Bottle

Animated on location at a beach, in snow, and underwater, this stop-motion short details a transoceanic conversation between two characters via objects in a bottle.

Watch this video with your children, and then try some of our teaching and activity ideas below.

Teaching Ideas and Resources:

English

• Create a written version of this story.
• Imagine a telephone conversation between the two characters. What would they say to each other?
• Write a new story about two characters who can only communicate via messages in a bottle.
• Write an alternative ending to this story.
• Make a list of words to describe the materials that the two characters are made from.
• Write a prequel to the animation. Where did the two characters come from?
• Pause the video at different points and discuss what the characters might be thinking / feeling.
• Record some narration / dialogue for the story.
• Brainstorm ideas for a new story with the title ‘The Bottle’.

Science

• Can you explain what happens to the two characters at the end using scientific vocabulary?

Computing

• Use painting software to draw something new that the characters might put inside a bottle (see Resources below).
• Could you try to make your own stop-motion animation?

Design Technology

• Use sand or snow as modelling materials. What shapes / objects can you make? Talk to a partner and discuss how easy / difficult it must have been to make this animation.
• Watch the ‘Making Of…’ video and look at the different materials / techniques that were used.

Art

• Draw a picture of something that you would put in the bottle to send from one character to another (see Resources below).
• One of the characters sends some pictures to the other. Could you draw a picture message to send to somebody else?

Music

• This animation doesn’t have any music. Could you compose some?

Geography

• Think about the two main locations in the story. How are they similar / different? How would you describe them to somebody who has never been there before?