Light

Genre(s): Adventure

Use our teaching ideas for this short film about an inventor and her assistant robot.

Teaching Ideas and Resources:

English

• Stop the film at 0:34. Ask the children to make a prediction about what the film will be about based on just the title and setting. 
• Stop again at 0:38. What is happening in the garage? Who or what are you expecting to see inside?
• Discuss the character of the robot. Does it remind you of anything else (for example, it purrs)? Why do you think the filmmakers have done that? 
• What adjectives would you use to describe the inventor (Charly) and her robot (Bob-e)?
• Make a storyboard of the story. 
• Stop the film at these points - 0:52, 1:03, 1:31, 2:10, 2:16, 2:52, 3:04. How is Charly feeling?
• Write a newspaper report about the strange events!
• Imagine you are Charly’s neighbour and write a letter of complaint about what has happened.
• Write some dialogue between Charly and Bob-e.
• Write the sequel - What happens next?

Science

• List the sources of light in the film.
• Visit this site to find out about electricity and how it gets to your home.
• Research the work of female scientists in different fields; for example Marie Curie, Mary Anning, Ada Lovelace, Jane Goodall
• What else could Charly do with the rubbish? Could some of it be recycled? Find out about recycling at Recycle Now.

Computing

• Program a robot to perform a simple task.
• Design a scratch game based on the film. For example, can you make Bob-e move around the garage without bumping into anything?

Design Technology

• Research female inventors, for example:
  • Grace Hopper, a computer inventor who coined the term “bug” for a problem in a computer program when she had to remove moths from the computer!
  • Rosalind Franklin who discovered DNA,
  • Maria Beasley who invented the life raft,
  • Mary Anderson who invented the windscreen wiper.
• In the film, Charly welds the machine (1:06 - 1:08). Why does she need safety glasses? What other things is welding used for?
• Design your own generator to make electricity from rubbish.

Art

• Look at the sketches for the film on the film website and design an item or character that could be used in the film.
• Stop the film at 1:04 and look at all the detail in that shot; the coffee, the dribble down the side of the mug, the coffee stain on the notes, the photo of Charly and Rob-e. These details help to build up a picture of what Charly is like. Still life paintings work in a similar way, telling their own story. Look at some examples of still life paintings and had a go at making your own. For example Cezanne’s Still Life with Water Jug or Picasso’s Still Life: Fruits and Pitcher.

PSHE

• Imagine the conversation between Charly and Bobe-e from 0:52 - 1:03. What might they say to each other? What is it that makes Charly try again?
• Charly’s machine doesn’t work as she expected. When has this kind of thing happened to you? What did you do about it? 
• Charly and Bob-e work as a team. When have you worked in a team? What happened?