EDUCATIONAL FILM LITERACY
Environmental Awareness - Friendship - Empathy
SNOW BEAR director by Aaron Blaise
SNOW BEAR
by Aaron Blaise
Recommended ages: 5-8
Set in a rapidly changing world, "Snow Bear" tells the story of a polar bear in an unforgiving environment on his quest to find a friend.
Subjects:
Friendship - Loneliness - Resilience - Climate Change - Species Protection.
Objective:
To develop empathy for endangered species and to cultivate critical thinking towards audiovisual media.
Created entirely by Oscar-nominated animator Aaron Blaise over three years, the film features stunning hand-drawn animation that captures both the humor and poignancy of its central character’s quest for connection. Balancing moments of laughter and heartfelt emotion, this short film pays tribute to the timeless art of traditional animation while offering a gentle reminder of the bonds that unite us all.
Watch the film:
SNOW BEAR - A Hand-Drawn Animated Short Film (4K) by Aaron Blaise
Director Statement
In Snow Bear, I wanted to capture something deeply personal: a sense of awe for the natural world, paired with the emotional depth that only hand-drawn, frame-by-frame animation can convey. The film was inspired by the resilience of our planet’s polar regions, and I’m honored that both Polar Bears International and the National Parks Conservation Association have chosen to stand behind it. Their missions underscore the very themes I hoped to illustrate: the fragility of our environment, and the importance of protecting it for the generations yet to come. More than anything, I want viewers to leave this short film having felt a range of emotions from laughter at a lonely polar bear’s resourcefulness to reflection on how we, too, can find hope in the most challenging of circumstances. Ultimately, I believe that if Snow Bear can make audiences pause, reflect, and feel even a spark of wonder, then I’ve succeeded in my goal of bringing a little more beauty to our world.
Behind the Sceenes :
Snow Bear - Behind the Scenes
Discussion
Watch the film and discuss the 5Ws as an introduction. This way your students process the information from the film and then delve deeper into the topic.
Who?
Who is the main character (protagonist)? (Snow Bear, a polar bear who feels lonely. )
Are there other characters? (Yes, the various animals and objects he encounters and, eventually, the friend he finds.)
Is there an antagonist? (Not a specific character, but the changing environment (the broken ice) and the feeling of isolation.)
What?
What is the story? (The search for friendship and connection in an increasingly hostile world.)
What is the story?
(A story about resilience and hope in the face of adversity.)
What is the main problem?
(Loneliness and the loss of one's home due to melting ice.)
Where?
Where does the story take place? (In the Poles / in the Arctic.)
What can you say about the location?
(It is the polar bear's home, made of ice and snow, which is essential for its survival.)
When?
When does the story take place? (In a time when the climate is changing and the ice is breaking - Climate Change)
Is it set in a specific time period? (In the present or near future, when animals are struggling to adapt to rapid changes.)
How can we tell this? (From how easily the ice melts and breaks under Snow Bear's feet.)
Why?
Why does the story take a different turn?
(Because Snow Bear doesn't give up (resilience) and persists in his search, eventually finding what he was looking for.)
Why did the director choose to show us this story?
(To make us feel empathy for the animals who are losing their homes and to inspire us to take action for the environment.)
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Task : Experiential Science & Arctic Dance
Hands-on Experiments Section: Snow Bear's Relationship with Ice
Goal: To help children understand how ice melts and why it is necessary, like trees are for water.
Introduction: Snow Bear's Problem
Question: What is ice to Snow Bear? (Answer: His house, his boat, his refrigerator for food.)
The Problem: When the ice melts, Snow Bear risks not belonging anywhere.
1) Preparation: "Looking for Ice"
Texture Differences: Bring a piece of ice and a piece of snow to class (if possible). Also, a piece of regular water (in a glass). Ask the children to touch and describe the difference (e.g. Hard/Soft/Wet).
Experiment: Grab a small piece of ice and hold it. What happens? (Answer: It melts due to the heat of the hand). This is exactly what happens at the Poles when the planet warms.
2) Experiment: "How Fast Does the House Melt?"
Hypothesis: Where will the ice melt the fastest? (In hot water? In cold water? In the sun?). Ask for hypotheses.
Execution: Place 3 ice cubes in 3 different places:
In a bowl of hot water (Model: Very Hot Planet).
In a bowl of cold water (Model: Normal Climate).
In a bowl of salt (Introducing the concept of pollutants – salt lowers the freezing point).
Observation: Where did the ice melt faster? Conclusion: The heat (from the warm planet) destroys the Snow Bear's home faster.
New Empathy (Nabespreking):
Ice is the only way for the Snow Bear to hunt and live. Just as we need our homes, he needs the ice.
The Action Step (Promise Poster) should focus on "How to Cool the Planet" (I turn off the lights, I turn off the tap).
Task
The Snow Bear Dance (Imitation & Empathy)
Introduction
Ice, Loneliness, Danger: What would it be like to live like Snow Bear in the melting ice?
All students lie on the ground. He is a small, lonely, sad bear on a small piece of ice. We will tell a story about Snow Bear’s journey. Everyone will express it without speaking, using hands, limbs, facial expressions and body language.
Getting Started
The Story:
"Curl yourself up as much as you can, feeling the loneliness and the cold. The ice is still firm, but you are alone. Now, the longing for friendship awakens in you. You start moving slowly, walking on the ice (We stay on our knees, slow movements). Open your arms up, look around, show that you are looking for someone.
Suddenly, the warm sun does its job. The ice starts to melt! (Start to shake your body slightly, feel unstable). The ice under your feet breaks! (Slap your hand on the floor, showing danger). You must quickly jump to the next ice! (We jump to the next gap).
This effort makes you feel frustrated and weak. Make a funny, awkward movement (like Snow Bear does) to find humor and not sad.
Continue your journey. Become a big bear, strong, but flexible (Stand up, firmly, but gently bend your body). Try to build something safe out of the ice (We make a construction movement).
And suddenly... You find the Friend! Run and hug your friend (the one next to you). Express your great joy with your whole body! Your heads, your hands, everything shows: Finally I belong!"
We have the power to protect polar bears.
And the best way to protect polar bears is to save their sea ice home!!
Polar bears live in the Arctic, where they hunt seals on the sea ice. But climate warming is melting the polar bear’s sea ice home.
Learn More About Polar Bears :
POLAR BEARS ARE BUILT FOR COLD. THE SEA ICE IS THEIR HOME.
• Two layers of fur and thick fat help keep them warm. Small ears and a small tail stop heat loss. • Tiny pads on the bottom of their paws, called papillae, grip the ice and keep them from slipping—like winter tires! • Curved claws are perfect for catching seals and pulling them from their breathing holes.
POLAR BEARS NEED SEA ICE TO MORE EASILY HUNT SEALS
• Polar bears catch seals at their breathing holes when seals come up for air. • Without sea ice, polar bears would have trouble surviving in many parts of the Arctic.
SEA ICE ACTS LIKE EARTH’S AIR CONDITIONER. IT HELPS KEEP PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE COOL AROUND THE GLOBE
But the sea ice is melting from a warming climate.
• To save sea ice we need to move away from burning fossil fuels like oil, coal and natural gas. • Why? Because these fuels produce gases that act like a blanket around the earth, warming our planet and causing sea ice to melt. That’s like stacking a VERY thick blanket, making the planet very hot!! • Just as a hot summer day melts ice in a glass of water, a warming planet melts Arctic ice. • The good news is that we can save sea ice and help polar bears by switching to clean energy like wind and solar. By burning less coal and oil, we’ll help both polar bears and people!
Source: Polar Bears International