Lesson video

Hello everyone, my name is Miss Smith and welcome to Lesson Six of our units on "The Golden Compass." In today's lesson, we are going to analyse the opening scene using the film clip in more detail.

So if you have something to write with and to write on and a quiet space to work with let's get started.

Okay so, in the lesson today, we will start with some sentence level work and improve a sentence before analysing the clip for our opening scene in more detail, and our focus will be on developing even more vocabulary for writing.

And as we said, you need some paper, something to write on and something to write with and a space that is quiet, so that you would be able to focus and concentrate throughout the lesson.

So let's start improving a sentence.

Here then, we have a simple sentence.

I'm going to read the sentence to you.

It says, the children ran through the grass and that's what's happening in the first image of our opening scene.

The children ran through the grass and we're slowly going to improve that sentence.

And our first job is going to be to add an adjective, to describe the children.

The children is the noun in our sentence or one of the nouns and I want you to pause the video and think of an adjective to describe the children.

Okay so, hopefully you've had a think about that one.

I had a think too, and the adjective I chose to describe the children, was energetic.

And the new sentence, our improved sentence so far then reads, the energetic children ran through the grass.

Let's see what we can do next.

So our improved sentence, and this time we're going to think about a verb.

So can you think about an improvement for the verb ran.

So can you swap that for more ambitious and specific verb? And you might want to pause the video, to edit your sentence again.

Okay, should we look at my edits? This time I replaced ran with the verb bounded.

In our first scene, in the image in our first scene, we've got the energetic children bounded through the grass.

Two really good improvements so far.

And finally then, so part three, can we start the sentence with an adverb? So an adverb describes a verb.

In our sentence, the verb is bounded.

I wonder if you can think of an adverb to describe the verb and put that at the beginning of your sentence.

Pause the video and have a go now.

Okay, well the adverb, I chose playfully.

Playfully, the energetic children bounded through the grass.

So today, we will focus on generating vocabulary to help us when we are writing the opening scene.

That will be our writing outcome towards the end of this first part of our unit, "The Golden Compass." And in a previously, previously sorry, we focused on ordering the events in that opening scene, because our characters travel through lots of different locations.

So we made sure that we were clear on the location and we zoomed in on our main character Lyra, who you can see in our pictures here and thoughts about her feeling at each point through the scene.

When we focused on Lyra, we made sure that we thought about more than just her appearance.

So we labelled the location for each part of the scene, we thought about the action of the characters and specifically, about Lyra's feeling at each point.

What we're going to do today, is watch the opening clip again in two short sections, and this time think about everything that we can see and hear in the film clip.

So beyond just what Lyra is doing.

In that first scene, in part one of the clip that I'm going to play shortly, we see the characters in the field and they're running through the field and then through the streets of Oxford.

That's the opening bit that we're going to focus in on for the first part of today's lesson.

And so a reminder then, things to think about as you're watching the clip in a minute and you should note these down, so that you have them to refer to later on during the lesson.

So, can you describe the setting at each point? So beyond the fact that they're running through the field, running through the streets, what else can you describe and can you see in the film clip? What can you hear in those points, in the film clip? Can you hear other children, other the sounds that you might be able to describe.

And finally, what are other characters doing? So three things to be thinking about as you watch the clip.

Hurry up Roger, or they'll gobble you.

Hurry up.

Okay and you might want to pause and go back and watch the clip again, perhaps to get all of your ideas down and that's absolutely fine.

What we're going to do now then, is build on our planning notes even more.

And so what you can see on screen at the moment, is our table from our previous lesson, where we thought about the location, the action and feeling, particularly of Lyra at each point in the scene.

And we're going to use those notes to elaborate on even more and to make our planning even better.

So if we start with our verb from the table in our previous lesson, which was running, and we have a think about some other more specific, more ambitious verbs, that would do a better job of describing the characters actions in this part of the scene, than the verb running.

That's where we're going to start.

So, you could pause the video and have a think to yourself now, other synonyms for the word running and note those down on your plan.

I'm going to show some in a second.

Okay so, here are my ideas, synonyms for running, more ambitious words, that mean the same thing.

Bounding and I had that in my first sentence, in this lesson today.

Bounding, weaving, 'cause they weave through the grass and hurtling suggesting just how quickly they are going.

And each word has an ing.

So a progressive tense that shows us in the action that might, if we use at the beginning of the clause might be a non-finite clause for a complex sentence that we would write.

And the other thing I asked you to think about then, or one of the things, while you were watching the video, was to describe other things that you might see or be able to hear in this setting.

So let's just think, and you might look on your plan now to see of your ideas, which of those tick that box and describe things in the setting beyond what Lyra is doing.

We've got the imposing college stood ahead.

And I also thought about the other objects in the scene that I could see and the trees stood out particularly.

And I described them as bordering the field.

They go around the outside and mark the boundary of the field that the children are in.

And so already, we've got far more ambitious content to support our writing of this scene, just by thinking of synonyms for a verb and other things that you can see in the image at the beginning of the scene.

Okay, we're going to do the same thing for that second picture.

So if you want to pause an add to yours now, before I show you my ideas and explain my thinking, that's a good thing to do and then we're going to carry on.

Okay so, this time I had to think about other things that I could see in the scene, starting with the cobbled streets, which is really narrow.

So I've got an expanded noun phrase that I could put into my writing, the narrow cobbled streets.

Those cobblestones make it uneven.

And the buildings that surround the children as they're running are really impressive.

We used some other words to describe how intricate the detailing is on the buildings and just how spectacular and impressive the old college buildings really are and so a really good things get a description of in your setting if you can.

And then a synonym sort of intricate ornate details.

So above the windows and across the top of the building, all of the small details might be described as, ornate or as intricate and complicated.

Things you could hear then, that was the other thing to think about.

Footsteps echoing because all of these children are rushing through the streets and we can hear them panting because they're running so hard and we heard 'em laughing because at this point we see they're carefree, they're untroubled having so much fun.

So, things that you can hear and other things you can see in that part of the scene.

So your task then for the rest of this lesson, is to plan the remaining three images that form the rest of this scene, being ambitious with your word selection throughout.

You might want to draw at a table or list your ideas for each part of the scene.

And remember, you're looking to describe the wider setting, things you can hear and the other things that the other characters are doing beyond Lyra.

You might even add to previous planning rather than starting a new list.

If you've got your table handy, you could add to that, like we were using for our planning just a minute ago.

So now we'll watch the second part of that opening clip.

Hurry up.

Stop.

If you value your lives, come no further.

Why? We gobbled him fair and square.

This ain't no game Billy Costa.

Don't you know what this gate is? It's the back door to your stupid college, so? There's a curse on this gate.

You gyptians ought to know that.

Crossing this gate is worse than touching someone's daemons with your bare hands.

Why ain't nothing happen to you then? 'Cause we live 'ere.

We got safe passage, see? And anyway, my mother's the one who put the curse on this gate in the first place.

What mother? I heard you was an orphink and your uncle only left you 'ere 'cause nobody wanted you.

Come here and say that.

Don't Billy.

You should listen to your mate.

The scholars' got this special room where they deal with trespassers.

They got this poison gown, right? And it burns you alive.

Rubbish, hand him over.

It ain't rubbish, I'll prove it, I'll steal it.

You can have Roger, as long as you try it on.

All right, bring it with you tonight or else.

War.

Billy don't.

See ya later then.

Okay.

You ain't really going to hand me over to them? Of course not.

I'll steal any old scholar's gown.

He'll never try it on anyway.

So pause the video to complete your task in your planning your ideas for those final three images.

If you need to go back and rewatch the clip, then absolutely, that's a really good idea so that you can note down everything that you can see in here, in those final three images.

Okay so, perhaps grab yourself another coloured pen if you have one, so that as we go through and I'm going to share my ideas now, for each of those final three images, you might be able to steal some of my ideas and add them to yours, if you want to.

So put previous planning table on there, so that we can elaborate on our already really good ideas for these three pictures.

Okay, so in my ideas, we've got intricate, iron gates, another noun phrase.

Stone walls that surround them at this point.

And in the very to the left hand side of that part of the clip, you could see some vines or some leaves creeping up the walls.

So in terms of describing the setting, some lovely ideas that you might include in sentences there.

And Billy's friends, I've described them as wary onlookers.

It's always a really good idea to have some alternative ways of describing other people, rather than keeping on using the same terms like Billy's friends.

So, wary onlookers, I thought was another way of referring to those people.

Scowling, we can see Lyra scowling in this image here and they use quite stern voices throughout this point in the clip.

And you can remind yourself, just about filling words in your table that are determined and spirited.

lots and lots of fantastic ideas.

Well done, if you've added something to your plan and a great job for anything that you managed to note down, as you watched the video clip.

Okay, image four then.

Shaded by the archway, shadowed by Roger.

So he follows her in this clip and he's stood just over her shoulder, like a shadow.

And they're almost protecting the college at this point.

So they're standing quite defensively outside, protecting their college.

There's no way Billy and his friends are going to come in any closer.

Billy edges closer throughout the scene and there's a real sense of anticipation from everybody as to what's going to happen.

It seems to be getting quite tense in that one point and the daemons, and you can just note that spelling, the purple a and e in daemons and check that you have that right in your writing too.

They hiss and the cameras zooms in on them.

So it's definitely something you could hear in the scene at that point.

I think one of them even changes size, 'cause they're a little bit annoyed at that point.

Okay, and finally we have got them entering the college.

So they exchange nervous glances.

The stones in the background look wet on the floor and for that reason, shining and glistening and cautiously smiling, because we said, Roger is a little bit nervous, isn't he? He's not sure whether Lyra was serious or not.

She seemed to be very serious, but then was joking a bit.

So he needs the a lots of reassurance and so he has a cautious smile as they're going into their college.

Lyra's encouraging Roger and Billy's companions or those cheering companions who when they make the deal, we hear them erupt in some cheering.

And then finally they enter the college together.

So another great job for that picture and well done, because that takes us to the end of another lesson.

And so recap of our learning today, we've looked at improving a sentence with some fantastic centres of the work.

We've really analysed in-depth that opening scene to get ourselves ready for writing.

And the vocabulary that you've added to your plans will be so useful, when we come to writing later on in this unit.

So well done for your hard work and all of your effort today.

That was such a lot of planning, that will really, really help with your writing.

So well done and have a great rest of the day.