. For whateverreason, then, the child may not haveexperienced the attentive care that he needs ifhe is to respond to new educational and socialdemands in ways appropriate to his age.

Through the intimate exchanges involvedin feeding, toileting, and becoming mobilefor example, a child develops emotionally,learning to feel, think, and relate to otherpeople. Learning all this is a complicatedbusiness and involves coming to terms with allsorts of frightening possibilities – for examplebeing hungry, or being away from the peoplewho provide love and security. Families helpchildren to weather such anxieties as these andto lay the foundations for a feeling ofconfidence in their ability to cope.

Children at schoolSchool is the single most important place –apart from their home – in the lives of mostchildren. What they make of the experiencewill play a vital part in their lives and will helpdetermine their academic, social and,probably, occupational future.

Like the home before it, schools areresponsible for providing a safe environmentin which children face a new collection ofanxious issues to do with the widening worldaway from home, where they have to manageon their own in a much larger group of adultsand children.

Children are likely to face a range ofanxieties, often to do with being different insome way relating to race, culture, religion,financial circumstances, physical or mentalabilities. Anxieties may be felt where thedifferences seem minor to an outsider, forexample, where the child has to takemedication, or is overweight. Children mayexperience bullying, teasing, being excludedor isolated from friendship. They may faceanxieties about what the school, or aparticular teacher expects of them.

Schools carry on from families both insetting challenges, but also in providingexperiences that can help the child meetthem, and can provide children withalternative ways of managing the difficultiesthat life presents to every person.

7

Section 2Personal Social and HealthEducation and citizenship

The scope for consideringchildhood emotional developmentPrimary schools should provide an environment inwhich children acquire skills, knowledge andvalues that will help them to become effective,independent individuals, capable of making well-founded choices and establishing healthyrelationships.4, 5 PSHE can foster a child’ssuccessful growth and emotional developmentfrom these primary years through adolescence andinto adulthood, making a contribution to societyas a whole by contributing to the quality of life ofeach pupil and helping that pupil to be aconfident learner. PSHE is not just a scheme oflessons, but a whole range of experiences withinthe school that should develop pupils’ self-esteemand their consideration for others. This is usuallyknown as the ‘whole-school approach’ when theethos of the school tries to reflect these principles.

The quality of school life for a young personis influenced by their relationships with theirpeers, and teachers and other school staff, aswell as family members and others outside ofschool. If all goes well these relationships canbuild a sense of worth and foster positiveparticipation in education. At their worst, theycan lead to a negative self-image and anexperience of school as threatening andturbulent. PSHE can help by providing anopportunity to discuss joyful emotions andexperiences and more difficult ones – forexample – bullying and being bullied,aggressive behaviour, misuse of drugs, orsimply isolation and withdrawal as well asother problems that children can experience:problems with families, divorce, violence inthe home, instances of verbal abuse, low self-esteem, and racial and other prejudice.

Areas covered in Key Stage 1 5-7 year olds

At Key Stage 1, it is hoped that PSHE will help children to cover the following areas:c Emotions identifying and naming emotions as well as causes and situationsc The body identifying parts of the body and understanding genderc Drugs appreciating the differences between drugs, medication and sweetsc Friends and family identifying friends or family; cultural awareness of families different

from their ownc Bullying what it is and what emotions children experience as the bully or the person

who is bullied.c Loss and change what happens in the family or at school.

Areas covered in Key Stage 2 7-11 year olds

Key Stage 2 involve looking in more depth at the following areas:c Friendships empathy and appropriate forms of relatingc Parenting families and parenting c Puberty associated feelings and emotions and awareness of changes leading to sexual maturityc Drugs smoking, alcohol, harmful and illegal substancesc Bullying causes and effectsc Culture religion, age and tolerance and diversityc Loss and change what happens if someone dies in the family or at school

8

How can film help as a tool and resource in PSHE?Film is a dynamic, absorbing and accessiblemedium which children find familiar andengaging. They identify strongly with theprotagonists in films and the situations inwhich they find themselves. Many filmsappear to be simply sources of entertainmentbut if one looks at them more closely it isclear that they are in fact exploring personalissues.

Watching a film and then focusing onchosen clips may well lead to discussion at adeeper level. Film is a rich source of stimulusand debate and has great educational value ifused intelligently, with the capacity todevelop children’s emotional, intellectual andimaginative abilities. It is an excellent startingpoint for discussion and activity for allchildren, regardless of their educational ability.

Children develop an ability to ‘read’ themoving image from an early age and are veryadept at interpreting films. This is becausethey spend a considerable amount of theirleisure time in front of the small screen. Someuseful work is already being done on tyingfilm in with the work going on in theLiteracy Hour in schools. For example,children may be required to link a book to itsfilm. They may also have to write aboutpersonal experiences linked to a variety ofsimilar incidents from stories; express viewsabout stories; or discuss characters’ feelings,behaviour and relationships.

Children can be helped to recognisecommon themes in texts – for example goodovercoming evil or the value of friendships.This can lead to a discussion on what a storymeans personally to the children. The use offilm to illustrate these areas benefits bothteachers and children.

The section below on understanding andinterpreting film applies particularly to KeyStage 2.

Understanding and interpreting filmFilm is a language in itself and one that can beunderstood at many levels. It is a visualmedium – a way of telling a story usingmoving images and usually a soundtrack. Theprocess of making a film is a collaborative oneinvolving a team of people – writers, cameraoperators, producers, actors, designers and adirector. Key decisions have to be made alongthe way which ultimately affect the look andcontent of a film and how it can beinterpreted and ‘read’. Looking at a film onecan talk about the length and angle of shotsand the juxtaposition of scenes; the use ofcolour; the design of sets and costume and thelighting; the choice of actors; the music,dialogue and sound effects; the setting andlocation selected, and the way the film hasbeen edited to create the narrative.

Learning to understand these aspects of thefilm provides an ideal opportunity to prepare thechildren for further discussion at a later stageabout the meaning of the film. It is worthpointing out that the ‘meaning’ of a film is notand never can be fixed. There may be broadagreement as to what the film is about, butwhen it comes to the fine-tuning of feeling anddeeper responses, each person watching a filmwill interpret it in their own way.

Camera movementDifferent ways of using the camera, forexample shots from a high or a low angle, cangive information about when and wheresomething is happening – by throwing lighton the role of the character and his or herreaction, or drawing attention to something inorder to create a mood, impression or feeling.

Mise-en-scèneThis term is widely used in film culture andrefers to what is actually in the scene. Whenyou watch a film everything appears in theframe and each member of the audience feels

9Section 3The role of film

continued on page 14

Films for use in PSHEA wide range of films is available for use in PSHE, suitable for differentstages of development and to explore different emotional issues. Someof these films may well be linked to books the children are currentlyreading. The emphasis in these materials in on Key Stage 2. Whenchoosing a film teachers should be sensitive to cultural issues; in somecultures, for example, a film like Charlotte’s Web, where the hero is apig, may cause offence.

However showing such a film may offer a valuable opportunity todiscuss issues that may arise from it which may be stimulating andthought-provoking.

Make it clear to the pupils why this particular film has been chosenfor them and what you hope they will gain from the lesson.

10

Films – Key Stage 1

Feature filmsc A Little Princess (Alfonso Cuaron, 1995, U) Once wealthy and privileged Sara Crewe resists all

attempts to break her spirit after her father’s death and the loss of her fortune.

c Babe (Chris Noonan, 1995, U) A charming, eccentric and funny film about a little pig who succeedsagainst all the odds through his own ability and the support of various friends in the farmyard.

Animated filmsc Bambi (Walt Disney, 1942, U) A poignant parabIe ahout the cycle of life as reflected in the growth

of a young deer.

c Beauty and the Beast (Walt Disney, 1991, U) An independent-minded and witty reworking of thetraditional fairy-tale with a resourceful, vigorous and bookish heroine.

c Charlotte’s Web (Charles A. Nichols and Iwao Takamoto, 1973, U) A film which charts the lifecycle and explores the value of friendship and loyalty as well as dealing with grief.

c The Jungle Book (Walt Disney, 1967, U) Abandoned as a child, Mowgli is raised by wolves andexperiences many adventures until he re-enters human society.

c Pocahontas (Walt Disney, 1995, U) In spite of taking liberties with historical fact, this breaks themold and introduces a very feisty and capable young heroine who both saves Captain Smith’s lifeand brings peace between the Native Americans and the settlers.

c The Lion King (Walt Disney, 1994, U) Simba, a young lion,expects to rule one day but is disgracedand banished through the machinations of a rival. He has to go through many difficulties on hisroad to maturity before he finally regains his throne.

c Pinocchio (Walt Disney, 1940, U) A brilliantly crafted and emotionally rich story of the littlewooden puppet who learns the hard way how to be a real boy.

11

Films – Key Stage 2

Feature filmsc The Borrowers (Peter Hewitt, 1997, U) The world of the tiny folk called the Borrowers who live off

domestic scraps under the floorboards of the Lender family is turned upside down and they need alltheir considerable resources to save the day … a triumph of the small over the large.

c Danny the Champion of the World (Gavin Millar, 1989, U) Rural conservation and green politicsare at the heart of this story about widower/poacher William who lives in a caravan with his nineyear old son Danny. They are forced to fight the local landowner and bully Mr Hazell for their homeand livelihood.

c Matilda (Danny DeVito, 1996, U) A film which celebrates the fruits of book-reading with a bright,brave heroine called Matilda. The film, based on Roald Dahl’s story, emphasises what childhoodsolidarity and self-empowerment can achieve in the face of adult inadequacy and selfishness.

c The Indian in the Cupboard (Frank Oz, 1995, U) A very positive film which champions the validityof unfamilar cultures and the importance of empathy and understanding.

c James and the Giant Peach (Henry Selick, 1996. U) Forced into a life of drudgery by his evil, greedyaunts, orphan James dreams of escape to New York After many delightful adventures, he finallyachieves his heart’s desire.

c The Railway Children (Lionel Jeffries, 1970, U) An affectionate homage to golden Edwardian daysbut also a timeless, magical account of resilience and generosity of spirit in the face of familyproblems.

c The Witches (Nicolas Roeg, 1989, U) A Strange and sometimes scary tale of witches with an evilplan to turn all the children of England into mice. They are foiled by Luke the young hero and hisNorwegian grandmother.

Animated filmsc Charlotte’s Web (Charles A. Nichols and Iwao Takamoto, 1973, U) A film which charts the life

cycle and explores the value of friendship and loyalty as well as dealing with grief.

c Toy Story (1995, John Lasseter, PG) A visually stunning and bravura film about two rival ‘toys’ whoare forced to form an alliance to combat an enemy and in so doing become real friends by settingaside their differences and learning respect for one another.

Charlotte’s Web Key Stage 1We will now look in detail at Charlotte’s Web,which has been chosen to illustrate the use offilm for Key Stage 1.

This is an animated film based on E BWhite’s classic book. It addresses thefundamentals of emotional experience – loveand dependence, loss and death, growth andchange. The story begins with the discoveryby eight year old Fern that her father is aboutto kill one of the newly born litter of pigsbecause it is a runt. She is upshet and herfather lets her raise the pig, which issubsequently named Wilbur. He thrives but isthen sold on to her uncle’s farm. Wilbur isbored and lonely there despite the communityof animals around him until he makes friendswith the wise spider Charlotte.

When once again Wilbur’s life is in dangerCharlotte saves his life by weaving wordsabout him in her web. She believes that if shemakes Wilbur famous his human owners willnot want to kill him. She achieves this andsaves him. At the same time, however, her lifecycle is nearing its end – the time is fastapproaching when she will lay her eggs anddie. Wilbur must come to terms with losinghis friend and bring up some of her babies. Hehas developed from being a helpless newbornpiglet to an independent creature able to lookafter others as well as himself.

The film is both playful and serious in itscoverage of themes like love and self-sacrifice,dying and rebirth and the chain of life, layingstress on the importance of writing and thepower of story-telling itself. Various clips ofkey scenes in the film can be looked at insome detail to explore these themes.

First clipapproximately 10 minutes into the filmThe scene in the kitchen when Fern’s fatherwants to kill Wilbur. This scene explores Wilbur’sfear and terror at nearly losing his life.

Second clipapproximately one hour into the filmCharlotte weaves the web of words ‘Some pig’

that saves Wilbur’s life by making him a localhero. This scene demonstrates the power ofwords.

Third clipapproximately 1 hour and 18 minutes into the filmWilbur’s experience of the grief of losingCharlotte who saved his life and became hisfriend.

Fourth clipapproximately 1 hour and 26 minutes into the filmWilbur helps to bring up some of Charlotte’sbaby spiders. He still misses her but has gainedunderstanding and acceptance of the life cycle.

12

Charlotte’s Web

The Indian in the CupboardKey Stage 2The Indian in the Cupboard has been selectedfor Key Stage 2. The film is based on LynnReid Banks’ book and is the fascinating storyof Omri, a nine year old boy who is given anold cupboard by his brother for his birthdayand a magic key by his mother. Omri’s friendPatrick gives him the small plastic figure of anIndian, which he puts in the cupboard. Thenext morning the figure has come alive.

Omri has an independent but also caringnature and as the story develops we see him

grow in his understanding of the plight of thelittle Indian who is proud and fierce but alsovery vulnerable. Omri makes the mistake ofsharing his extraordinary secret with Patrickwho gives him a second plastic figure, acowboy called Boone, who comes alive too.This gives rise to dangerous rivalry betweenthe cowboy and the Indian – a situationfurther exacerbated by Patrick’s lack of amature and responsible attitude which causeshim and Omri to fight.

The film charts different emotionallycharged situations that deal with death andloss, prejudice and bullying, racism, conflictand growing-up. Once again various keymoments in the film can be highlighted formore in-depth discussion.

First clipapproximately 12 minutes into the filmOmri tries to make friends with the little Indianwho is at first very frightened and aggressivetowards him. Omri begins to learn how to takecare of his new friend.

Second clipapproximately 39 minutes into the filmThe scene where Omri inadvertently causes thedeath of the old Indian and which shows how heand the little Indian have different ideas of afuneral for him.

Third clipapproximately 48 minutes into the filmThe scene where the cowboy and the Indian meetfor the very first time and have no understandingat all of each other, but only prejudice.

Fourth cliplast seven minutes of the filmThis scene shows the friendship and respect thecowboy Boone and Little Bear have developedfor each other. Their shared experience of beingin Omri’s world has united them.

13

they are looking through a window onto ascene that they alone can see. But as weknow, what is in the scene has been carefullyarranged so that the audience will experiencethe film in a certain way. Every scene in afilm could have been arranged differently –the director had many possible choices.

Lighting and colourLighting in a film is very important as itconveys the mood or atmosphere of a scene –low lighting, ie sharp contrast between lightand dark areas can be interpreted as

mysterious, whereas high-key lighting createsa more ‘realistic’ effect.

SoundThe use of sound and special effects, and themusic in particular, works directly on theaudience’s emotions. The theme songs used infilm often give a direct indication of thedirector’s intentions. Sound both on- and off-screen is important in conveying informationto the audience – a telephone that rings,footsteps, children laughing outside awindow ...

14

The Indian in the Cupboard: Omri meets Little Bear for the first time

PracticalitiesIdeally a room should be used that is bigenough for the children to watch the film inits entirety as a group. This room can thenalso be used for the children to be together ina large group for Circle Time or split off intosmaller groups for their other activities. It isimportant to state at the beginning of thesessions how many more sessions there will beand how long they will last.

Note: If you think it would be useful forthe class to see a film in a cinema, somecinemas offer special rates to schools.

Introducing the subjectFor the first session show the whole film tothe group. It is often helpful to directchildren’s viewing from the outset by gettingthem to name some feelings and then askingthem to look out for these and others whilethey watch the film. Give time after thissession for the group to respond and talkabout the emotional issues, and any feelingsthat the film has stimulated. Most teachers willhave classroom rules or Circle Time rules thatinclude ‘listening to each other’, ‘notinterrupting’, ‘respecting everyone’scontribution’, and ‘having the right to pass’.These rules and boundaries should bereinforced from the start. If the discussiontakes place in small groups, each group mightlike to choose someone to report back. Thispart of the activity is probably more suitablefor Key Stage 2.

The teacher’s roleThe teacher’s role is that of facilitator. He orshe should structure the discussion so that thechildren can discuss freely, build teams, andsolve problems. It is vital to encourage thepositive. If someone is behaving badly helpthe other children to see something valuablein their attitude, but, if necessary, re-state therules or boundaries of the group.

It is sometimes difficult to know what to dowhen a child says something personal in a

classroom context. The best option is usuallyto listen and, if need be, repeat what theyhave said, taking care to focus on the feelingthat lies behind the statement. For instance,some teachers reflect back using words like ‘Itsounds as if you feel … I am aware that youfeel … I can see that you feel …’

There may be children in the group whoare not interested or who do not feel part ofthe discussion at that particular time. Theymay even try to undermine what is going on.It is important to reinforce boundaries fromthe beginning through the ground rules butalso to tolerate their attitude.

ReflectionAt the end of the session teachers should helpthe children reflect on what they have learnedabout the films and, in the case of the olderchildren, what they have learned about theirown feelings.

Approaches and techniques –some possible activitiesIn subsequent sessions other approaches to thefilm may be explored such as:

c Circle TimeCircle Time is an opportunity for thechildren to find out more about themselves,what they are capable of and how they relateto one another. The discussions in CircleTime can be serious, yet lively and fun too. Itis an opportunity for feelings to bediscovered, explored and accepted. Childrenrealise that the better they understandthemselves, the better they will understandothers.

There are certain rules for Circle Time toensure the whole class feels empowered andresponsible – only one person speaks at a timeand for this reason, the children sit in onelarge group and they pass round a small token.Only the one in possession of the token canspeak. The token is then passed on; all

15Section 4Planning your session

children have the right to pass withoutcomment.6

c New shoesIn the films there are a number of charactersthe children can identify with, perhapsbecause they remind them of members of

their family, their peers, some other person orindeed themselves. One way of exploringthese relationships is to act them out. Thisdevelops the children’s ability to empathisewith others. The children divide into smallgroups and choose a scene to act out in whichthey are to ‘put themselves in someone else’s

16

The Indian in the Cupboard: The friendship of Patrick and Omri

shoes’. Before starting their ‘play’, it is helpfulto draw out something about each character.How are they are feeling and why? How willa particular event make them behave?

After the role-play the children can beasked a range of questions about their role. Ifa problem is being acted out they might beasked to identify what problem it is and offeranother way to resolve it.

c I feel like … I felt like …Take a theme such as ‘loss’ from Charlotte’sWeb and encourage the children to imagine asituation where they have felt like Wilbur orCharlotte at a point of crisis and ask them tobegin a sentence: ‘ I feel like Wilbur because…’ or ‘ I felt like Wilbur because …’

c Making an imageThe pupils can be asked to draw, paint ormake a sculpture of themselves in the imageof characters they have identified with in thefilm. These images may well link to deeperfeelings in the children as well as to theirresponses to the film itself.

c The debateThe teacher makes a statement like ‘One ofthe pigs is a runt and will never amount toanything …’ and then suggests that the classdivides into two smaller groups to debate thisissue according to whether they agree withthe statement or not. The children can thenbe encouraged to discuss their opinionsamong themselves.

c The phonePassing a phone round in a circle so that thechildren can speak into it about their feelings.At the other end of the phone there could bea character from the film or someone else oftheir choice. This activity is probably moresuitable for Key Stage 2.

c Keeping a diary The child makes a diary, secret or otherwise,with the choice of whether to put indrawings, words and thoughts, or both.

c Parrot on the shoulderIf the children form a freeze-frame or tableauin a group, someone from another group canput their hand on the shoulder of one of thecharacters and say what they think thischaracter is thinking.

c Corridor of conscience If one of the characters in the film is facedwith a decision, one child is chosen to be thatcharacter. The other children form a tunnelor corridor through which the character hasto pass. As he or she goes through the tunneleach of the children says what he thinks thatcharacter should do in that situation. Thisprocess can build from whispers to acacophony of sound – of different, opposingopinions. When the character reaches the endof the ‘corridor’ they have to make aninstant, final decision as to what they aregoing to do.

17

Section 5Assessing the learning outcomes

18

Learning outcomes of PersonalSocial and Health EducationLearning outcomes are partly based onassessing the opportunities which children aregiven to develop skills, increase knowledgeand understanding and express attitudes andvalues.5 Pupils can be helped to:c develop self-awareness, positive self-esteem

and confidencec develop a healthy lifestylec learn to keep themselves and others safec develop effective and satisfying relationships c learn to respect the difference between

peoplec develop independence and responsibilityc play an active role as members of societyc make the most of their abilities.

See Appendix for Passport:Framework forobjectives PSHE Learning Key Stage 1 and 2.

Potential outcomes for Personal and Social Developmentat Key Stage 1The approaches described above can helpchildren to develop mature values andattitudes, for example:c being able to be positive about themselvesc taking responsibility for their behaviour in

classc showing respect to others by listening to

them and taking turns.and to gain in knowledge and understandingby:c discovering that joining in a large or small

group is func recognising and naming feelings c learning that everyone has feelings which

should be respectedc learning to think back over experience and

evaluate it and their response to it.

Potential outcomes for Personal and Social Developmentat Key Stage 2Children can develop mature values andattitudes, for example:c taking responsibility for their behaviour in a

groupc showing respect for other people by

listening to themc being sensitive to the feelings of others who

have behaved negativelyc working with others and taking turns.and to gain in knowledge and understandingby:c being able to talk about their own personal

experiencesc recognising and naming feelings in relations

to those experiencesc knowing that joining in with a group helps

you understand other people.

The children can assess themselves and eachother. The teacher can assess his or her ownrole as well as the children’s understanding

and experience of the session. All theapproaches and techniques described inSection 4 can be adapted for individualcircumstances.

You can look for examples of:c pupils’ ability to explore personal issues

represented in the filmc their ability to relate experience from their

own lives to the issues portrayed in the filmc whether they have learnt new words for

feelings or concepts understood from thefilm.

You can ask the children: c What happened in the session?c How did you feel in the session?c What did you learn from the session? c How can you apply what you have learned?

You can use film:c as a stimulus for debate and discussion of

PSHE issuesc to develop literacy and media-literacyc to encourage emotional literacy in children.

19

20

Key Stage 1

Sebright Primary School6-7 year old mixed classTeacher Mrs HassininFilm Charlotte’s Web

First observation

Session 40 minutesThe children had watched the film in itsentirety the week before. All 18 of themformed a big circle. They were askedquestions about the story-line and thedifferent characters, and what aspects of thefilm and special moments had stayed withthem. They then went to their tables anddrew pictures of one of the characters in thefilm.

When they had finished they went back tothe circle. Each picture was held up and thechild who had drawn it talked about why theyhad chosen that character. They spoke aboutCharlotte, Fern, the horse, and the goose.The teacher said that the children could drawtheir own ‘webs’ and write words that wereimportant to them, as Charlotte had done forWilbur with her ‘some pig’.

They were then asked if they had enjoyedthe cartoon. All said they had except one littleboy who said it had made him feel ‘sick’when the farmer wanted to kill Wilbur.

Second observation

Session 40 minutesThis was conducted entirely as Circle Time.The children were asked to think about whatWilbur would be feeling when the farmerwanted to kill him. Words came up such assad, frightened and unhappy. They were askedif there had been moments in their own liveswhen they had felt like that, and this madethem bring up instances of watching adultsfighting in the street, and fights in their ownhomes. The teacher did not pursue thisfurther but simply acknowledged how scared

they must have been; she did not want todraw out more information in a public arena.They also mentioned being bullied by otherchildren, being threatened with being put industbins or down in the basement with rats.They talked of other alarming incidents likebeing nearly run over, and giving a sister a lifton a bike and her falling off. One child hadbeen lost and felt frightened for a short time.

The teacher finished the session by askingthe children to name other more positiveemotions in the film.

Third observation

Session 40 minutesThe teacher showed the clip from the filmwhere Fern looks after Wilbur and nurtureshim. She asked the children what Fern haddone to show her love for Wilbur. Thechildren talked about Fern feeding,protecting, bathing and kissing him, tuckinghim up in bed, saving him from danger,singing to him and respecting him. Theteacher asked the children how their mothersshowed them love, to which they respondedby naming similar things that their motherdid.

The children were then asked to form sixgroups and act out, as a group, feelingsdemonstrated in the film. They had to act outa word of their choice like ‘hugging’,‘kissing’, ‘playing in the park’. At a certainpoint they were asked to ‘freeze’ and theother groups had to guess the word.

The children then re-formed into the bigcircle. They were asked what words theyassociated with being shown love by theirmothers and came up with a variety – wicked,brilliant, wonderful, terrific, beautiful, perfectand cool.

The class was slightly bigger than usualbecause another teacher was absent but threeassistants were present as well as the teacher.

Section 6Observation reports

20

21

Fourth observation

Session 40 minutesThis session explored losing people eitherthrough their moving away or through death.It was held as Circle Time.

The teacher asked the children what thesaddest moments were in Charlotte’s Web.They said it was when Wilbur faced death andalso when Charlotte died. The teacher talkedabout losses in her life and asked the childrento think about their losses or separations. Onechild spoke of the death of her grandfather, ofthe death of a grandmother in a car crash, offriends moving away; and one child spoke of afather‘s leaving home. The teacher asked themabout how they felt and the childrenmentioned sadness, anger and fear.

The teacher then went round the circleagain and asked why we miss people –

prompting children to speak of memories ofthe good times. She then asked the childrento remember the good times they had withthe person they had lost – being taken to thepark, playing games, shopping, playingfootball. Mrs Hassinin mentioned that whenshe was ill as a child, her grandfather had paidfor the medicine. She said he was always calm,loving and very quiet. She ended the sessionby saying that we did lose people and wecould feel sad and that one way to deal withthis was to have good, special memories.

Mrs Hassinin said that she and the childrenhad enjoyed the sessions. Role-playing wasnew to the children but she would happily useit again in relation to a film. Film wasgenerally an excellent way to access emotions.

Key Stage 2

Sebright Infants School8-9 year old mixed classTeacher Sina AndersonFilm The Indian in the Cupboard

First observation

Session 40 minutesThe children had seen the film the weekbefore in its entirety and enjoyed it verymuch. The teacher asked them what emotionsand ideas were expressed in the film and theymentioned jealousy, friendship, racism,change, courage and trust.

Friendship was the topic they wanted todiscuss in this session. The teacher showed fourdifferent clips from the film which all exploredfriendship: Omri trying to appease the Indian’sfear and aggression when they first meet; Omritrying to make a bow and arrow for the Indian;the death of Little Bear. The third clip was ofthe time when the children have a row andOmri’s friend nearly betrayed his secret.

The children were asked what was the sameand what was different about the ways inwhich friendship was portrayed in the film.The children talked about how Omri was afriend to the Indian and cared for him, andcontrasted this with the behaviour of Patrick,Omri’s friend who nearly betrays him.

They worked in pairs and were given asheet of paper with a ‘friendship’ situation on

Charlotte’s Web: Charlotte and her web

22 it for role-play. After eight minutes ofdiscussion and acting, the 20 children formed abig circle. They talked about how they haddealt with the situation they were given toexplore and then about real-life situationswhere they had experienced ‘good’ and ‘bad’friendships. One girl had a particularly difficultstory and the other children listened carefullyand offered her advice about how to deal withher feelings of hurt and sadness. They were alively, engaged and dynamic class.

Second observation

Session 40 minutes

Circle TimeThe 20 children sat in one big circle. This wasthe children’s third session on the film. Theteacher showed them a clip from the film inwhich some older boys bully Omri. Thechildren discussed Omri’s situation. Theteacher asked the children if they had everbeen bullied or perhaps bullied someonethemselves. The children passed a small figurearound and answered the question. Theteacher praised the children for their honesty.

Two children were asked to imagine asituation where one was a bully and the otherwas being bullied. They were given time tothink of a situation, which they then role-played to the other children. The childrenasked the actors what it felt like to be a bullyor to be bullied and one child was asked whyhe was a bully. He said he felt angry andfrustrated and had to take it out on someoneweaker.

The children were then asked what kind ofpeople bully. They gave different answers oneby one round the group. Typical answerswere that some children bully because theyare bullied themselves; that bullies like tomake someone else feel as bad as them andmake them cry.

The children were asked what advice theywould give to a bully and how they wouldhelp him to deal with his anger and low self-esteem. They answered that a bully shouldseek help like counselling, and make friendshe or she could talk to. A child who hadexperienced being bullied was put in thecentre of the circle and asked about his

experience. After he had told his story theother children offered advice. He must seekhelp, raise his voice and draw attention to thesituation and not be afraid if the truth abouthis being bullied comes out. The children allagreed that you have to stand up to a bullyand not take any notice of their threats.

Third observation

Session 40 minutesLocation the big hallThe children watched a clip from the film thatshowed the first meeting between Omri andthe Indian, in which the little Indian has tolearn to trust his new friend. The topic for thissession was to be ‘trust’ – who to trust andwho not to trust.

The children formed themselves into fivegroups. They had to create and rehearse ashort play to perform to the others thatexplored the idea of trust. They had 10minutes to rehearse before forming the bigcircle again. Each group then performed tothe others. One group showed someonetelling a secret to a friend who betrayed them,going with a stranger offering sweets andhaving to be rescued by the police. The othergroups performed variations of this, so itseemed to be a popular choice.

Their teacher said trust was very importantand talked about when to have it and when itwas wiser not to. The children then spokeabout incidents from their own lives whentrust had played a part. They all seemed veryalert to the risk involved in trusting a stranger.

The issue for discussion the week afterwould be racism; the children were asked towrite words they associated with racism andgive them to the teacher.

Fourth observation

Session 40 minutesSina had written the following words on largepieces of paper:

anger, loneliness, fear.The children had contributed these the

week before.We watched a clip from The Indian in the

Cupboard where Omri buries Little Bear andthe Indian performs his own blessing andceremony.

23The children were then divided into groupsof six or more. They were asked to thinkabout racism and what it felt like to:c be called racist namesc be bullied and called racist namesc be given funny looks by adultsc be shouted at by racist adultsc be racist themselves towards other children.

There was a lot of lively discussion amongall the groups. The children did not thinkresponding in kind was useful and that callingon responsible adults was the best wayforward. The teacher discussed reasons forracism – fear of others, fear of difference.

The teacher stressed how different cultureshad brought much to Britain in terms oflanguage, music, food, and design. We shouldappreciate the different good things othercultures bring to us.

Fifth observation

Session 40 minutesThe children watched the last seven minutesof the film. In this clip the cowboy and theIndian have become friends. The teacherstressed that after all their initial difficultiesthey had become friends by listening andtalking and communicating with one another.She said that these were the means we coulduse in life to get to know other people. Thechildren were then split into groups of six orseven and were asked to think about ways youcould overcome racism.

After 10 minutes of discussion in theirgroups they formed a circle and the teacherasked them what they would do if a newmember joined their group who was a racist.How would they deal with it?

Comments ranged from:c We do not want racists at our school.c I would play with them and talk to them

and try and get them to change their mind.c They may not understand about racism – I

would go and see their parents.c I would make sure no one would play with

them so they would know what it is like tobe excluded.

c I would try to get to know them to findout why they felt that way.Sina asked the children what it would feel

like if each time they came to school certain

children were excluded because they werewearing a blue jumper, or green trousers. Thechildren agreed that no one should be judgedby their appearance or the colour of theirskin. The teacher praised the children for theirconstructive approach to the topic and alsobecause no one had suggested beating theracist up.

Bangabandhu Primary School10-11 year old mixed class Teacher Monica FortyFilm Charlotte’s Web

First observation

Session 40 minutesIn this session 18 children sat in a large circlewith their teacher. It was the children’ssecond session. In the first session they hadwatched the film Charlotte’s Web straightthrough.

They participated in the following sequenceof activities:c Children moving around individually in a

large space – told to find a space and sitdown – teacher then outlined the session indetail.

c Stop/go game to relax and motivatechildren, who moved around the spaceuntil told to stop or go. The game was thenreversed so that ‘stop’ meant ‘go’ and ‘go’meant ‘stop’.

c Facial expressions – children made a rangeof silent facial expressions – chewing,making a funny face, yelling, etc.

The children had already seen the film in itsentirety. The teacher asked them to retell thestory. They sat down in front of the screenand were shown four clips: c Clip 1 Wilbur as a runt excluded from

feedingc Clip 2 Wilbur’s first meeting with

Charlotte and the beginning of theirfriendship

c Clip 3 Wilbur’s fame and fortune as the‘celebrated’ pig

c Clip 4 Charlotte’s death, the meaning oftheir friendship, and Wilbur’s grief.

24 Circle TimeThe children were asked to sit in a large circleand the rules were outlined. The teacher saidthat this was a special time, personal feelingswere involved and the children were torespect one another. The children were allgiven pieces of paper and asked to write downa feeling that Wilbur had experienced in thecourse of the film. The prompt-words theywrote included:

lonely, sad, relief, joy, happiness, fear, gladness,excitement, thrilled.

As the words came out, one child acting asthe ‘scribe’ wrote the words on a large pieceof paper on a board. The children were thenasked to form groups and choose one of thewords. The chosen word was whispered totheir teacher. Each group was then asked toproduce a frozen montage or ‘statue’ at theword ‘go’, and the other groups were asked ifthey could identify the word.

The groups then picked the words ‘lonely’,‘sad’ and ‘relief’ and repeated the ‘statue’game, this time adding sound.

At the end of the session the children laydown and relaxed and were asked to thinkabout the feelings that had been discussed, andwhether they had ever had these feelingsthemselves. The teacher said that afterplaytime they would write up their logs. Theywould then be asked to think over the sessionand what it had meant to them.

Second observation

Session one hourLocation a small hallEighteen children present – three were newfrom the time before

Children stood in their own space. Theywere encouraged to weave around oneanother. On the word ‘stop’, a word wasintroduced, eg ‘monster’, and the childrenthen had to react to the word with a facialexpression but no sound. Further words weregiven:

presents, green slimy mud, wounded puppy,going to a new school, extra playtime, sore finger.

The group wove around each other untilthe teacher called a number. The childrenthen had to form a group consisting of thatnumber and touch each other with a hand on

the shoulder. The idea of touch wassensitively handled, as the children come fromcultural backgrounds where touching anotherperson can be problematic. They finallyformed two groups, the teacher joined in andthey formed one big group that squeezed uptogether. The children then went back to the‘statue’ groups of the first session and created anew montage, but this time they had to showthe opposite feeling. They then built up amontage of sounds one by one in the groupuntil they were all making the same sound.

The teacher then introduced the idea oftransformation – in this case, changingfeelings. Each group produced two montageseach symbolising a different emotion, forexample sadness and joy in succession,building and changing the sound each time.

The children then watched a clip from theend of Charlotte’s Web which showed Wilburexperiencing a range of feelings in a shorttime – grief, determination to save the eggs,readiness to nurture the baby spiders, sadnesswhen they all appear to be leaving, and finallyhappiness when three decide to stay.

The range of emotions and the moments ofchange were all commented on by thechildren. The teacher talked about death andwhy it makes us sad. She spoke personallyabout her own experience and of how aphoto was given to her at the first Christmasafter the death of someone she loved. Thechildren said that the baby spiders remindedWilbur of his friend Charlotte in a good way.One girl said she had kept a photo of herkitten that had died and it had helped her.The children were asked to think aboutremembering and memories.

Third observation

Session one hourLocation the big hallAs a warm-up exercise, children stamped outa rhythm to a poem.

‘Are you ready?’Cos you are in for a treatAre you ready?Fingers and feetCan you feel the beat?’They then played at running round the hall

while being told by Monica to ‘stop’ and ‘go’.

25

As a second activity, they had first to makethemselves into groups of: c all those with white socksc all those with no socksc all those with patterned socks.

Then into groups of those with nosiblings/those with one sibling/two siblingsand so on. In order to form these groups theyhad to run around asking each other questions– all accomplished with great gusto!

They were then put into their originaldrama groups and asked to play:

c Beans on toast Some of them lay on the floor and were the‘toast’ – others piled themselves on top andwere the ‘beans’.

c Washing machine They made a square structure with theirbodies – some got inside the structure andmoved around like a pile of clothes.

They then sat in a big circle and Monicashowed a long clip from the end of the filmstarting with Charlotte’s death and the birth ofher babies.

Monica asked them to chart the range ofWilbur’s feelings from sadness to joy toserenity and acceptance. The children also

commented on the use of the music – long,sad notes and happy, short ones.

One child sat in the middle of the groupand took the part of Wilbur.

All the children asked questions aboutdifferent aspects of the clip in relation toWilbur’s feelings and memories, hisrelationship to the baby spiders and his life ingeneral. They talked about the moods in thefilm and the seasons shown – autumn, winterand spring. They also commented on Wilbur’sexpression and body language.

‘Wilbur’ talked about being sad not to havegiven Charlotte a funeral and how his feelingsabout death had changed as a result ofCharlotte’s death and the previous threat tohis own life. ‘Wilbur’ said that having a happylife meant you could face death better and thisis what he and Charlotte had achieved.‘Wilbur’ talked about how Charlotte hadprotected him.

The children were then asked to sit in atighter circle with their knees touching. Theywere asked to think about the film and thefact that though these characters were not real,possibly they had themselves known someone,or had had a pet, who had died. They weregiven time to think and they passed a little

The Indian in the Cupboard: Boone and Little Bear – friends at last

26 figure around the circle. They did not have tospeak if they did not want to. They wereasked to focus on their feelings.

Monica started the discussion by talkingabout her father who had died of cancer fouryears before, and how he had died surroundedby his family – a good death, peaceful, calmand dignified. His photo was on Monica’spiano so he was always there for her. Monicaspoke about how she could remember oneparticular gesture of his – running his fingersthrough his hair.

Children then spoke individually – one of agrandparent, one of a little kitten that died, oneof a kind neighbour on her landing who alwaysgave her a biscuit, how the lady had died whileshe was away and how sad it had made her.

They were then asked to think about a classmember who had died and their memories ofhim and his time with them. Three or four ofthe children spoke about this child – how hetold jokes.

It was important to move from session tosession gently building the children’s trust andconfidence in their ability to talk about theirexperience, and that this was why the same cliphad been shown more than once. We visitedthe monument in the playground, a long lowseat with a little garden and some large mosaicsindividually made by the children in memoryof the little boy who had died.

Further observations Teachers consulted on the materials fromaround the UK responded very positively andmade many helpful suggestions.c The project promotes the application of

knowledge into practical situations. It

encourages the understanding andpsychological development upon whichthat the learning process depends.

c The film text is the initial stimulus andoperates as a touchstone during latersessions as an emotional reference point forpupils to illustrate different stages of theirown work and thinking.

c The project may not be suitable for somechildren, for example where basic English isstill being learnt and teachers will need tobe sensitive to the circumstances of childreninvolved.

c Exploring the meaning and vocabulary ofemotions fundamental preparation to thechildren being able to find the words andreflect on the emotions being portrayed inthe film, e.g What is a feeling?

c Children need to move in small steps, theycannot be pushed and the teacher must notfeel confined by the parameters of thematerials.

c Open and trusting relationships in theschool need to be built within whichemotional issues are explored.

c The menu of techniques and strategiessuggested are best adapted to a teachersown style and scheme of work.

c The materials are concerned with contentrather than the media form. The form andmedia in which messages are delivered havea powerful impact and children’s emotionaldevelopment requires them to make senseof this, helping them to adapt mediamessages to their own circumstances anddevelopment. Perhaps teachers can designand incorporate learning outcomes on theimpact of the media form.

References1 Jenny Mosley, Quality Circle Time (Cambridge, Learning Development Aids, 1996).2 Social Trends, 28 (London, HMSO, 1998).3 Children at school, age 4-11 years (Child Psychotherapy Trust, 2000).3 Preparing Young People for adult Life: a report by the National Advisory Group on Personal Social and Health Education

(DfEE, May 1999)4 A New Framework for PSHE and Citizenship, Key Stages 1 and 2 (working title, QCA, in print 2000).5 Jane Jenks and Sue Plant, Passport: Framework for Personal and Social Education, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

(in print 2000).6 Jenny Mosley, Turn Your School Round (Cambridge, Learning Development Aids, 1998).

27

Further readingNeil Sinyard, Children in the Movies, (London,

B T Batsford Ltd, 1992)

BFI, Making Movies Matter, Report of the Film

Education Working Group (London, British Film

Institute, 1999)

The Child Psychotherapy Trust provides leaflets on

children’s emotional development and behaviour for

parents, teachers and others working with children

and families.

Those useful for primary and infants schools are:

c Separation in the early years

c Children at school, age 4-11

c The early teenage years, age 11-16

c Sibling rivalry

c Attending to difficult behaviour

c Bereavement

c Divorce and separation

Also of interest are:

c Understanding childhood: Key stages in your child’s

emotional development from birth to adulthood

c Far from the battle but still at war: troubled refugee

children in school

Useful addresses Advisory Centre for EducationUnit 1c Aberdeen Studios, 22 Highbury GroveLondon N5 2DQtel 020 7354 8318fax 020 7354 9069advice line 020 7354 8321exclusion helpline 020 7704 9822

Antidote5th floor, 45 Beech Street, London EC2Y 8ADtel 020 7588 5151fax 020 7588 4900e mail [email protected]

Association of Workers for Children with Emotional and Behavioural DifficultiesAdministrator, Charlton CourtEast Sutton, Maidstone, Kent ME17 3DQtel 01622 843104fax 01622 844220e mail [email protected]/awcebd/

British Film Institute21 Stephen Street, London W1P 2LNtel 020 7255 1444fax 020 7580 8343www.bfi.org.uk

English and Media Centre18 Compton Terrace, London N1 2UNtel 020 7359 8080fax 020 7354 0133email [email protected]

Film EducationAlhambra House, 27-31 Charing Cross RoadLondon WC2H OAUtel 020 7976 2291fax 020 7839 5052email [email protected]://www.filmeducation.org

National Association for Pastoral Care in Educationc/o Institute of Education, University of WarwickCoventry CV4 7ALtel 02476 523810fax 02476 573031email [email protected]://www.warwick.ac.uk/wie/napce/

Young Minds102-108 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1M 5SAtel 020 7336 8445parent information service 0800 0182138fax 020 7336 8446e mail [email protected]

Appendix 1

Opportunities to enable Skills Knowledge and understanding Attitudes and valuespupils to:

1 Develop self awareness, * Being able to express positive * Know personal likes, dislikes, * Recognise their uniqueness.positive self-esteem and qualities about oneself. preferences. * Feel good about themselves.confidence. * Recognising and naming feelings, * Know some of the things which

including feelings associated with can cause different emotions.change eg new family member; beginning to manage feeling positively and effectively.

2 Develop a healthy lifestyle. * Skills for maintaining personal * Be able to name external parts of * Be proud of their body and enjoy what hygiene eg washing, teeth the body including the sexual parts. it can do.cleaning. * Understand the need for food, * Be motivated to be healthy, clean.* Making simple choices exercise and rest to keep healthy.between eg foods, activities. * Know the range of options

open to them eg variety of foods, different games and activities.* Know that some people need drugs to live a normal life and that some drugs can prevent the development of diseases eg immunisation.

3 Learn to keep themselves * Recognising potential risks to * Know that they have rights * Value the body, and monitor what they and others safe. safety of self and others from over their own bodies. put into it.

people, situations and in the * Know what is safe to put into/onto * Appreciate the need to take care and for environment. the body and that all substances can safe actions.* Asking for help from adults. be harmful if not used properly. * Care about keeping themselves and * Saying ‘no’ when subject to * Know that all medicines are drugs others safe.pressure/something feels wrong. but not all drugs are medicines. * Begin to take some responsibility for their * Following simple safety rules * Know places that are safe, where own and other’s safety.and instructions. to get help and people in their * Show awareness of their right to decide.

community who can help them. * Understand that they have choices, * Know the rules for keeping safe at exploring ideas of good, bad and uncertain, home and at school eg roads, fire, right, wrong and uncertain.water, sun, medicines, tablets, solvents, household substances, ’Stranger, Danger’, knives and sharp instruments.* Know when to keep a secret and when to tell.* Know that some diseases are infectious and can be controlled.

4 Develop effective and * Listening; concentrating; holding * Understand that other people have * Consider the value of being a friend and satisfying relationships. the attention of a listener. needs. having friends.

* Co-operating with others in work * Understand what a friend is, how * Show a willingness to care about/for and play; sharing; taking turns. to be a friend and that friendships others.* Saying why someone is special can change. * Recognise ways in which their family is to them. * Know that different types of family special.* Making new friends; dealing have common features and functions.with losing friends. * Know the people who look after * Voicing differences of opinion them and their different roles and sensitively and courteously; responsibilities.saying sorry, thank you.

5 Learn to respect the * Recognising worth in others. * Identify some similarities and * Begin to accept everyone as an differences between people. * Making positive statements differences between people: gender, individual.

about other people. appearance, abilities, families, * Respect others’ needs, feelings and * Showing respect by listening to cultural background etc. opinions.what other people say. * Know people have things in common * Be proud of who they are and understand

but that every individual is unique. that difference does not mean better or worse.* Value other peoples’ achievements.* Begin to question media messages and stereotypes eg gender.* Believe in fairness for all.

28

Passport learning objectives – Keystage 1

Appendix 2Passport: Framework for Personal and Social Education

Opportunities to enable Skills Knowledge and understanding Attitudes and valuespupils to:

6 Develop independence * Perform simple tasks * Know what is appropriate behaviour * Begin to understand about trust and and responsibility. independently. in different situations. reliability.

* Recognising ways in which their * Know what bullying is and what to * Begin to take responsibility for self and own choices and behaviour do if they experience or see bullying. others in and out of school eg classroom, affect others. * Understand the idea of growing playground, school visits.* Asking for and giving permission. from young to old and recognise * Responding with increasing that they are growing and changing.confidence to new people and situations.

7 Play an active role as * Recognising choices they have * Know the different groups to which * Consider the value of being part ofmembers of society. made/can make. they belong eg family, friends, school. different groups and communities

* Deciding on priorities for a group * Know the school and classroom eg a family. or class project on a social or rules and how they help them. * Recognise their responsibilities to their environmental issue. * Know about shops, services and friends, class, family. * Agreeing rules for the group/ advertising, and what they do for us; * Want to participate, make a difference.classroom. know what we have to pay for what * Show concern for the impact of their * Communicating and co-operating we buy. actions on others, on the environment.with others to contribute to the life * Know that all people have the same * Care about people who have unmet of the class and school. basic needs; the difference between needs.* Identifying ways of helping in needs and wants. * Recognise what is important to them in class and improving their * Understand the needs of plants and making choices.environment by their own actions. animals. * Think about how money can be spent * Caring for pets, plants. * Know the world immediately around other than on themselves.* Observing surroundings and them including the community *Begin to value resources and understand making judgments. services eg library, leisure centre, that they are limited.

museum etc. * Respect their own and other people’s * Know what improves and harms property, personal and public.their local environment and know * Appreciate and want to care for their some of the different ways people can environment: classroom, school grounds, look after it. local area.

8 Make the most of their * Recognising what they are good * Know what they have achieved/are * Value their achievements.abilities. at from what others tell them. good at. * Want to do well, make the most of

* Setting simple targets for * Know that it is alright to make opportunities and talents.themselves. mistakes. * Be willing to persevere and overcome * Talking and listening to the * Identify jobs in the classroom and in difficulties.experiences of adults. school, their contribution to the life of

the school and know what role they can play in it.

29

We are grateful for the permission given to use this material from Passport: Framework for Personal and Social Education, Jane Jenks and Sue Plant, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (in print, 2000)

Opportunities to enable Skills Knowledge and understanding Attitudes and valuespupils to:

1 Develop self awareness, * Being able to express positive * Recognising what is special about * Enjoy life at school, acting confidently & positive self-esteem and things about themselves and others. me (abilities, interests). appropriately.confidence. * Recognising feelings in different * Know ways of coping with difficult

situations. emotions, fears and worries.*Managing a variety of emotions * Understand that puberty brings such as jealousy, anger, excitement. about changes in emotions.* Being able to express feelings in different ways and recognise the impact on others.

2 Develop a healthy lifestyle. * Being able to choose the healthy * Know some of the options open * Understand the value of keeping healthy options in relation to food, exercise, to them in developing a healthy and attitudes to health & illness. rest etc. lifestyle now and in the future. * Accept responsibility for personal * Handling food safely. * Know that choices are affected by cleanliness.* Being able to discuss & ask the media and other influences.questions about changing bodily * Know about the positive benefits of needs. exercise for mind and body.* Being able to transfer what they * Know about different cultural learn to life outside the classroom. practices in health and hygiene.

* Know how changes at puberty affect the body in relation to hygiene.* Know that the body changes are a preparation for sexual maturity.* Know how to cope with periods in school.* Know what affects positive mental health eg balance between work and leisure, positive relationships.

3 Learn to keep themselves * Deciding who has access to * Know about range of legal drugs * Understand the important and beneficial and others safe. their bodies. encountered in everyday life including part which drugs have played in society as

* Exercising some basic techniques over-the-counter drugs such as aspirin, well as the costs to society of drug misuse.for resisting pressure from friends drugs prescribed as medicines, tea, * Explore attitudes and beliefs about and others, particularly in relation coffee, tobacco and alcohol, and have different drugs and the people who may to smoking. some understanding of their effects use or misuse them; be able to recognise * Identifying hazards from and their associated risks. stereotypes.substances at home and at school * Know that some substances are * Recognise that some role models for and in the environment and know illegal and have some understanding young people take drugs eg in sports, and how to act and where to go for help. of their effects and the associated risks. explore feelings about them.* Recognising risk in different * Know school rules/safety rules * Develop a positive approach and self situations and making judgments relating to medicines, alcohol, tobacco, motivation towards personal safety and risk about behaviour and decisions solvents and illegal drugs; know that taking.about personal safety. discarded syringes and needles can

be dangerous.* Understand that pressure to take harmful or illegal substances may come from people we know such as friends, relatives, neighbours.* Know that bacteria and viruses can affect health and that transmission may be reduced when simple, safe routines are used.

4 Develop effective and * Being able to put themselves in * Know what we do that makes * Respect other people’s feelings, satisfying relationships. someone else’s shoes. each other happy, sad and cross decisions, rights and bodies.

* Being able to recognise their own and what helps and what hinders * Understand the meaning of friendship and other people’s feelings. friendships. and loyalty.* Being able to initiate friendships. * Develop understanding of different * Be able to be honest. * Developing skills needed for types of relationship and know that * Appreciate different ways of loving and relationships eg listening, are many different patterns of its importance to a range of relationships.supporting, showing care. friendship.* Recognising that actions have * Know how to cope with some consequnces for oneself and others. friendship problems.

* Understand what families are and what members expect of each other; understand the importance of good parenting.* Know where to get help in school and through helplines when facing problems.

30 Passport learning objectives – Keystage 2

Opportunities to enable Skills Knowledge and understanding Attitudes and valuespupils to:

5 Learn to respect the * Recognising and challenging * Know about the range of human * Value cultural background of self & differences between people. stereotypes, sexism, racism etc. variation, understand the concept of others.

‘normality’ and know that differences * Demonstrate and promote tolerance, between people are caused by understanding, respect and acceptance of different genes and different difference.environments. * Value diversity of lifestyles, the choices *Understand there are many social made within them and possible groups in society in terms of culture, influence/effect upon health.religion, age etc.* Recognise the views of peers, parents, teachers etc and people of different faiths and cultures. * Know that human sexuality is expressed in different ways, understand what it means and have some words to describe it.* Know that people live their lives in different ways and that different cultures may have different life patterns.* Know that people’s responses to ideas and events may be determined by age, religion, culture. * Recognise stereotyping in attitudes and media messages and the impact of media in reinforcing equal opportunities.

6 Develop independence * Showing care for others as well * Recognise the need to ask for * Look forward to the transition to and responsibility. as for oneself. support sometimes, whom to ask secondary school.

* Being able to ask questions and and how. * Take responsibility for themselves and talk confidently with adults about * Understand more about the their bodies & behaviour.their thoughts and feelings. different changes that take place in * Understand that it is wrong for children * Being able to respond assertively human life – parenthood, bereavement, to be bullied or abused by other children or to teasing and bullying. making new relationships. adults.

* Know about bullying, why it happens, its effects on people, how to deal with it and how to stop it happening.* Know their individual rights and responsibilities at home, at school and in the community.

7 Play an active role as * Using different approaches to * Know the variety of communities to * Develop a concern for people & members of society decision making including by which they simultaneously belong; communities where human needs are not

consensus and democratically. family, school, local, national, met.* Resolving problems/conflicts European and worldwide and the * Develop sense of fair play in their democratically using discussion. interdependence of individuals, dealings with their peers and others.* Making decisions about use of groups & communities. * Take a constructive interest in their local scarce resources; evaluating * Know the costs and benefits of community and begin to take on wider information about priorities for personal spending decisions on sense of social responsibility.spending: personal, community, themselves, the local economy, * Appreciate positive impact of human * Using different modes of environment and on people in other activity on plants, animals and the communication to express personal parts of the world. environment and value the aesthetic & group views about social & * Know how advertising influences qualities of their surroundings.environmental issues. supply & demand. * Appreciate home, school & community * Treating animals with care and * Understand how they and others values.sensitivity. can cause changes for better or for

worse both in immediate surroundings and in wider community.* Understand why school rules are made and the consequences of breaking them; relate this to simple knowledge about the law and understand that rules and laws are designed to protect.

8 Make the most of their * Recording information about * Know what they are good at and * Respect other people’s work and career abilities. current interests and choices they how it can help a group to perform choices.

will have to make in future. a task. * Value opportunities for new experiences * Developing simple vocabulary for * Know the range of jobs and work in and out of school, including describing personal effectiveness roles carried out by people they know opportunities to meet adults other than and setting personal goals. and what they like/dislike about them. teachers.* Interviewing adults to find out * Know that certain skills can be * Have realistic aspirations when target about job roles or tasks. used for different tasks. setting.

* Know the range of knowledge skills and personal qualities required for different types of work; know that key skills are transferable.

31

We are grateful for the permission given to use this material from Passport: Framework for Personal and Social Education, Jane Jenks and Sue Plant, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (in print, 2000)