The Wishgranter

Set in a world where wishes are granted by mythical beings that live under fountains, a wish granter is forced to go above ground to grant a wish of love.

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

Teaching Ideas and Resources:

English

• Look at the original storyboards for the film. Can you retell the story from the storyboards?
• Describe the setting. What adjectives would you use? What time of day is it?
• Stop the video at key points and describe the attitude of the Wishgranter. How does it change as the film progresses? (For example – 00:37, 00:43, 01:41, 01:53, 03:26, 04:37)
• What are characters thinking as they throw coins into the fountain? (see 00:14 and 01:26)
• Write the story from the point of view of one of the characters.
• Write an application for the job of Wishgranter. Why would you be good at it? What qualities do you think you would need?
• Write a report about the incident for the Wishgranter to submit at the end of his shift.
• Interview the waiter about the incidents in the film.
• Why were the items in the emergency kit chosen to be in there?
• Why does the waiter give the Wishgranter a coin? Do you think he was right to do it? (03:32)
• Design a poster for this film. What would you include to make people want to see it?
• Create a character profile of one of the characters.
• Write a narration for the film and record it.
• Write an explanation text about how the fountain works.

Maths

• At the beginning of the film, the waiter throws a coin in the fountain and gets a note back. Let’s imagine that he puts in a £1 coin and gets a £5 note back. How many coins would he have to throw in to get £100? What if the note was worth £10? What if he got back £250?

Computing

• Use image editing software to create your own picture of the Wishgranter.

Design Technology

• Watch This Too Shall Pass by OK Go. The video features a Rube Goldberg machine. Rube Goldberg was a cartoonist and inventor who designed over-complicated machines to perform simple tasks, a bit like the fountain. Design your own Rube Goldberg machine.
• You might even like to hold a Rube Goldberg machine competition (like this one).
• Design your own fountain. Watch some videos of famous fountains for inspiration. For example, this one of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda fountain.
• Design the contents of an emergency kit.
• Find out how fountains work.

Art

• Look at the portfolio of the characters and props for the film. Design your own characters and props.
• Create your own pictures of fountains.

Music

• Compose your own score for the film or a small part of it.
• Compose some music about a fountain.

Geography

• Why do we have fountains in public spaces? What fountains are in your local area?
• Research famous fountains around the world, for example, the Trevi fountain in Rome, the Diana memorial fountain in London, The Fountain of Wealth in Singapore. Why were they built?

History

• Research the history of fountains. When were the first ones made? Why do people make them?

PSHE

• If you threw a coin in that fountain, what would you wish for?
• Look at the buttons on the Wishgranter’s desk (see 0:44 – 0:46). What do they all stand for? Why would people wish for these things?
• The girl throws the only coin in the tip jar into the fountain to make a wish. Would you?
• Do you think that the Wishgranter’s job is very interesting?
• The Wishgranter has to solve a problem, and although he has lots of setbacks, he doesn’t give up. When have you had to solve a problem that took more than one attempt? When have you had to persevere?