Educational activity around the short film One Small Step
Realize that mathematics is part of our daily life and that it is useful to us.
One Small Step © TAIKO Studios
TitleOne Small Step
ThemeMemory, Family relationship
Genre & keywordsNarrative, rocket, astronomy, perseverance, father, daughter
Age (for film)3-11 years
Duration7 min40 s
DirectorAndrew Chesworth & Bobby Pontillas
MusicSteve Horner
ProductionTAIKO Studios (China, 2018)
Look for mathematical references in the film to give meaning to the learning of this discipline.
There are a lot of references to mathematics in this film. This will be an opportunity to take inventory with the children so that they realize that we need math in our daily lives.
Show the short film to the children. Come back after this first viewing and ask them to tell the story in their own words. This film is very moving. The little girl dreams of becoming an astronaut but it's not easy. His dad encourages him but one day he disappears. Having become a young girl, she pursues her goal and re-motivates herself. The journey is strewn with pitfalls but she hangs on and ends up making her dream come true.
After this comprehension work, offer the students a second viewing with a task to complete: answer the question “what is mathematics for?” ". To do this, make an inventory of all the mathematical references and write them down in the draft as the film is played: the countdown to the departure of the rocket, the number of candles on the cake, to make the cake it was necessary to weigh ingredients (the masses), the clock which gives the time, the calendar hanging on the wall, the passage of time (the characters grow/age/the father dies), the street number 2814, the number of meters/kilometers traveled when she plays sports, the contents of the teapot (the liters), the watch on dad's wrist, the clock at school, the different geometric shapes... After the film, write down the children's ideas on the board or on a poster. Plan another viewing to complete if necessary.
From these notes, sort and classify according to the mathematical notions concerned in order to answer the question asked: maths is used to count (the number of candles, the age of the little girl, the countdown, the title “one small step”), to measure (lengths, durations, masses, capacities), to number (street number), to locate (the time), to trace (geometric shapes). But there are concepts missing from the film... Ask the students to complete them themselves: maths is used to calculate, use money, etc... Then offer them a written trace to paste into the lesson book. Example of written trace on mathematics on the Val 10 blog...
Activity sheet written by: Valérie du blog Val 10. Discover the Val 10 blog...
