NARRATOR:'This is Ben.
NARRATOR:'He's just walking along when. Oh, hang on. He's found something.
NARRATOR:'It's a ring.
NARRATOR:'It's not just any ring though.'
BEN:Hmm.
NARRATOR:'It's a magic ring.
NARRATOR:'A real proper magic ring that makes you disappear when you put it on. So now… Ben?
NARRATOR:'Er, is he still there? Ah. So now, Ben starts imagining the awesome things he can do with his new power.
NARRATOR:'He could use the ring to help people. Like stopping nasty burglars before they get away.
NARRATOR:'So kind of like a real super hero.'
BEN:Hmm.
NARRATOR:'Maybe he needs a name. Invisible boy!
NARRATOR:'But then, he could also use it to play tricks on people. Which might not be helpful but it could be quite funny.'
UNKNOWN MALE:Oh!
LAUGHS
NARRATOR:'What would you do if you had a ring of invisibility?
NARRATOR:'What would be the right thing to do?
NARRATOR:'Soon, Ben gets bored just thinking about what he's going to do with the ring. And decides to have a little bit of fun with it.'
LAUGHS
NARRATOR:'There's Sophie, having a lovely dolls tea party.
NARRATOR:'And then along comes Ben to wreak havoc with it.
BEN:GHOST NOISE
SCREAM
NARRATOR:'Later on, Ben's just playing ball with Karim when…
BEN:Uh oh.
NARRATOR:'Enter the magic ring again. Which helps him disappear. And cleverly avoid getting caught.'
BEN:Phew.
UNKNOWN MALE:Ah!
SOPHIE:Grrr.
NARRATOR:'Is it okay to do naughty things if you can't get caught.
NARRATOR:'So, Ben's become quite attached to being invisible. And he finds himself thinking he'd like one of those lovely, juicy apples.'
BEN:Mmm.
NARRATOR:'He could just steal one. And if he's invisible he can't get caught, can he?
NARRATOR:'But Sophie has seen what he's up to. And ever so quietly she creeps up on him and catches him in the act.
NARRATOR:'Sophie says, "Why don't you use your power to do good things?" She tells him that doing good things makes her feel happy.
NARRATOR:'And that we should all do good things because… well, because it's good.
NARRATOR:'What do you think?
NARRATOR:'Does doing good things make you happy?
NARRATOR:'What other reasons are there for doing good things?'
Video summary
This adaptation of Peter Worley’s, 'The If Machine' explores the concept of morality.
A boy finds a ring of invisibility and explores ways in which he can use it.
How do we know the difference between right and wrong?
Where do our motives for behaviour come from?
This short film encourages youngsters to reflect on the origins of morality; whether it be parents and teachers, a religion, or whether we are born knowing the difference between right and wrong.
This short film is from the BBC series, What Makes Me, Me? And Other Interesting Questions.
Teacher Notes
This short film could be used as a lesson starter for a philosophical discussion around what it means to be ‘good’, and how we know the difference between right and wrong.
The class could watch the clip in parts with pauses for discussion.
Pupils could sit in a circle and, using the questions at the end of each part, stimulate a discussion on where our ideas of right and wrong come from.
Further questions for discussion could include:"How do you know what is right and wrong?" at the end of part 1;"What stops you from doing naughty things all the time?" or "Is it ever okay to be naughty?" at the end of part 2;and "Is it still worth doing good things if nobody sees you?" at the end of Part 3.
Children could be encouraged to add reason to their answers, to explain their opinions and to present alternative viewpoints, in order to stimulate deeper thought and discussion.
Encourage pupils to agree or disagree without judging, and move the discussion forward by asking for new thoughts.
This short film will be relevant for teaching PSHE at KS1 and KS2 in England and Wales, and 1st and 2nd levels in Scotland.
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