All things big and small
Lesson Four:UP
Taken From Disney's UP
Lesson Objectives
To consider how scale can affect our own perception of size.
To create our own perception of size within our collage.
Teachers Notes
This animated image is from the Disney movie 'Up' and is one that may be familiar to the children. If this is true, it would be a good idea to get the children to explain to you what the house is in this image and what is happening. However if this is not the case, you could get the children to do some in depth looking at the image to discover what is happening and create their own scenerios. You could then tell them the background information to the film about how an old man manages to make his house portable by using lots of balloons to provide context for the children.
The focal point of use for this image is the varyng sizes and scales present and their immediate contrast. Children should be encouraged to envision the house and balloons close up, how big is a balloon in comparison to a house? How big must the cliff be for the house to look this size?
Key Questions and Vocabulary
1.What is the smallest object you think is within this scene?
2. How would you feel if you were within the house?
3. How does the size of the house compare to the scene?
4. Why does the house look small, but the balloons bigger? How does the size of the scene affect your perception of the size of the other objects?
Landscape - Foreground - Background - Collage - Perception
The Lesson as Part of a Sequence
This starting image to the session is the only one in the sequence that may be recognisable to the children and should be an opportunity for exciting and engaging discussions.
The main activity will involve their landscape pieces that the children created in the previous lesson and a photograph of their tower which was created in session two. The children will be collaging their photograph of their tower onto their scene, considering how they wish to create a perception of contrasting size. Do they want the tower to seem large or larger than other objects in the scene? How will this affect the audience looking at their collage?
The children are then to imagine that their tower is similar to the house in that it is being transported in some form. The children are then to make a choice as to how they would like to create this other dimension of size, they could either use a magazine and choose images from it, or use crayons/chalk to draw onto their scene to form the same effect. At the end of the lesson children should feel comfortable to share their unique and individual creations with peers.
Image reference: