TALES OF THE NIGHT 3DTEACHERS RESOURCE

Suitable for Primary to S2

Curriculum for Excellence subjects:Literacy and English / Modern Languages (French) / Religious andMoral Education

Sciences / Expressive Arts / Social Studies (Geography)

Written by Lucie Maupetit, French Teacher

This resource is produced by the Glasgow Youth Film Festival by support from our partners:

Thanks to: Soda Pictures

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Les contes de la nuit

Nationalit: Franais

Anne de production: 2011

Langue: Franais

Genre: Animation

Fiche technique

Ralis par:Michel Ocelot

Ecrit par:Michel Ocelot

Producteur: Philippe Boeffard, veMachuel, Christophe Rossignon

Montage: Patrick Ducruet

BACKGROUNDThe striking new film from internationally-renowned animator Michel Ocelot (director of Kirikou andthe Sorceress, Azur and Asmar: The Princes Quest) recently screened at the Berlin and LondonFilm Festivals.

Its Ocelots first foray into 3D, which works wonderfully well alongside his use of crisp, classicsilhouette animation, creating a layered, kaleidoscopic effect that feels unusual and dramatic. Thefilm weaves together six exotic fables which unfold in Tibet, medieval Europe, an Aztec kingdom,the African savannah, and the Land of the Dead; all enacted by a young boy and girl whomeet upwith an elderly technician in a dilapidated cinema at night. Creating the stories, visualising the timeperiods andmaking up the costumes, they are then courtesy of a little bit of magic dressedand inserted into the very fabric of the narratives themselves.

History blends with fairytale in Ocelots imaginative storytelling, and we are transported to landsinhabited by dragons, captive princesses, sorcerers, and enormous talking bees each fableending with its own ironic, dryly comic twist.

Indeed, its Ocelots sly humour that makes Tales of the Night 3D a suitable prospect for bothchildren and adult audiences; as well as the variety of the gorgeously rendered settings, and thediverse and idiosyncratic stories, which will appeal to all.

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ACTIVITIESActivity 1: Exploring the Design of the Film PosterWhat can we deduce about the film were going to see, based on the design of the poster?Discuss the questions below in pairs or groups.

1 What do you see on the poster?

2 Will there be onemain story and character, or several?

3 Where will the film take place in what country or time period?

4 What kind of filmwill it be scary, mysterious, magical, romantic?

5 Will it be an animated film, or onewith real-life actors?

I can select and use a range of strategies and resources before I read, and as I read, to makemeaning clear

and give reasons for my selection. LIT 2-13a

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Activit 1Sur la carte ci-dessous, colorie les continents de la couleur indique.

On the map below, colour in the continents in the colour indicated.

En rouge : lEurope En orange : lAmrique du SudEn jaune : lAsie En bleu : lOcanieEn violet : lAfrique Enmarron : lAntarctiqueEn rose : lAmrique du Nord

Activit 2Associe les rgions ci-dessous au bon numro sur la carte.

Match the areas belowwith the correct number on the map.

> La Bourgogne: a region in France.

> Les Carabes: the region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands, and the surrounding coasts.

> LEcosse: the country you live in.

> Le Tibet: a region in Asia between India and China.

> LeMexique: a country in southwestern North America; formerly home to the Aztec people.

I can read and demonstrate understanding of words, signs, phrases and simple texts containing mainly familiar language.MLAN 2-08b

To extendmymental map and sense of place, I can interpret information from different types of maps and am beginning to locate key

features within Scotland, UK, Europe or the wider world. SOC 2-14a

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Activity 1Match the picture with the name and description.

Iguana Female of a horse or other equine animal; gives birth to foals.

Mare A large rodent with defensive spines or quills on the body and tail.

Bee Small, weasel-like carnivorous mammal native to Africa and Asia.

Wolf A large lizard native to the Caribbean, Central America and China.

Mongoose Flying insect; pollinates flowers, lives in hives andmay be either a workeror a queen. A group of these insects is known as a swarm.

Doe A large bird with mostly glossy black plumage, a heavy bill, and a raucous voice.A flock of these birds is known as a murder.

Porcupine Female deer; gives birth to fawns.

Crow Amainly nocturnal mammal capable of sustained flight. A communityof these animals living together is known as a colony.

Bat Wild carnivorous mammal, the largest member of the dog family;lives and hunts in a pack.

All copyright-free images sourced fromwww.edupics.com

I can identify and classify examples of living things, past and present, to help me appreciate their diversity. I can relate physical

and behavioural characteristics to their survival or extinction. SCN 2-01a

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Activity 1What do you remember of the six tales?Match the picture to the correct story, setting, and title.

Titles

The BoyWhoNever Lied

The Tom-TomBoy

TheWerewolf

Ti-Jean and the BeautyWithout Knowing

The Doe-Girl andthe Architects Son

The Chosen Oneof the Golden City

Settings

France

Africa

Caribbean

France

Mexico

Tibet

Stories

Two sisters are in love with the same prince. Hebecomes engaged to the older one, much to thesadness of the younger one who has loved him allher life. However, when the prince announces tohis fiance that he is in fact a werewolf, she abandonshim and locks him forever in his wolf state.

In Aztec times, a youngman arrives in the City of Goldon the day when a beautiful young girl is to be chosenas a human sacrifice to the monster which protectsthe city. He resolves to break the cycle of killing.

A boy called Ti-Jean finds himself in the land of thedead where hemust appease a giant bee, mongooseand iguana in order to win the heart of the BeautyWithout Knowing.

The king makes a bet with a neighbouring monarchthat the boy who rides the nations talking horsecannot be made to lie. The monarch enlists hisbeautiful daughter to hatch a devious plan that willforce him to lie.

A would-be tom-tom player is dismissed by everyonein his village until he learns how to play the magictom-tomwhich will save them from their enemies.

A youngman seeks out a fairy to transform his fianceback to human form after she is turned into a doe bya jealous sorcerer.

I can showmy understanding of what I listen to or watch by responding to literal, inferential, evaluative and other typesof questions, and by asking different kinds of questions of my own. LIT 2-07a

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Activity 2: Linking WordsComplete the summary of TheWerewolfwith the linking words from the box below.

Once upon a time, there were two beautiful sisters both in love with the same young knight, Yann.________ he proposes to the elder sister, the younger one is sad ________ she has loved him all her life.________ prove his love for his new fiance, Yann tells her his big secret: if he takes off the chain hewears around his neck, he becomes a werewolf. The elder sister does not want to marry a werewolf,________ rather than call off the wedding, she plays a trick on Yann. She demands to see him transforminto a wolf: ________ Yann removes his chain, she steals it and hides it down a well, locking him foreverin his werewolf state. ________ she tells everyone that Yann has been eaten by a wolf ________ ordersthe wolf to be shot. The same day, while out riding in the woods, a wolf saves the younger daughterfrom being eaten by a bear. She confides to the wolf about her love for Yann, and how she had helpedhim anonymously, from a distance when he was in prison. ________ his big sharp teeth, the wolf isso kind and good, she guesses his real identity ________ convinces her father to call off the hunt.________ she tricks her elder sister into admitting the wolf is Yann. The younger sister declares thatshe would love Yann even in wolf form.

because / despite / in order to / and (x2) / but / then (x2) / when (x2)

In both short and extended texts, I can use appropriate punctuation, vary my sentence structures and divide my work intoparagraphs in a way that makes sense to my reader. LIT 2-22a

Activity 3: VocabularyRead the sentences below, taken from The Chosen One and the Golden City.Chose a synonym from the box below to replace the underlined word.

1 The city folk I meet dont seem very cheerful. ( __________ )

2 Tonight, all will gather at the Esplanade of Sacrifice. ( ___________ )

3 The Great Shepherd will choose the fairest. ( __________ )

4 Your answers baffle me. ( _________ )

5 Must you slay an innocent girl just for gold? ( __________ )

6 Themonster was not invincible, and your city still stands. ( __________ )

7 A true daughter of the Golden City! ( __________ )

Activity 4: SequencingPut the sentences below in the correct order to tell the story of The Doe-Girl and the Architects Son.A The sorcerer transformsMaud into an animal.B Thibault climbs up the fortress to speak to Maud.C The crow, then Thibault spot the shining stars indicating the entrance to the fairys palace.D The fairy advises Thibault to look for the Fairy of Crows who will be able to understand the crow.E When Thibault reaches the fairy, she is in an egg that cannot be destroyed by a sword.F Thibault takes Maud to the woods using a secret passage.G Maud agrees to marry the sorcerer in the cathedral.H The sorcerer takes Maud as a prisonner in his fortress.I Thibault goes to look for the Fairy of Caresses.J The crow transforms itself into Maud.K The crowmanages to break the egg.L Thibault strokes the crow and ask the crow if it would accompany him to visit the Fairy of Crows.

happy / kill / confuse / real / unbeatable / prettiest / come together

Through developing my knowledge of context clues, punctuation, grammar and layout, I can read unfamiliar textswith increasing fluency, understanding and expression. ENG 2-12a

In both short and extended texts, I can use appropriate punctuation, vary my sentence structures and divide my work intoparagraphs in a way that makes sense to my reader. LIT 2-22a

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Activity 5Answer the following questions to show that you have understood the taleTi-Jean and the BeautyWithout Knowing.

1 Who is the hero (the main character)?

___________________________________________________________________________________

2 Who told him he could marry the kings eldest daughter?

___________________________________________________________________________________

3 What are the three animals that could prevent him from reaching his goal?

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4 How does hemanage to get past these animals?

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5 Once he arrives in the palace, the king sets him three challenging tasks. What are they?

___________________________________________________________________________________

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6 How does hemanage to complete these tasks?

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7 What is the reward for Ti-Jean?

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8 Does Ti-Jean accept the reward?Why?

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Activity 6: Creative WritingOn your own, in pairs or in groups lets have a go at writing our own fairy tale.

Before you get started, think about the stories in the film, and other fables or fairy tales youmightknow, e.g. Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Jack and the Beanstalk. What dothey have in common?Fairy tales tend to conform to certain conventions meaning that variations of the samecharacters, settings and events come up time and time again. Can you recognise patternsin some well-known tales?

1 Brainstorm a list of characters that appear in fairy tales, e.g. king, princess, cruel stepmother.

2 Where are fairy tales set in flats and city streets, or in castles, forests, andmountains?

3 Most fairy tales revolve around amain characters adventure, quest or problem at home.In the course of his/her story, the hero(ine) must conquer or escape evil usually with the helpof magic in order to live happily ever after. Do you agree with this statement? Does thisbroad plot synopsis fit any of the fairy tales you know?

Now come up with your own story. First, brainstorm some ideas using the form overleaf. Then writeup your story into full paragraphs (make sure youve used lots of linking words, and the correctpunctuation!). Finally, check over your work for spelling mistakes.

I can showmy understanding of what I listen to or watch by responding to literal, inferential, evaluative and other typesof questions, and by asking different kinds of questions of my own. LIT 2-07a

FAIRY-TALE

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Fairy tale Brainstorming Form

1 Your main character (hero/heroine) goes on a journey.Who is the hero/heroine?What is the purpose of the journey?

2 Your hero/heroine meets people/animals/objects that might help him later.Who or what are they?Why or how does he/shemeet them?

3 Someone sets three challenging/impossible tasks for your hero/heroine to complete.What are they?

4 Your hero completes each task.How do theymanage it?Who helps them?

5 Your hero/heroine achieves his goal.What is their reward?How do they feel about it?

By considering the type of text I am creating, I can select ideas and relevant information, organise these in an appropriate wayfor my purpose and use suitable vocabulary for my audience. LIT 2-26a

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Activit 1: Les animauxThe following animals appear or are mentioned in the film. Match up the French and the English.

Remember French nouns are always either masculine (m) or feminine (f) so find out in the dictionarythe genre of these words and write it down.

perroquet ( m ___ ) dog

porc-pic ( ___ ) bee

iguane ( ___ ) mare

chien ( ___ ) owl

abeille ( ___ ) sheep

biche ( ___ ) bat

mangouste ( ___ ) parrot

cheval ( ___ ) iguana

mouton ( ___ ) bear

jument ( ___ ) crow

corbeau ( ___ ) horse

cygne ( ___ ) swan

ours ( ___ ) mongoose

chauve-souris ( ___ ) porcupine

chouette ( ___ ) doe

Activit 2:LElu de la Ville dOr (The Chosen One of the Golden City)Choose one of the following words: garon / jolie fille / bienfaiteur / grand berger / or.

Listen to the story of The Chosen One of the Golden City and when you hear the word you havechosenmake amark in your exercise book, and then count up your marks.

Un garon arrive dans la ville dor o tout le monde est triste. Il rencontre une jolie fille. Il parle avecla jolie fille. Elle lui explique que quatre fois par an, le bienfaiteur mange la plus jolie fille en changedor. Cest le jour du sacrifice. Le grand berger choisit la jolie fille et le bienfaiteur sapprte lamanger. Le garon se laisse manger par le bienfaiteur et parvient tuer le bienfaiteur de l intrieur.Il sauve la jolie fille mais malheureusement, l or de la ville disparat. Le grand berger est en colre etveut tuer le garon. La jolie fille se joint au garon et essaie de convaincre la foule et le grand bergerque la vie et le bonheur sont plus importants que l or

I explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and show understanding and enjoyment bylistening, joining in and responding.MLAN 2-01a

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Activity 1

Why do you think adults tell children fairy tales?Most fairy tales contain a message for the reader.Typically, this message contains a lesson about how to be a better person. Themessagemightinvolve the virtue of being selfless, perhaps, or teach the reader about why its important to helpother people. This message often forms the core of the story, and influences the plot.

Think back to the fairy tales you know: what is their message?

E.g.

Little Red Riding Hood: never talk to strangers; obey and listen to your parents.

The Three Little Pigs: hard work and dedication pay off; take time to perform a task the right way.

Is there amoral message in the Tales of the Night stories? If so, what was themessage?

I can explain why different people think that values such as honesty, respect and compassion are important, and I show respectfor others.RME 2-09c

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Activity 1: SilhouettesTales of the Nightwas created using silhouette animation. A silhouette is a drawing consistingof an outline of a person or object filled in with solid colour (usually black) andmounted on a lightbackground.

Taking your inspiration from the film, whynot create your own silhouette artwork? First,make a bright, colourful background youcould use paint, crayons, or coloured paper.Now use scissors to cut out your subjects fromblack card your subjects could be people,animals, trees and buildings. Paste thesubjects on your background to createthe silhouette.

Note to teachers: There are lots of examples of silhouettes if you search for silhouette inGoogle Images. It might help younger pupils to have some examples to trace.

Activity 2: Negative / Positive Cutout PicturesThere are two kinds of space: positive and negative. Positive spaces are those occupied by themain subjects of the artwork. The negative spaces are the areas around and behind the positivespaces. Negative space can also be referred to as the background.

The shapes of positive spaces are determined by the shapes of the main subjects of the artwork.However, negative spaces have shapes as well. If we remove the subject from an artwork, thenegative spaces are left with a blank in the shapes of the parts removed. Therefore, the shapesof negative spaces are determined by the shapes of the positive spaces.

Test this out in the exercise below.

What You'll Need: two sheets of paper in contrastingcolours (e.g. black, and one bright colour), ruler,scissors, glue.

Step 1:Cut a small square from paper. Cut a shapeinto each side, saving the cut-out pieces.

Step 2: Place the cut square and the cutouts on anotherpiece of brightly colored paper. Arrange the cutouts in amirror image of the square's side shapes.

Step 3: After you've positioned the pieces, glue your design to the paper background.

I can create and present work that shows developing skill in using the visual elements and concepts. EXA 2-03a