I Am Legend: Future Perfect

This segment is excellent for the students to practice the future perfect tense. The segment is thought-provoking and chilling. The students have to use their imagination to predict the future.

Discuss the following questions with a partner:


1 - Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future? Justify your answer.

2 - Do you think mankind will ever discover a cure for cancer?

3 - Will human beings be free from diseases in the future? Why (not)?

4 - What would a city like New York look like if all of its inhabitants had to evacuate it in a hurry?

5 - What would you do if you and your best friend could be alone in New York for a week, without any other inhabitants around? Would you enjoy this experience? What would you do there?

Now imagine that NY City had to be completely evacuated because of a very destructive virus. Check what you believe would happen to NY if such situation did happen.

( ) The streets would become extremely filthy.

( ) People would abandon their cars everywhere.

( ) Wild animals would escape from the zoo to look for food around the city.

( ) Animals would take control of the city.

( ) Some people would hide in the buildings to steal stores and banks.

( ) Life in NY would become a complete chaos.

( ) Power would go off.

( ) People wouldn't drive their cars because of the lack of gas.

( ) Buildings would be destroyed by the angry population.


Now watch the movie segment and pretend you are the main character in the movie, the one played by Will Smith. Imagine that you could have warned Dr. Alice Krippin about the consequences of her unfortunate discovery. Tell her what will have happened to NY within three years from now (by the year 2012) if she tests her discovery on human beings.

Ex:

By the year 2011, NY streets will have become completely filthy.

People will have abandoned their cars everywhere.

Wild animals will have escaped from the zoo to look for food around the city.


How to develop your own video activity

- Select a scene that takes place in the future, preferably with a pessimistic view of the future.

- Ask the students to observe the changes that will have taken place on Earth.

- The students write sentences with will + have + past participle.


MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - I AM LEGEND


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Kangaroo Jack: Wish / If Only

This is a funny scene that takes place in Australia. My students had a great time watching it and doing the grammar exercises.

A. Talk to a partner about the following questions:

1 - What would you do if you ran over an animal in the middle of the road? Justify your answer.
2 - What do you know about Australia? Share what you know with your partner.
3 - Are you an adventurous person? Tell your partner about one great adventure of yours.
4 - Have you ever been to a safari? Would you like to go on one? Why (not)?

B. Watch the movie segment and fill in the blanks with the simple past tense of the verbs in parentheses. Use either either affirmative or negative forms, according to the segment.

Charlie, the kangaroo and Louis

1. Charlie _________________ (drive) too fast on such a dangerous road.

2. They __________________ (pay) attention to the wild animals on the road.

3. Charlie _________________(run over) a kangaroo.

4. Louis ________________ (put) on his jacket on the kangaroo.

5. Louis __________________ (check) what was in the pockets.

6. They _________________ (kill) the kangaroo.

7. They _________________ (crash) their car into a rock.

8. Charlie _________________ (be) kicked by the kangaroo.

9. The kangaroo __________________(hop) away with their money.



C. Rewrite the sentences above using wish and if only to express regrets.


Ex: 1. Charlie wishes he hadn't driven too fast on such a dangerous road.
2. If only they had paid attention to the animals on the road.

How to prepare your own video activity.
- Select a scene in which the characters regret their actions.
- Prepare an exercise in which the students have to decide whether they use affirmative or negative sentences about their wrong choices.
- Ask students to rewrite the sentences using the grammar goal.


MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - KANGAROO JACK
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100 Feet - 1st Conditional

This segment is about a woman who killed her violent husband and is now in house arrest. The segment shows police officers telling her about how her ankle bracelet works and its misuse consequences. For this blog, I'm writing the matches in the correct order, but you should mix the second column up when you prepare the exercise sheet for your students.

Ask your students to do the matching exercise before they watch the segment:


Before viewing:


Disscuss the following questions with a partner:


1 - What are the advantages and disadvantages of house arrest?
2 - Do you agree with this procedure of the law? Why (not)?
3 - Is it an effective way to rehabilitate prisoners? Why (not)?

Match the condition and the consequence of the following actions.



Conditions:

1 - She passes the 100 perimeter space.
2 - The alarm continues for more than 3 minutes.
3 - She breaks the house arrest rules.
4 - She has any violation.
5 - She attempts to remove the electronic ankle bracelet or tamper with the base unit.
6 - They get a blackout or something.


Consequences:


( 1 ) The alarm activates.
( ) A signal is automatically sent and a car is seen immediately.
( ) She goes back to jail.
( ) It automatically adds 10 years to her sentence.
( ) An alarm automatically alerts the police.
( ) The base unit still works.


Now watch the segment and decide whether your guesses were correct.


Now rewrite the couple of sentences, using the 1st conditional:
Ex:
1 - If she passes the 100 feet perimeter, the alarm will activate.



MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - 100 FEET

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Flashbacks of a Fool: Paired Conjunctions - Both... And, Neither... Nor, Either... or, Not only... but (also)...

This is a fantastic scene that shows the first date of these two teenagers, Joe and Ruth, who lived the 80's to its extreme and loved David Bowie and Bryan Ferry's Roxy Music.


Watch the movie segment and write YES if the activity or item is true according to the segment and NO if it is not.


1. Ruth and Joe would like to drink? (___________ red wine; ___________white wine)

Ruth and Joe would like to drink either red or white wine.

2. (Ruth ___________ and  Joe ____________ ) are wearing make up.
................................. wearing make up.


3. (Joe ___________; Ruth ________________) laid on the carpet.

.................................... laid on the carpet.


4. (Joe ____________Ruth ____________) liked William Burroughs's books.

................................... liked William Burroughs's books. ( )


5. Ruth likes listening to (David Bowie _____________; Bryan Ferry ____________).

Ruth thinks it is great to listen to ..........................................
 

6. (Ruth _______________; and Joe _____________) imitated Bryan Ferry's (___________ singing _______________ dancing)
 
Not only... imitated Bryan Ferry's .........................

Answer Key:
2. Both Joe and Ruth are / not only Joe but (also) Ruth…
3. Both Joe and Ruth / not only Joe but (also) Ruth …
4. Neither Joe nor Ruth…
5. Either David Bowie or Roxy Music.
6. not only Ruth but Joe... / both singing and dancing.


 
How to prepare your own video activity:
- Select a scene in which two or more people are performing several actrivities.
- Choose activities both or neither one perform.
- Have students write sentences with the target language.



WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - FLASHBACKS OF A FOOL

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: 3rd Conditional

This is a great movie with a lot of food for thought. This scene is narrated by Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) and it makes the understanding of the message easier. I suggest you have the students write the sentences before they view the segment because they can check their answers when they actually see it. The narrator says all the correct answers in the end of the segment. This is best for younsters and adults.

Before viewing:


A. Discuss the following questions with a partner:


1 - Do you believe in fate? Are things pre-determined to happen? Or is it all just coincidence? Explain.

2 - Do you think we have a specific day to die? Justify it.

3 - Have you ever seen/been in an accident? Describe what happened. How could the accident have been prevented from happening?

"Had any of these things happened differently, the end of Daisy’s afternoon would have been another one"
1. Daisy’s shoelace broke

2. The delivery truck moved moments earlier

3. The package wasn’t wrapped

4. The girl broke up with her boyfriend

5. The man forgot to set the alarm

6. The taxi driver stopped for a cup of coffee

7. The woman didn’t remember her coat

B. Write the sentences above with past unreal conditionals.



Ex. 1. If her shoelaces hadn’t broken,
2. If the delivery truck hadn't moved moments earlier,



Daisy and her friend would have crossed (cross) the street
and the taxi would have driven (drive) by.



C. Watch the segment and check your answers.



WORKSHEET


MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Legally Blonde: Verb Patterns - Verb + Gerund or Infinitive

This is one of the best scenes from comic movies I have seen. I like how far fetched, but appealing it is. The answers are on the worksheet. Make sure you pre-teach court vocabulary (judge, attorney, lawyer, court, defendant, prosecutor, witness, etc).

Watch the video segment and circle the best verb for each sentence, according to the information presented in the segment. Then decide which form (gerund / infinitive / obj + gerunds or infinitive) of the words in parentheses is best.

1) The attorney refused/ wanted/ planned _____________ (accept) being replaced on the case by a Law student.

2) The defendant decided/ imagined/ claimed __________ (fire) her attorney on trial day.

3) Elle hates/loves/ avoids ___________ (wear) extravagant clothes .

4) The judge finally refused/ denied/ resolved ___________ (proceed) with the trial.

5) Elle's friends couldn't help / pretended / finished __________ (talk) about the court room in front of everyone.

6) The judge told/ asked/ begged ___________ (the ladies - take) a seat.

7) The witness explained/ urged / swore ______________ (tell ) the truth.

8) The witness claimed / showed / intended _________ (be) in the shower during the murder.

9) The witness denied / insisted/ warned __________ (hear) the gunshot.

10) The judge forbid/ prohibited/ let ______________ (Elle - make ) her final point.

11) The witness admitted / proved/ avoided ___________ (kill) her father by mistake.

12) Finally, the judge prohibited / allowed / pretended _________ (the witness - go) free.

How to develop your own video activity:
- Select a scene in which several people have to defend their arguments - like a trial, for example.

- Prepare sentences with the characters' argumentation, offering the choices of different verbs so you can check listening comprehension too.

- The students choose the correct verb and decide if the following verb is in the infinitive or gerund form.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - LEGALLY BLONDE


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I_GYgGjxFM

The Game Plan: Simple Present

This segment is the beginning of the movie and you can assess the simple present tense in a contextualized manner. The movie is great and very easy for beginners.

Think about a typical morning of yours. Check all the activities that are true for you after you wake up in the morning. After that, ask your partner questions about him/her and check the ones which are true for him/her.

( )You ( ) Your friend ( ) Kingman                         wear slippers

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                       turn on the TV

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                       have vegetables for breakfast

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                        make fruit juice

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                       read the newspaper

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                       work out

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                       wear a uniform

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                       put on some makeup

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                      wear a helmet

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                      play with the dog

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                     play sports

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                      listen to music

Now watch the movie segment and check the ones which are true for Kingman.

Finally, write sentences about Kingman, saying what he does and what he doesn't do in the morning.

Ex: Kingman wears slippers.

Kingman doesn't listen to music.

How to prepare your own video activity:

Select a scene in which the characters’ routines are evident

Choose and prepare a list with a few of the activities the characters perform

Ask the students to check the items whose activities they perform

Students ask a partner questions about the same activities

Students watch the segment and now check what the characters in the movie perform

Students write sentences about the characters in the movie, using the simple present tense

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE GAME PLAN

Robots: Present Continuous

This segment is great for children. Play it from the beginning up to 3'22. Ask your students to watch the segment with attention and decide what the robots are doing during the scene. Tell the students that the list below contains the activities that robots perform everyday. Ask them to check the ones they can see the robots doing during that specific morning.

( ) They play in the streets.

( ) The ice cream vendor sells ice cream.

( ) They drive cars.

( ) They play soccer.

( ) They work inside the stores.

( ) They swim in the pool.

( ) They feed the chicken.

( ) They listen to classical music.

( ) They take care of the traffic.

( ) They smoke cigarette on the street bench.

( ) They mow the lawn.

( ) They make babies.

( ) Baby robots cry.

( ) They eat in restaurants.

( ) Humans play with the robots

( ) Police robots control the traffic.


Now ask your students to rewrite the sentences above using the present continuous, affirmative or negative statements, according to the information presented. Students have to say what they are (not) doing during that morning.

Ex:
1 - Some robots are playing in the streets.
2 - An ice cream vendor is selling ice cream.

Kinesthetic Game:

Take pictures of your students performing the actions the robots are doing in the segment (or any other action they want). They can’t see each other while you are taking their pictures. Prepare a slideshow with the pictures (you may use an I-Pad to do it). Finally, show the slides and the students have to write sentences saying what their peers are doing:

Ex:

Mariana is driving a car.

Jonas is selling ice cream.

The students who identify most actions and write most correct sentences are the winner.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - ROBOTS

WALL-E: Future Will

This movie is one of the best ever. It is creative and critical at the same time. This scene shows people in a future that is so automatized that the inhabitants of the colony don't have to make any effort to get what they need, so everyone is extremely fat! Both adults and kids will enjoy the segment.

Before watching the movie segment:

Discuss the following questions with a partner:


1) What's your opinion about living in a time in which all your activities were performed by robots and machines?

2) Would you like to to have machines do all of your physical activities for you?
3) What would the consequences be if people didn't have to exercise at all during the whole day?

4) Would life be better or worse if you had robots to do everything for you? Explain it.

5) Do you think life in 2642 will be better or worse? Justify your answer.

Now watch the movie segment and write down how different life will be in the future, according to the movie, WALL-E. Write at least 10 sentences describing what people and machines will do in the future and how people's lives will be like, according to the movie. Observe the items below and write sentences about them.

FLOATING ARMCHAIRS - COMMUNICATION - ROBOTS - SCHOOL - MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION - LUNCH TIME - BEAUTY PARLORS - CLOTHES - LEISURE TIME

Ex: People will move around in floating armchairs.

Follow-up questions:

1) Do you think people will be happier in the future, according to the movie?

2) Will the future like it was presented in the movie a possible reality? Why (not)?

3) How do you think life will be like in 2642?

Kinesthetic Game:

Group Work: Make a list of activities of things people will do in the year 2100, but that they don’t (can’t) do nowadays. Write at least 10 sentences. Be creative!

Now act out what you wrote down, whereas the other groups write down sentences, saying what the people you mimed will do in 2100.

Finally, the groups read what they came up with out loud, and you check who got closest to what had originally acted out.

How to develop your own video activity:


Assessing: Will

- Choose a segment in which the future is shown in a way that it is completely different from the present world.
- Prepare brainstorming discussion questions to activate schemata.
- Play the segment and have sts predict the future using "will".
- You may provide the students with key words to observe during the segment.







WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - WALL-E

Ratatouille: Passive Voice

This is a very funny scene that adults, teens and children will love. It is perfect for the passive voice practice. The movie is a must!

Meet the characters that are on the scene you will just see:

Colette

Remy

Linguini

Watch the video segment and fill in the blanks of the exercise with the correct verb form of the verbs in parentheses.

1) Remy_____________ (distract) the cyclist.
2) The cyclist ______________ (crash) his bike into a car that was parked on the street.

3) Remy______________ (pull) Linguini's hair in order to move his body.
4) Remy _______________ (command) Linguini's body movements.
5) Remy ______________ (open) Linguini's eyes.
6) Colette _____________ (park) her scooter in front of the restaurant.
7) Linguini _______________ (cook) the food when Colette arrived.

8) Colette _______________ (sharpen) the knives.

9) Because Linguini was sleeping, he _____________ (hear) Colette's story.
10) Colette ____________________ (slap) Linguini's face.

Now rewrite the sentences above using the passive voice.Ex:

1) The cyclist was distracted (by Remy).

How to develop your own video activity:

- Select a scene in which a lot of action takes place.

- Write a few sentences with action verbs using active voice to describe the scene.

- The students rewrite the sentences using passive voice.

WORKSHEET
MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - RATATOUILLE



A peer of mine said that he had used a slides presentation with links to my passive voice activities. I was sent the link and came across this really cool and thorough class on passive voice. I'm glad Simon Friend used my blog for his video activities. His slides are effective, fun and constructive. Thanks Simon Friend for these really cool slides. Thanks for linking my site to it.

Kung Fu Panda: Comparatives

This is an activity to practice comparatives. This animated movie is fantastic. I love animation and this one is really speacial. The scene is great to compare the main characters, great rivals.

Before you watch the segment:

Take a look at Po and Tai Lung. Then write next to the characters the qualities that best describe them, according to your impressions from the pictures. Make sure you write different adjectives for each of the characters.

This is Po:
Ex:


FAT


FUNNY



This is Tai Lung

Ex:

STRONG

INTELLIGENT

FAT - STRONG - FRIENDLY - HEAVY - SMART

FUNNY - INTELLIGENT - TIRED - FAST - CONFIDENT

LAZY - AGGRESSIVE - DANGEROUS - UGLY - QUIET

After watching the segment:

Take a look at your list again and decide if you would like to change your original guesses by writing sentences comparing Po and Tai Lung.

Ex:

(Po / Funny) Po is funnier than Tai Lung.
(Tai Lung / Strong) Tai Lung is as strong as Po.
(Po) / Fat) Po is fatter than Tai Lung.
(Tai Lung / intelligent) Tai Lung is less intelligent than Po.

How to develop your own activity

- Select a scene in which you can compare two characters

- Choose adjectives that describe the characters

- Prepare a chart for students to fill in with adjectives that describe them

- Select the adjectives you want to assess

- The students write sentences using comparatives

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - KUNG FU PANDA

OPTION 2 - MOVIE SEGMENTS TO TEACH CHILDREN GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY

      I.  Project a picture of Po and Tai Lung on the board. Give each student a white and an orange balloon. Tell them that the white balloon represents Po and the orange balloon represents Tai Lung. Each student gets slips of paper with the vocabulary in the box. Make sure they understand the adjectives. Tell them to stick the words on the balloons according to what they think of the characters. 

I.              Count how many of each adjective they have on the balloons for each character and elicit comparative sentences. Write the sentences on the board as the students say them.

II.             Play the video segment.

III.            Miming Game: Ask students to stand up and make a line with their backs to the board.  One student should face the board and mime the sentence projected on the board (Slides with comparative sentences about Po and Tai Lung). The first student in the line has to say the sentence. If he says it correctly, he mimes the following sentence and the student who was miming goes to the end of the line.

IV.          Follow up: Students pair up to make a poster using their balloons and a slip with an adjective the Teacher gives them. Tell them to draw the faces of Po and Tai Lung on the balloons. They should glue the balloons and the word on a sheet of paper and write a comparative sentence. 

The 40 Year-Old Virgin: Asking Questions

This segment is very easy for beginners, something really difficult to find in movies. Pre-teach a few words, such as do-it-yourself section, sometimes, looking for, should and your students will be able to perform the assigned tasks.




Asking Questions

BETH

ANDY




Read the answers below. Write the questions using the cues in parentheses.
1) Beth - ________________________________ ? (Can/ help/ I /you)
Andy - I don't know. Can you?

2) Beth - _________________________________? (looking for/ are/ something/ you)
Andy -Is there something I should be looking for?

3) Andy - _________________________________ ? ( do-it-yourself/ like/ you/ do/ to)
Beth - Sometimes...

4) Andy - _________________________________? (name/your/ what/ is)

Beth - Beth.


Now watch the video segment and check your answers.


How to prepare your own video activitiy:



- Choose a segment in which very basic questions are asked.

- Write the dialogs with key words for the students to unscramble.

- The students watch the segment and check their answers.






WORKSHEET

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Present Perfect

This is a great, funny scene which is perfect for practicing the present perfect tense. I hope you like it.




Watch the movie segment. Pay attention to the activities the characters have performed during that day. Write CH if one of the chipmunks, Alvin, Simon or Theodore, performed the activity, DA if Dave (the man) did it, BO if both Dave and the Chipmunks performed it, and NO if nobody has performed it during the segment.


1. ( ) Watch TV

2. ( ) Open the food cabinet to steal something to eat.

3. ( ) Skate around the kitchen.

4. ( ) Play tennis.

5. ( ) Pour Cheetos into a bowl.

6. ( ) Hide in the kitchen cabinets.

7. ( ) Remove the kitchen utensils from the cabinets.

8. ( ) Throw a jar at Dave's head.

9. ( ) Faint.

10. ( ) Read a book.

11. ( ) Speak English.

12. ( ) Turn on some kitchen appliances.

13. ( ) Throw the chipmunks out of the house.

14. ( ) Try to reenter the house.

15) ( ) Call the police.

16) ( ) Close the window shades.

17) ( ) Sweep the floor.

18) ( ) Stand in the rain.

19) ( ) Sing songs in the garden.

20) ( ) Dance very happily.


Now write sentences using the present perfect sentence. You CANNOT start the sentence with the word "nobody". You may add "already" or "yet" if it's possible.


EX: Dave has watched TV
The chipmunks have opened the food cabinet to steal something to eat.


How to prepare your own video activity:

- Select a scene in which the character's day hasn't finished yet.

- The characters must have performed several different activities during the segment.

- Ask students to identify who performed them.

- Ask students to write sentences using the present perfect tense.

- If you don't let the students begin their sentences with "nobody", the students will be forced to use negative statements with "yet".





WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn2JHoBjmhA&feature=youtu.be