The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

March, 194} Page 91 Sing d Song of Safety Describing the school production of a novel costume movie, using the Mother Goose theme to convey its safety message. ANTOINETTE LOWRY Bexley Elementary and Junior High School Columbus, Ohio SCHOOLS teach safety in several different ways. Sometimes it is tied up with other subjects. Sometimes it is taught as a separate subject. No matter what method is used, there is need for a variety of methods of teaching safety in order to make it inter- esting and effective. As a consequence, we find that schools have developed: (a) safety clubs, councils, and patrols; (b) dramatizations and radio; (c) graphs and charts; (d) assembly programs; (e) demonstrations and models; (f) rejiorts, lectures, and newspapers: (g) excursions: (h) campaigns; (i) stories, poems, and compositions: (j) posters and pictures; and (k) movies. Stuff a song for boys and girls. Mindful of their safety; There woidd be no accidents If they ivere not so hasty. The writer had an op{)ortunity to try a novel nietliod of teaching safety—that of making a safety movie. This motion picture, called Sing a Song of Safety, was made in the spring of 1940 by the boys and giris of Bexley Elementary and Junior High School under the direction of the writer, assisted by other members of the school staff, and in cooperation with the Bureau of Educa- tional Research of the Ohio State University and the Highway Education Board of Wa.shington, D. C. This film is one of twelve which was developed in the Ohio State University Traffic Safety film project and was made possible through grants from the Highway Edu- cation Board. Since there were at that tiitie so few safety films available for the elementary grade level, this film was produced particularly for the child from six to fourteen. However, older children and adults have learned valu- able safety precautions from the picture. Since our Elementary and Junior High School are in the .same building, it was possible for these two divi- sions to work closely together. The students, teachers, and communit}- were aware of a serious problem which the children created by their many careless safety prac- tices. In order to determine which of the.se practices were most hazardous, observations were made of the -school children going to and from school and elsewhere in the community by school puj^ils. teachers, janitors, administrators, and the Department of Public Safety. As a result of these observations, the content of the scenario was determined. To write a scenario which would be interesting and meaningful to the boys and girls of the community, to place emphasis upon the eleinentary grades, and at the .same time to include the material learned from the ob- servations, required a great amount of planning. Several students in the eighth grade who were outstanding in story writing and English composition began working on the safety story. Their ideas, coupled with those of other students and teachers, were woven together around a Mother Goose theme. Jingles were written illustrating safety practices and ijlm content was developed to dem- onstrate the.se jingles. Sing a Song of Safety is a silent 16mm. color film approximately 725 feet in length, 80 feet of which are titles. Using the Mother Goose idea made it necessary to have characteristic costumes which, of course, could not be effective except in color. The scenario called for a cast of thirty characters in Mother Goose Land to be in colorful costumes. The mothers of the children cooperated in inaking these costumes. In addition to the cast, there were mass scenes including approximately forty bicyclists and about the same nmnber of pedestrians. Other partici- pants were members of the school and community Health and Safety Departments. In making this film it was necessar\- to have many assistants behind the scenes such as: the photographer handling the cameras and tripods; someone to take exposure readings; an announcer to keep individuals posted as to when they are due for their scenes; the dramatic directors; and responsible people to watch the traffic. In order that all rooms nu'giit .share in the planning and the production of the picture, each grade room con- tributed two or three characters. To give more pupils an opportunity for participation and to become safety conscious, .seventy-si.x sixth grade children and about fifty seventh grade boys and girls from the health education classes composed the titles. Each title was illustrated by the Art Department of the school. Alto- gether there were at least two hundred and fifty people A "faked" accident to show the resuhs of carelessness.