2010 Year 4 Reading and Viewing

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SOSE - Sandlot

The Plot

It's 1962, and Scotty Smalls is the new kid in town. He's shy, slightly awkward and doesn't find it easy to fit in with the neighbourhood kids. His mother constantly urges him to go outside and make friends, but it's not as easy as she thinks it is. More than anything else, Scotty wants to play baseball with the other kids. But that's not really an easy task when you don't know how to catch a ball. Scotty even tries to get his stepfather to teach him, but he's too occupied with his work. All that changes when Benjamin Rodriguez, the best ball player in town, invites him to be the ninth player on their team. Benjamin shows Smalls (as he comes to be called) the ropes and teaches him how to catch. Pretty soon Scotty's days of sitting at home by himself are over. And so starts the best summer of his life.


Subplots

Scotty belts a ball over a fence that is guarded by a fierce beast, where no ball is ever recovered. The problem is that Scotty took the ball from his dad, and the ball was signed by Babe Ruth. This leads to numerous confrontations with the beast to try and recover the ball.

In The Sandlot everything is exaggerated and becomes something larger than life. That's the way many adults recall seeing things as a boy or girl. There's a dog that rules over the land of lost baseballs and he's a huge monster of cartoon proportions - the sort of creature that only exists in tales told in sleepovers and backyard camp-outs.


Setting

A quiet town in the USA in 1962.


Drug Education

Tobacco contains nicotine. It can cause lung cancer, heart disease, heart attacks and many other health problems.


Themes

Making new friends after moving to a new area.
Cooperation.
Team building.
Accepting others.
Helping others.
Using technology to achieve a goal.
The world is not as scary as it seems.


Characters

Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez
Scotty Smalls
The Beast
Hamilton 'Ham' Porter
Michael 'Squints' Palledorous
Alan 'Yeah-Yeah' McClennan
Kenny DeNunez (as Brandon Adams)
Bertram Grover Weeks
Tommy 'Repeat' Timmons
Timmy Timmons


Activities

- learn softball skills.
- make the dessert called smores.
- write a campfire legend like the story of The Beast.
- analyse the film The Sandlot.
- for technology, design a ball retriever for when your ball goes over the fence.
- write a word bank and incorporate the words into class writing activities.


Resources

- cooking ingredients
- softball equipment
- DVD The Sandlot
- Smartboard for group technology designs.

Viewing - My Family and Other Animals Episode 8

1. What techniques are used to show that something important is happening when Gerry and the convict catch Old Plop the turtle?

2. What language are Gerry and his teacher speaking in the bird market?

3. Where did Spiro get the goldfish for Gerry?

4. What does Gerry put into the bath?

5. What is hiding under the table at the dinner party?

6. How does the filmmaker turn the party into chaos?

7. Why is Spiro so sad in the scene on the pier?

8. When the boat sails away is the camera shot from overhead or eye level?

Viewing - My Family and Other Animals Episode 7

1. What animal is seen escaping in the underwater shot? Draw it.

2. What does Gerry do with the snakes that we would never do?

3. In the book, “My Family and Other Animals”, Gerry speaks in Greek to the islanders. Why do they speak in English (with a Greek accent) in the series?

4. What happens when the Magenpies start talking?

5. What advice does Theo give Mrs. Durrell at the end of this episode?

Viewing - My Family and Other Animals Episode 6

1. Draw what Gerry finds in his room in the new villa.

2. What type of animals does Gerry’s new teacher have?

3. What sound is heard to tell Gerry’s new teacher that he has to go and see his mother?

4. Where does Gerry think his teacher is going?

5. In what way is the mother’s room different from the room they study in?

6. What is very unusual about the mother?

Viewing - My Family and Other Animals Episode 5

1. Name three things Gerry sees with his viewing box from his boat?

2. What reaction does Gerry get when he shows Spiro the toads?

3. What type of animal is Cecily?

4. What is hanging on the wall in the kitchen?

5. What effects does the filmmaker use to let you know a battle is taking place in Gerry’s room at night?

6. What camera angle is used to show what animal ate the gecko?

7. When Margo takes the boat across to the island, what music is used to show her mood?

8. Draw five animals that live in Gerry’s room.

Viewing - My Family and Other Animals Episode 4

1. When they show the fireflies, describe the camera shot – low, high, eye level or overhead shot.

2. What is causing the smell in Gerry’s room?

3. When Gerry splashes water on Margo and Peter while they are kissing, where is the camera?

4. What does Gerry call his new puppies?

5. When the boat is launched, what happens to make Margo upset?

6. Draw Ulysses.

Viewing - My Family and Other Animals Episode 3

1. In the beginning of episode 3, the Durrell family is in a building with Margo kissing the feet of a mummified saint. How can you tell the scene takes place in a church?

2. When the turtle is seen burying its eggs, is it a close up or a long shot?

3. The Durrell family’s clothes are plain in comparison to those worn by the artists. Why?

4. What lighting is used to show that it is nighttime?

5. Draw the funny thing that makes all of Larry’s guests leave the house.

Viewing - My Family and Other Animals Episode 2

1. In episode 2, when they show the rat flea under the microscope, is it a close up shot or a long shot?

2. What effects are used to show romance between Margo and her Turkish boyfriend?

3. Why isn’t it frightening when Mrs. Durrell holds up the knife to Leslie and Larry in the kitchen?

4. What sound effect does Spiro use to get Gerry’s attention when he picks him up from his lesson?

5. What does Gerry wear to his lessons with Theo?

6. What lighting do they use in the cinema when Margo is on her date?

7. Is the movie they are watching in colour or black and white?

8. What is Margo holding in her arms after the movie?

9. How do they show there is no electricity inside the Durrell’s house?

10. List three animal sounds that you hear during this episode.

11. What colour are the eggs of the oil beetle?

Viewing - My Family and Other Animals Episode 1

1. Is this a film, a cartoon or a series?

2. This series can be described as:
- cartoon
- documentary
- true story
- fairy tale.

3. Where is this series set:
- L.A. California
- London, England
- Corfu, Greece
- Sydney, Australia.

4. In the first episode when they show the Rose Beetle Man pulling beetles off his hat, is it done with a close up shot or a long shot?

5. In the scene in the market, what is hanging in front of Spiro’s Mother’s face?

6. What technique is used to show it is time for a commercial?

7. When Achilles the tortoise is eating the strawberry is it a close up or a long shot?

8. When they are looking up at Quasimodo the pigeon flying for the first time, what type of camera shot is it:
- high angle
- low angle
- eye level
- overhead shot.

9. Who is the producer?

10. Who is the director?

11. What date was the series made?

The Borrowers by Mary Norton

1. Is it:

- a film
- a series
- a documentary

2. What are borrowers?

3. What do the borrowers use to furnish their house?

4. Who are the Harpsichords and the Clocks?

5. What happens if a borrower is seen by humans?

6. Why are humans scared of borrowers?

7. When Pod is in the dollhouse and he sees the human boy at the window, is it a close up shot or a long distance shot?

8. Why does Pod have to teach Arriety to borrow?

9. How does a borrower get through a closed door?

10. What does Arriety do when she sees a boy?

11. “Human being are for borrowers like bread is for ……………………………”

12. What do borrowers use for carpet?

13. Design a borrowers tool.

Viewing - Camera Angles

Aim: To provide a variety of activities to explain camera angles.

(Crossing into Media Studies and Oral language)

Before attempting this, it may be necessary (helpful) to relate this to Media Studies.

1. Take some “interesting’ pictures from a magazine.
Talk about/discuss - foreground
- middle ground
- background.

2. Look at advertisements, for example, children’s clothes. There is probably no background, or the background has been blotted/cut out. There is usually only a foreground taking up the whole picture.

3. Look at another picture. Is it a long distance shot? Is the horizon seen?
Find a long distance picture from a magazine.

4. Discuss the meaning of “close ups’ in pictures. Can you find any “close ups” in pictures? “Close ups” would probably be of one body part, for example, face or eyes, rather that the whole body as in point 2. There is probably no middle background.

5. “Focus” could also be discussed, that is: the point at which the subject is well defined and clear.

6. “Focal length” – discuss the distance between the camera and the subject.

7. “Frame” – discuss the limits as seen through the camera lens. In animation, films are made frame by frame, one picture at a time. If possible, children can look through a camera lens to see a frame.

8. Camera angle – can the children tell where the photographer was standing?
Discuss – - in front ... at eye level
- from overhead... as from a ‘plane or helicopter
- low angle... along the floor
- high angle... looking up high from down low.

9. Go back to all previous pictures and discuss camera angle.

10. Children find an interesting picture from a magazine. Using oral
language, children give a “picture talk” telling why they found it interesting and including: - foreground
- middle ground
- background
- long or short focal length
- camera angle.
Other areas like colour, interest, experience and involvement can be discussed.
Before applying this knowledge to a Viewing session, use some selected photographs of family, friends and holiday snaps of scenery.
Talk about - foreground
- middle ground
- background.

Optional extras.

Talk about/discuss:
 What is the picture trying to say?
 Who, what, why and where?
 Is it a celebration? Why/why not?
 Do the people in the photo know they are being photographed?
 What happened just before/just after the photo?
 Are the people in the photo dressed up?
 What is the location of the photo?

Categorise:
 holiday
 festival/celebration
 portrait
 party
 scenery

** Can children tell where the photographer was standing?
** What is the camera angle?

After working through these topics/areas/activities, children should have a better understanding of camera angles.

Viewing - Round The Twist - The Cabbage Patch Fib

Believing that babies actually grow in the cabbage patch, Bronson actually finds one there.

1. Who wrote the Round the Twist series?

2. In the scene where Bronson is fishing with Nell in front of the jetty, does the camera zoom in or zoom out?

3. Where do the Twists keep their goldfish?

4. When Bronson is outside at night in the cabbage patch looking for babies, how does the director show that it is night?

5. What special effect does the director use for the baby?

6. What is written on the newspaper headline?

i. Blue boy alive and well
ii. Aliens invade a lighthouse
iii. Green baby found in cabbage patch

7. What effect does the director use to change scenes after the teacher tells Bronson to change the baby’s nappy?

Viewing - Round The Twist - The Cabbage Patch Fib - teacher edition

Believing that babies actually grow in the cabbage patch, Bronson actually finds one there.

1. Who wrote the Round the Twist series? Paul Jennings

2. In the scene where Bronson is fishing with Nell in front of the jetty, does the camera zoom in or zoom out? Zoom in.

3. Where do the Twists keep their goldfish? In tanks in the wall.

4. When Bronson is outside at night in the cabbage patch looking for babies, how does the director show that it is night?
Blue filters/lighting and turns down the lighting like on Kahootz.

5. What special effect does the director use for the baby?
The baby is green.

6. What is written on the newspaper headline?

i. Blue boy alive and well
ii. Aliens invade a lighthouse
iii. Green baby found in cabbage patch 

7. What effect does the director use to change scenes after the teacher tells Bronson to change the baby’s nappy? The new scene is rotated in.

Viewing - Round The Twist - Skeleton in the Dunny

When the Twists move from the city to live in an old lighthouse they discover that the outside dunny is haunted. One night they decide to have a showdown with a very flushed ghost.

1. Who stars as Linda?

2. Is Round the Twist:
a. a film
b. a cartoon
c. a series
d. a documentary

3. What is written on the sign at the edge of the cliff?
a. Long Beach
b. Suicide Leap
c. No standing

4. How long ago did the Twist’s mother die?

5. When Peter and Linda go up the stairs to an inside room what techniques are used/what effects to show that no one has been in for years?

6. When they are having dinner on the first night they have moved into the lighthouse, what two forms of lighting do they use?

7. What do they use to light their way to the outside toilet?

8. What is the sound that scares Linda when she is in the toilet?

9. How many screams do you hear in this episode?

10. What does the ghost look like?

11. What effects are used to show there is a storm?

Viewing - Round The Twist - Skeleton in the Dunny - teacher edition

When the Twists move from the city to live in an old lighthouse they discover that the outside dunny is haunted. One night they decide to have a showdown with a very flushed ghost.


1. Who stars as Linda? Tamsin West

2. Is Round the Twist:
a. a film
b. a cartoon
c. a series 
d. a documentary

3. What is written on the sign at the edge of the cliff?
a. Long Beach
b. Suicide Leap 
c. No standing

4. How long ago did the Twist’s mother die? Four years.

5. When Peter and Linda go up the stairs to an inside room what techniques are used/what effects to show that no one has been in for years?

rat, cobwebs on the clock, dust

6. When they are having dinner on the first night they have moved into the lighthouse, what two forms of lighting do they use? electric and candle

7. What do they use to light their way to the outside toilet? Flashlight

8. What is the sound that scares Linda when she is in the toilet? Screeching/violin sound

9. How many screams do you hear in this episode? Two

10. What does the ghost look like? He is yellow.

11. What effects are used to show there is a storm? Lightning

Viewing - Round The Twist - Birdsdo - teacher edition

Nell is committed to hospital for believing in dragons, so Linda, Pete and Bronson set off to prove her sanity. Rogue seagulls imprison Linda and Pete in a shack covered in birds’ droppings.

1.Watch for the special effect at the beginning of this episode with the faces.

2. At the beginning of this episode you see the word Birdsdo written in the sky. When it changes to the next scene, which one is true?
a. it fades to the next scene
b. music separates the scenes
c. the scene goes black then the next scene starts

3. What mysterious sound is heard occasionally in the background? Music.

4. When the two characters are talking on the phone about sending Nell to hospital, how do they show both characters talking? They split the screen.


5. How does the director show that Nell is in the hospital? Hospital bed, curtains around the bed, nurse.

6. What costumes and props are used to show that there are Arabs in this episode? Long white robes, a cloth over their heads, Arab flags on the car.

7. How much money did Tony Twist get for his statue? $500

8. What special effect could they use for the bird poo? Shaving cream, paint.

Viewing - Round The Twist - Birdsdo

Nell is committed to hospital for believing in dragons, so Linda, Pete and Bronson set off to prove her sanity. Rogue seagulls imprison Linda and Pete in a shack covered in birds’ droppings.

1.Watch for the special effect at the beginning of this episode with the faces.

2. At the beginning of this episode you see the word Birdsdo written in the sky. When it changes to the next scene, which one is true?
a. it fades to the next scene
b. music separates the scenes
c. the scene goes black then the next scene starts

3. What mysterious sound is heard occasionally in the background?

4. When the two characters are talking on the phone about sending Nell to hospital, how do they show both characters talking?

5. How does the director show that Nell is in the hospital?

6. What costumes and props are used to show that there are Arabs in this episode?
7. How much money did Tony Twist get for his statue?

8. What special effect could they use for the bird poo?

Viewing - Round The Twist - A Good Tip For Ghosts

Birdsdo

Nell is committed to hospital for believing in dragons, so Linda, Pete and Bronson set off to prove her sanity. Rogue seagulls imprison Linda and Pete in a shack covered in birds’ droppings.

1.Watch for the special effect at the beginning of this episode with the faces.

2. At the beginning of this episode you see the word Birdsdo written in the sky. When it changes to the next scene, which one is true?
a. it fades to the next scene
b. music separates the scenes
c. the scene goes black then the next scene starts

3. What mysterious sound is heard occasionally in the background?

4. When the two characters are talking on the phone about sending Nell to hospital, how do they show both characters talking?

5. How does the director show that Nell is in the hospital?

6. What costumes and props are used to show that there are Arabs in this episode?
7. How much money did Tony Twist get for his statue?

8. What special effect could they use for the bird poo?

Viewing - Round The Twist - A Good Tip For Ghosts - teacher edition

A Good Tip For Ghosts

To pass a nerve test, Pete must collect a rotting skull from the pond at the tip in the middle of the night.


1.In the first scene where the Twists are driving in their truck, what are they doing that is illegal? No seatbelts.

2. How much does it cost to dump a load of rubbish at the tip? $5

3. Why does Mr Twist, who is a sculptor, go to scavenge at the tip? To get all his materials/supplies.

4. As the Twists drive away from the tip, what rises up from an old tub? A ghost.

5. When Tony Twist is talking to Bronson’s teacher, is it a close up or a long shot? A close up.

6. In the scene where the English teacher is talking to Pete, what can you see on the wall behind them that shows you that this is being filmed? Shadows from the lights.

7. What sound effects do the children hear as they are walking to the tip at night? Footsteps and breaking twigs.

8. What colour lighting or light filters are used to show that it is set at night? Blue lighting/filters.

9. What is special about Pete and Linda? They are not just brother and sister, they are…..? Twins.

10. What sound and visual effects do we hear and see when the ghost appears? Music and smoke.