Train of Thought

• Is there a story to 'Train of Thought'?
• Is there a setting in this film?
• What are the different colours of the shapes and patterns?
• How many different shapes and patterns can you see in Train of Thought?
• Do particular shapes/patterns play a bigger or smaller part in the film?
• Are these particular shapes/patterns linked to parts of the music?
• Can you describe the movements of the shapes/patterns?
• Why does one particular shape or pattern happen after the other?
• Watch 'Train of Thought', asking children to think about how the different shapes move and change in the film. Ask them to describe what they notice after the screening.
• Watch the film again. This time, divide the class into groups, and ask each group to focus on ‘the journey’ made by different shapes: triangle, square, circle, rectangle. Allow time for each group to talk briefly about what happens to their shape in the film.

• Maths and art or music do not usually sit together in people’s minds – one is seen as a logic subject, the other as an expressive one. Do you think this is correct? What other “opposite” subjects could be combined in an interesting way?
• Maths has historically been thought of as a subject for boys, while art and music were for girls. Do you agree with this? Why do you think people believe this? What problems can this cause?
• Can you think of any other films that have strange abstract moments like this?
• What do you think of abstract art: is it “real art”?

WRITE

• Make a list of verbs, adverbs and adjectives that describe movement. Use these to write a detailed description of a person, animal or object moving.
• Ask pupils to draw and cut out several shapes of the same kind (e.g. different triangles). Play the soundtrack to the film or another song for a minute or so. Ask them to place their shapes to create a ‘visual story line’ for the shape. In each shape, ask the children to write a word to describe its action: sitting, rolling, whirling, flipping, jumping. Use these words as a basis for creating shape poems.

DRAW

• Draw one large shape, then design the inside with a myriad of other shapes. You could even design this as a mindful colouring-in sheet – then use it at the end of the lesson as a mindfulness activity!

MUSIC

• Create a soundtrack to go with the shape poems mentioned above of with the film itself.

PE/DANCE

• Explore the physical dimensions of shape movement.

STEM

• Draw and cut out a variety of shapes and make a short film about the form and how it can be defined.