Media class

I believe in media education, the same way I believe in teaching kids how to swim in order to feel safe near water.

So today we started one of our media class, I used a bugs bunny cartoon, those cartoon are great to work on.

The exercise is simple, showing the cartoon without the sound first and asking the kid to tell the story.

Then showing the cartoon and asking what he noticed, what seemed different?

Now, beside the picture what can we notice in this cartoon: sound effect, voices, music.
So we watch ones again the cartoon focusing on the voices, the tone of the voices, the intonation....

Then we watch it again focusing on the sound effects, kids usually really like that part :-)
it is also a good occasion to explain to them how those sound are made, that someone is making them. And even let them try making some.

Then we watch it again focusing on the music, joyful music? Sad? Scaring?
And explain that music is there to accentuate emotion.

What is the purpose of all that?

Make the children aware of everything involved in a cartoon, and then in any other fiction. That way their perception will be sharp and complete.

This little exercise repeated over and over will create reflexes the same way you learn how to push the brake when it is time too.
This exercise is what film student are doing in film school.

For me, media education is essential in this so visual world.