Using Word-less Films for Student Storytelling

Using Word-less Films for Student Storytelling

Getting students to talk can be difficult - using silent films gives the class a common experience that they can share - speculate and talk about - without repeating any "heard words".


I have used a cartoon character called Bernard the Bear - originally from South Korea. These are mini-tragedies in the sense that you can tell that he is going to have a disaster and so are good for what do you think is going to happen next.

When you go to the site www.bernardbear.com you have to wait for the flash to load - make sure you have the audio on and can listen to the music and intros - I had problems getting the content pages to appear.

"The Triplets of Belleville" -- an absolutely charming and funny animated film about three mysterious ladies and the Tour de France. It's a French film, but is almost entirely wordless. you can find more info when you search on Amazon :

http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_ss_d?url=search-alias%3Ddvd&field-keywords=The+Triplets+of+Belleville&x=9&y=20

You can also use Short films with narratives.

The Shaun the Sheep programmes are five minutes long - have a clear narrative structure and have a resolution. They are also witty in a quirky British sort of
way. The free clips are here: www.shaunthesheep.com/clips/ you can use the links to see the DvD's for sale on Amazon.

For a wider range of topics and audience appeal you can use recent Collections of 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, Academy Award Nominated Short Films. Here is a starter link:

http://www.amazon.ca/Collection-Academy-Award-Nominated-Short

You can also look at the user reviews to gauge the quality, usability and other factors.

Always pre-view the film to make sure it is appropriate for education. Remind the students that they are for education - not entertainment.