The Devil's Arithmetic: Time Clauses with Before, After, When

This movie is very interesting and the Holocaust is dealt with in a different way, mixing reality and fiction. I used the Jewish wedding scene to practice time clauses in a contextualized manner. My students loved it and wanted to see the rest of the movie at home.







A. Watch the movie segment and combine both sentences with before, after, or when.






1. The ceremony starts.

The groom unveils the bride to make sure he is marrying the right woman.



2. The groom unveils the bride.

The bride rides a carriage to the go to the wedding ceremony.



3. The bride arrives at the wedding place,

Her mother escorts her to the chupah (or huppah).

4. The ceremony starts.
The bride circles the groom seven times.

5. The groom places the ring on the bride's finger,

The best man and he drink some wine.

6. The groom kisses the bride.
He breaks the wine glass.

B. Talk to a partner:



1. What's your opinion about this kind of wedding? What adjectives would you use to describe it?

2. What went wrong?

3. What do you think will happen next?

Possible answer key:

1. Before the ceremony starts, the groom unveils the bride to make sure he is marrying the right woman.

2. After the groom unveils the bride, the bride rides a carriage to the go to the wedding ceremony.

3. When the bride arrives at the wedding place,
her mother escorts her to the chupah (or huppah).

4. When the ceremony starts, the bride circles the groom seven times.

5. After the groom places the ring on the bride's finger,
the best man and he drink some wine.

6. Before the groom kisses the bride, he breaks the wine glass.


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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE DEVIL'S ARITHMETIC 

Rachel Getting Married: Adverb Clauses - Conjunctions

This scene shows the wedding of a Caucasian American woman and a black man in an extremely relaxed atmosphere, perfect harmony, and joy. The wedding is very unusual, compared to the ones in Brazil. This activity helps students practice writing adverb clauses expressing opposition in a contextualized manner. The lesson plan fosters a cultural approach to the topic as well.




A. Talk to a partner about the following questions:

 

1. Tell your partner about the last wedding you have been to. Who was getting married? Where was it? Describe the party after the ceremony.

2. What was the most unusual wedding you have ever been to? Why was it unusual?

3. What would you like your wedding ceremony to be like? (or) Describe your own wedding ceremony?

4 – Is it important to get married nowadays? Justify your answer.

B. Read the descriptions below and check the ones you consider traditional in a wedding ceremony in your country. Then watch the segment and check the ones you saw in the movie.


Example:



1. The Wedding march is played by a guitarist and a drummer.
In my country (NO)
In the Movie(YES)

2. The bride carries a white flower bouquet.


3. The bride wears a sari.

4. The bridesmaids wear lilac saris.

5. The groom wears a flower necklace around the neck.

6. Both the groom and the bride tell each other and the guests about how their loving feels.

7. The groom sings a song for the bride.

8. They exchange rings.

9. They kiss each other.

10. They say “I Do”.

11. The guests scream and applaud the couple.



C. Combine 4 pieces of information above and write adverb clauses showing opposition, contrasting the information presented in the movie segment and in your country, which you checked in the exercise above.



Use WHEREAS or WHILE

Ex. In Brazil, the wedding march is played by a pianist and a violinist whereas in the movie it is played by a drummer and a guitarist.






Answer key:


B. All the sentences are true for the movie segment wedding, but the answers about the students' own country will vary.
How to prepare your own video activity:


- Select a scene in which a traditional ceremony takes place.
- Write down steps that are part of the rite or ceremony.

- Ask students to decide whether the ceremony steps are the same as in their own countries.
- Students write down sentences with adverb clauses expressing opposition with whereas and while.


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