Mog’s Christmas Calamity

Mog sets off a chain of unfortunate events which almost ruin Christmas for the Thomas family. Can she pull it all back to save the day?

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

Teaching Ideas and Resources:

English

• Write your own story about a Christmas calamity.
• Read the Mog books. Which is your favourite? Why? Can you write a book review of one of them?
• Write a description of one of the family’s dreams… or Mog’s nightmare.
• Retell the story from Mog’s point of view.
• Write some narration for the parts of the film that don’t have any.
• Write a character description of Mog.
• Write a newspaper report about Mog, the heroic cat!
• Pause the video at various points and look at Mog’s expression (e.g. 0:27, 0:49, 0:55, 0:59, 1:18, 1:27, 1:36, 1:44, 1:59, 2:30, 3:00, 3:20). Could you create some thought bubbles for the character at these points?
• This film is an advert. What are adverts? Why do people / businesses make them? Could you plan and record your own advert for a product?
• Watch the ‘Making of…’ video and think of questions that you would like to ask the creator of ‘Mog’ (Judith Kerr):

Maths

• Create a timeline that shows the main events of the film and the approximate times that they took place.

Science

• Create your own fire triangle poster to show the three elements that a fire needs to ignite (heat, fuel and oxygen).

Computing

• Create your own animated version of this story.
• Use painting / 3D software to create your own images of Mog.
• Design a poster / website to promote this short film (or the accompanying book).

Design Technology

• Create a model of Mog.

Art

• Create a storyboard that shows the main events in the film.
• Look at the illustrations of Mog in the books and the 3D character in the film. Which do you prefer? Why?
• Could you create your own illustrations of Mog in different situations?
• Could you create your own illustrations of Mog showing different facial expressions?

Music

• Listen to the music (without watching the video). Can you imagine what might be happening in the video?
• Listen to the music and think of words to describe it. Which instruments can you hear?

Religious education

• Discuss how Christians celebrate Christmas and why it is important to them.

PSHE

• Create a fire safety poster. Could you research the topic by interviewing a firefighter?
• The message at the end of the film states that ‘Christmas is for sharing’. How do the people in the film share with the Thomas family? What was the last thing that you shared? How does sharing make the sharer and the recipient feel?
• Sales of the related book are helping to raise money for ‘Save the Children’. Think of other ways that people can raise money for charity. Could you plan your own charity fundraising event? Which charity would you choose and why