As part of their work to support their younger pupils with communicating their feelings and building their self-esteem, Burnside Primary School in Carnoustie brought in Screen Educator Sandie Jamieson to help Primary 3 pupils develop film literacy skills as well as the emotional literacy they had been lacking post-pandemic.
After learning about camerawork, editing, animation, sound, acting and script development as well as the early development of film and screen, the pupils considered different situations that they might find themselves in, the difficult emotions they might feel at those times and then explore how they might deal with those emotions in positive, self-empowering ways.
The pupils took these ideas and developed their film stories, all connected by beautifully designed ‘fairy doors’ out of which a good fairy popped to offer advice on how to solve a problem through a stop-motion animation version of a famous fable.
The school then hosted a screening event for family and friends, with pupils presenting their films and sharing a little about the process.
Principal Teacher, Nicky Wilson, who managed the project, said: “This project has definitely helped to establish the value of film education for Early Years in Burnside Primary School and that we have a level of skill and knowledge in our staff to start building on."
She added that the pupils involved “displayed a remarkable level of engagement and enthusiasm… [and] took genuine pride in their work… The students' willingness to immerse themselves in the group sessions and the final film project is a testament to the project's overall appeal and the effectiveness of its structure.”
This project was supported by Screen Scotland’s Schools Screen Education Fund.
Image credits: courtesy of Burnside Primary School