Session 13 Rostrata Primary School Year 6 - Kristy Nita Brown & Mariya Konig
Warm Up: Today's session began with a warm up exercise called Back-to-Back Drawing. In this activity, students paired up and sat back-to-back. One partner was given a simple image, which they had to describe verbally while the other partner attempted to draw it on a whiteboard based solely on the description, without seeing the image. The students completed three rounds of this exercise, and it was well-received. The activity encouraged active listening and clear communication, which were areas of difficulty in the previous session. It was encouraging to see students engaging more thoughtfully with one another, demonstrating improved collaboration and an awareness of how to communicate effectively.
Main Activity: Last week, students began working on their One-Minute Film project. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the first filmmaking session earlier this week due to a family illness. Mariya kindly contacted me to ask for an overview of what I had planned, and then went ahead and delivered the session in my absence.
By the time I returned today, students had completed three 50-minute filmmaking sessions. During this time, they learned about shot sizes, on-set filming calls, and how to use iPads effectively to capture high-quality footage. This included guidance on filming short clips, using natural lighting, and recording clear audio. The students then worked in groups of three to write their scripts, bring in costumes, and begin filming their projects.
When I arrived today, I delivered a 15-minute mini-lesson on basic editing techniques and answered questions as students continued working. It was clear that they have made significant progress on their films. They are highly motivated and showing strong teamwork as they work towards completing their one-minute films.
An interesting observation Mariya and I made was that in a few groups, one student naturally took on a leadership role, which sometimes led to the other group members having less input. While leadership is valuable, we both felt it would be beneficial to explore what effective collaboration looks like, so that all students feel they have a voice in the creative process.
Reflection: During today’s session, we had some valuable discussions around collaboration and touched on several of the Five Habits of Learning. However, once again we ran out of time to complete the full 15-minute reflection as planned. To help address this, Mariya kindly offered to speak with the students after lunch about the Five Habits, and supported them in wrapping their yarn sticks in the colours that represented the habit they felt they used most during the session. Students have also finished the origami lucky stars reflection.
Planning with the Teacher: With only two sessions remaining, we're aiming to make the most of our time together. In our next session, I will start by integrating the five habits of learning into the warm-up activity to help set the tone and maintain a consistent focus throughout the lesson.
Next lesson, students will continue editing their one-minute films, and in the final session, we’ll hold a class screening and small celebration to recognise their achievements during Creative Schools. Mariya will be printing certificates, and I’ll bring juice and popcorn to mark the occasion.
Working with the Students: Students are highly motivated and showing strong teamwork as they work towards completing their one-minute films. They are taking the task seriously and many have organised make-up, costumes and props.
