The Legend of The Crabe Phare

Generations of fisherman have seen the mythical Crabe Phare, which has grown larger and larger over the years. What will happen when a group of tourists discover the ancient beast?

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

Teaching Ideas and Resources:

English

• Watch the introduction up to 0:45. What effect does the narration have? How is the idea of the crabe phare built up?
• Stop the video at 0:45. What do you think is going to happen next? Why do you think that?
• Watch the section between 1:46-1:53, then write a description of the scene. What can you see? What is happening?
• Stop the film at 0:49, and then again at 4:04. Compare the two scenes. What is the same, and what is different?
• What would it be like to go on holiday to Crabe Phare? Write a letter describing what it is like.
• Newspaper report of the disaster when the town collapses (from 4:32 to 5:23).
• Make a storyboard of the film.
• Stop at various points where it focuses on the crab’s face, for example 1:45, 3:15, 5:03.  What is the crab thinking?
• Write a narration for the film.
• Stop the film at 1:06. How does the crab feel about the ship in a bottle? Why does he feel that way?
• Create an advert persuading people to visit Crabe Phare. What would you include to make them want to come?
• Watch the trailer. Have a go at planning your own trailer. What would you include to make people want to see the film?
• Write the sequel, what happens next?

Science

• Research predators that live in the sea and create a fact file.
• Use this great DK findout page to learn some amazing facts about crabs.
• Build a simple structure from a cardboard box and see how much weight you can put on in before it collapses. Can you strengthen it to make it stronger?
• Find out about the lenses in lighthouses and how they work.
• Although the Crabe Phare is a legend, there are giant creatures living in the ocean. Watch this National Geographic Kids video about the Giant Pacific Octopus.

Computing

• Design a webpage to promote the film.

Design Technology

• Design and build a model of a lighthouse.
• Find out about different types of lanterns and design your own.
• Try making a simple ship in a bottle, using this idea.

Art

• Stop the film at a point where the Crab is visible above and below the water (for example 1:55 or 4:04), and have a go at drawing or painting your own version of the scene.
• Visit the National Gallery website and study Two Crabs by Vincent van Gogh. Look carefully at the way he used brush strokes and have a go yourself, using paint or pastels.

Music

• Choose a short section of the film, and create a soundtrack. Which instruments can you use to accompany the images?

Geography

• Stop the film at 4:03. Which features are physical geography and which are human geography. How do you know?
• Why do people go and visit places? What kinds of facilities does a place that attracts tourists need? Watch this video from BBC Teach which explores tourism in a seaside town.

History

• In the film, the ships change over time. Using the information from this page, work out when you think the crab might have started to collect his ships. You can also use it to draw your own timeline showing how ships have developed through history.

Languages

• Crabe is the french word for crab. Can you find out the names of other sea creatures in french, or the language you are studying?

PSHE

• What do you think the message of this film is?
• Who is the monster in this film, the crab or the people?