Introduction
The clips included in this resource are:
1. Wealth of a Nation
2. Health of City (clip 1)
3. Clyde Film (clip 1)
4. Clyde Film (clip 2)
5. Vote for Harry Kemp
Useful information about the clips and topic
These images are mainly concerned with the extensive social and economic changes in Scotland during the Twentieth Century.
Wealth of a Nation duration: 15:45
Wealth of a Nation – 1938 film
Question to consider for classroom discussion/individual work:
- Why has this film been made?
- What message is this film trying to give about Scotland?
- What effect does the narrator have on the tone of the film?
- How does this film make you feel about Scotland?
Lesson Ideas
1. Scottish Development Council
Objectives: An understanding of a democratic process.
Activities: Pupils have to submit an idea to a group of pupils acting as the council, which will benefit the local community or industry. Pupils can either be local citizens, employers, trade unionists or pressure groups. They must submit a well thought out plan and sell their idea to the council. The pupils on the council will review and decide whether their idea will be implemented.
Outcomes: Pupils working together in a democratic process.
2. Government Intervention
Objectives: A chronological understanding of the gradual move from laissez-faire to government intervention in the lives of Scottish people.
Activity: A timeline of Government Acts and Departments introduced to improve the lives of the Scottish people.
Outcomes: Pupils will understand how and why these changes took place and why there were so rapid.
3. Debate: Socialists v Laissez-faire traditionalists
The Government should not intervene, people should work for what they have and not be given it to them by the government.
Extension (Debate or essay):
To what extent have the Governments of Britain in the last 100 years gone from one extreme to the other? i.e. in 1910 there was very little help available now there are various benefits available. Should the government take a more laissez-faire approach today or is the government still not doing enough to help Britain’s poor?
Cross curricular: Geography – planning issues of Scotland’s new towns i.e Pollok.
Activity – plan your own new town – where would be in Scotland and why? How would you attract people to live there?
Health of City (clip 1)
Health of a City (clip 1)
Lesson Ideas:
1. The Population Growth of Glasgow
Draw a bar graph of the rise of Glasgow’s population over 100 years and include some reasons why the population grew so much.
2. A Public Hygiene Information Programme
Each group of pupils should take a disease e.g cholera and produce a health information programme aimed at the poor families living in the slums. The programme should educate them in ways to try to detect symptoms of the disease and ways to restrict infection.
Cross-curricular – Geography:
Town planning. High Rises, the best way to house an over-crowded city? Compare the high rises when 1st built t those left standing now? Why were the pulled down. Draw a map of Glasgow’s high rises in 1970 compared to 2009.
Clyde Film (clip 1)
Clyde Film (clip 1)
Question to consider for classroom discussion/individual work:
- What mood/tone is created in the first 2 minutes of the clip?
- Why do you think the filmmaker chose ‘I belong to Glasgow’ to play?
- Why is the rest of the film silent?
- What impression does this film give of Glasgow?
- How does this film make you feel about Glasgow?
- Are there still areas of Glasgow today that resemble those shown in the film?
- What is the impact of the man in the empty warehouse?
- Why do you think the film make chose to show the empty warehouse in this way?
Cross curricular
Music: Compose or find a piece of music to match the tone and style of the clip.
Clyde Film (clip 2)
Clyde Film (clip 2)
- What tone is created by the music at the start of the film?
- How does this compare to the previous clip?
- What impression is the audience given of Glasgow?
- In what ways is Glasgow flourishing in this clip?
- What does it show Trade Unions doing?
Lesson Ideas:
1. Glasgow Today
Make a film about Glasgow today. Decide if it will be narrated, have music or silent. It can include a scene showing Glaswegians taking part in a political process. Will you produce a positive or negative film about Glasgow? What needs to be done in Glasgow to make it a better place?
2. Pressure Groups
Each group must decide what they want changed in Glasgow or their local area. They must create a Pressure Group and campaign for the change. They should present their campaign to the rest of the class and encourage support.
3. Thatcherism and Scotland (Senior school)
The clips were produced in 1985. Essay/Debate/Discussion: What impact did Conservative policies have on Glasgow and Scotland and to what extent has Scotland improved?
Vote for Harry Kemp
Vote for Harry Kemp
Question to consider for classroom discussion/individual work:
- Would this make you vote for Harry Kemp?
- Where do you think people would have seen this?
- To what extent have the ballot papers changed?
- Other than this film reel, what else do you think Harry Kemp would have been doing to encourage people to vote for him?
- To what extent is this different from what candidates do today?
Lesson Ideas:
1. Mock Election (Junior school)
Objectives: An understanding of democracy and the election campaign
Activity: Pupils in groups as a political party and have to manage the election campaign. Pupils make and film a party political broadcast to encourage voters to vote for their candidate.
Outcomes: Pupils work in a group and develop an understanding of the election campaign.
