Customer Reviews

Eyewitness - Shell [VHS]

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For those who are familiar with the excellent British "Eyewitness" non-fiction picture books, it will come as no surprise that the accompanying videos are also superb and even more visually dazzling. Among the series I would recommend the "Shell" video to educators teaching natural history, biology, geography, ecology, and, surprisingly, creative writing. The video uses an adorable bunny and gnarly tortoise (the tortoise & the hare, of course) to tie the segments together. While there is much excellent information on marine life and the picturesque variety of sea shells, additional sorts of "containers" in nature are also covered--from eggs to coconuts. What interested me, however, was how the video could be used for "prompts" for creative writing exercises in the classroom. Despite the age limits to which it is geared, I would not feel uncomfortable using this film in a college classroom. At several junctures, points are made that could be applied to the human experience. For example, while a shell offers protection, a portable home, it is also constraining. For a second example, one could devise a writing exercise connected to the carrier shell: with bits and pieces of its environment cemented to its shell, it carries its past experiences and contacts with it, visibly, everywhere. Don't overlook this great video: there's more than nature here, there are nuances of human nature.

Eyewitness Shell is another success employed by this studio. The subject in this video is quite broad, covering land based shellfish and ocean dwelling ones. The ocean footage is nice, observing shellfish on the move, and filming much of the sea in the background. Crabs, snails, cone shells, tortoises, and many other shell wielders are mentioned in this video. Very recommended for the Eyewitness fan and lover of nature, particularly the ocean. Since the scope subject is much wider, it is to be enjoyed by fans of different types of nature. Also recommended: Eyewitness Shark, Seashore, and Fish.