This lesson for English and other subjects at key stages 3-5 uses the short film Pumzi (2009) to lead students into a discussion of the issue of the future. They will consider moral dilemma linked to the key sci-fi issue of the creation of utopian or dystopian futures. They then have the opportunity to design their own post-apocalyptic ‘perfect world’, consider how the world might end, and what new worlds might be created as a result.

A lesson for Key Stage 4 PSHE and Citizenship students that explores the experiences of the 'Windrush Generation' using the film Concrete Garden (1994). Students work toward devising a short dramatic piece that relates to the themes and ideas brought up by the film. Concrete Garden is a wonderfully observed graduation film from the black British director Alrick Riley. With warm performances from a young cast and exquisite detail in the production design, this tender short film powerfully evokes the trials and tribulations faced by kids settling in 1950s Britain. The film is available to watch for free in BFI Mediatheques or can be rented on BFI Player for a small fee. Learning objectives include: Understanding more about immigration from the Commonwealth in the 1950s; Investigating and considering what it could be like to be someone who has recently moved to the UK from abroad.

This lesson for KS3 science allows students to take on the role of a science journalist for the Daily Express and collect information on the events that take place in the film The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961). This could be used as a single lesson or as a set spanning lots of different science skills and knowledge. It would work well for revision purposes, and each task can be made simpler/more complicated to suit the individual needs of each class.