Little Pig is Flying (Lilla Grisen Flyger) — Alicja Jaworski, 2004
Little Pig is mocked for dreaming she can fly. She sets off to prove everyone wrong, and along the way meets some other animals who teach her to dig, jump, swim and leap across trees. She needs these skills to escape a hungry wolf, and ends up in a nest. Little Pig is upset when she’s told she’ll never fly without wings, until a pilot suddenly appears. Finally, she gets to fly, albeit in a plane; she zooms over the farm to the amazement of her friends.
Subtitled, but the narrative is clear without dialogue. The simplicity may suit younger children.
Classroom Activities
Print All- Critical
- Cultural
- Creative
- Clip Details
Critical
- When you have finished watching the film, ask the class to re-tell the story. What happened at the beginning, middle and end? What are the conflict and resolution in this story?
- Watch the first minute of the film then discuss what the class think the story is about. Ask for reasons for their predictions (what happens or what do we see that says a particular thing). What do they think is going to happen in the rest of the story?
- Use freeze frame to examine particular shots, discussing: what type of shot it is; whose viewpoint we see; what/who can be seen in the shot; where the camera is. Look for examples of long shots, medium shots, close-ups and point-of-view shots.
- Screen the opening sequence (up to 01:40 minutes) and then ask your class how many shots they think there were. Re-screen the opening sequence using freeze frame and the storyboard template to note and detail each shot. Compare the class’s estimate with the real number of shots. Identify each shot type and note how one shot changes into another (type of transition). Discuss why the shot changes – does it show something new?
- Freeze the frame on an image of the farm in the opening sequence. What can we tell about the time and place setting of the story? Note how much we see and how much is left to our imagination.
- Watch with an emphasis on the sound and music in the film. Note moments when their feelings change: what kind of sound or music is playing at that moment. How does the sound/music change and why?
- Note any sound effects heard in the film. What effect do they have?
- Pause when Little Pig meets each new animal. Note any connections there are between characters and settings.
Cultural
- Do we know why Little Pig wants to fly? Does it matter?
- Which characters do you like and dislike? Why?
- Do any of the characters remind you of other stories?
- Does the film have a message?
- Pause when Little Pig meets each new animal. Ask what new skills these animals could teach her.
Creative
WRITE
- Watch the film with a focus on character. Afterwards, ask your pupils to write a character profile of the main character: what she is like, what she is trying to do, how she changes throughout the story.
- Alternatively, ask pupils to write a short one or two sentence description of each of the characters. In writing their descriptions, you might prompt your pupils to think about whether any of the characters are familiar types (e.g. a nasty wolf). See if they can find examples of behaviour that capture that character type.
- Write a poem based on the film.
DRAW
- Create a comic strip continuing Little Pig’s adventures.
- Write/draw new scenes for the film where Little Pig meets new animals – what might they teach her?
MAKE
- Make plasticine models of the different animals in the film.
STEM
- Design and make a vehicle/machine that could help Little Pig to fly.
- Identify features of each animal in the film – find out where they live, what they eat, any special qualities…
Clip Details
| Record Id | 007-002-000-019-C |
|---|---|
| Resource Rights Holder | PennFilm Studio AB |
| Project Ref | STST2-05 |
| Year of Production | 2004 |
| Genre | Adventure, Animation |
| Curriculum Areas | Expressive Arts, Health and Wellbeing, Modern Languages, Literacy and English, Religious and Moral Education, Social Studies |
| Director | Alicja Jaworski |
| Country of Origin | Sweden |
| Medium / Content | 2D Animation, Fiction, Colour, Sound |
| Themes | Relationships, Identity / Self |
| Clip Length | 10:00 |
| Clip Length | 10:00 |
| Age Group | P1-P4 |
