Aug 2, 2009

Be Kind, Rewind: Simple Past x Present Perfect

A. Watch the movie segment. It is about a group of friends who decide to shoot a film about Fats Waller, a famous musician who had lived in their neighborhood, to raise money and stop the demolition of the building they work at.

Chech the tasks they did during the whole week. Then write the day of the week they performed them.

Ex 1. They interviewed the people around the neighborhood. (YES) (Monday)

2.They recorded the interviews about Fats Waller .

3.They chose the sequence of events of the movie .

4.They left the country to shoot the film .

5.Famous actors were invited to act on the film .

6.They designed the costumes and makeup.

7.They worked with art direction, imagining what the scene should look like .

8.They shot the film .

9.They finished shooting the film .

10. They had the film premiere .

11.They demolished the building.

B. Today is SUNDAY. Tell what the characters of the movie have (not) done during this very busy week. Decide which verb tense you should use.




EX: 1. They have interviewed the people around the neighborhood.
2……………………………………………………………………………………………………
3…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
6…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
7………………………………………………………………………………………………….....
8…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
9…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
10……………………………………………………………………………………………………
11……………………………………………………………………………………………………

C. Now write sentences saying when they performed the actions you have checked in exercise A. Decide which verb tense you should use.

EX 1: They interviewed the people around the neighborhood on Monday.
2…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
3………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5………………………………………………………………………………………………….
6………………………………………………………………………………………………….
7………………………………………………………………………………………………….
8………………………………………………………………………………………………….

D. You and your partner have US$1.000.000.00 to shoot a film. Use your imagination and come up with a story with a beginning, a development and an unexpected ending. Your teacher and the class will choose the most original story.

E. Role play the best story.

Teacher’s Key

B.
1. They have interviewed…
2. They have recorded…
3. They have decided…
4. They haven’t left…
5. Famous actors haven’t been invited…
6. They have designed…
7. They have worked…
8. They have shot…
9. They have finished…
10. They have had…
11. They haven’t demolished…

C.
1. They interviewed… on Monday
2. They recorded… on Monday.
3. They decided… on Tuesday.
4. They designed… on Wednesday
5. They worked… on Thursday.
6. They shot … on Friday.
7. They finished… on Saturday.
8. They had… on Sunday.






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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - BE KIND REWIND

Jul 26, 2009

The Bucket List: Possessive Pronouns with Gerunds

This is a great movie with touching messages. Although the story seems to be sad, the film itself is uplifting. This scene in particular is funny and exciting. I took advantage of such a thrilling scene to have students practice the construction of possessive pronouns before gerunds.


A. Talk to a partner:



1. Have you ever gone skydiving? Would you like to do it? Why (not)?

2. What was the most exciting adventure you have ever had? Tell your friend about it?

3. Do you prefer to have vacation time in a place to practice extreme sports and/or enjoy nature, or would you rather travel to the city in order to enjoy its night life? Explain it.

4. Are you braver than you used to be when you were younger or are you less courageous nowadays? Why do you think so?


B. Watch the movie segment and choose the best way to complete the sentences below.












Carter and Edward

1. Their/ They/ Them getting ready to jump was extremely awkward.
2. One of Carter's concern was his/ he/ him/ missing the chance to see his wife again.

3. Edward disliked Kyle's / Kyle making comments about Edward's second wife.

4. Edward supported Carter's / Carter jumping off the plane.

5. Carter was really concerned about the parachute's/ parachute not opening.

6. Their/ Them/ They having a few months of life made them experiment new adventures before dying.
7. Edward's instructor was desperate with his/ he/ him singing while they were skydiving.

8. Edward and Carter seemed to have enjoyed their/ their/ they diving.

C. Complete these sentences. Use pronouns / possessive ('s) before gerunds in your answers.

1. One interesting thing in the scene was ………………………………………………………….
2. The funniest moment of the segment was ………………………………………………………..
3 . ………………………………………………………………………………………….….. was amazing.


D. Individually, make a list of 10 things you would like to do before you die. Don't show it to anyone.


E. Work in groups of three students now. Share your list with a friend and come up with a final one with 10 things the three of you would like to do before you die. You have to negotiate and convince your partners because only 10 activities are possible.



F. Share your list with your classmates.

Answer Key:
Their / His / Kyle's / Carter's / Parachute's / Their / His / Their




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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE BUCKET LIST

Jul 19, 2009

Meet the Robinsons: 3rd Conditional

This movie is wonderful. It is appealing to both children and adults. I love animated movies and this one is really special. I selected two scenes of the movie. The first one, when Lewis is abandoned by his Mom, and another one very close to the ending, when he travels back in time and has the chance to talk to his mom and change his past. The activity is also divided into two parts. It is perfect to practice the 3rd conditional in a creative and contextualized manner.



A. Watch the first part of the video segment. Because Lewis's mother left him at he door of a foster home, here are a few consequences of this act in his life. Check the ones YOU believe are possible:

1. He never met his biological mom.
2. He was raised in a foster home.
3. He was never adopted.
4. His life was lonely.
5. He did not have many friends.
6. He always wanted to meet his real mother.
7. He became a clever child anyway.
8. Many foster parents interviewed and refused to adopt him.





Part 1

B. Now watch the second part of the video segment. It took place 12 years later. Lewis traveled back in time and had the chance to change his past.

C. Now rewrite the statements in exercise A, saying how different Lewis’s life might/could/would have been if he had changed his past. Make sure you use the 3rd conditional.

If Lewis
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………....
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
,

1. He would have met his biological mother.

2. ......................................................................

3. .....................................................................

4. ....................................................................

5. ....................................................................

6. ....................................................................

7. ....................................................................

8. ...................................................................


Answer Key:

2 - He wouldn't have been raised in a foster home.
3 - He wouldn't have been adopted.
4 - His life might not have been lonely.
5 - He might have made friends.
6 - He wouldn't have wanted to meet his mother.
7 - He would have become a clever child anyway.
8 - He wouldn't have been interviewed by foster parents.





Part 2



D. Ask a partner the following questions:

1. If you could change something about your past, what would you change? Justify it.
2. If you could grant only one wish for the future, what would it be?
3) If you could change something that happened in the history of humanity, what would you change?


E. Switch roles.


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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - MEET THE ROBINSONS PART 1

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - MEET THE ROBINSONS PART 2


Jul 12, 2009

The Heartbreak Kid: Adversative Conjuctions - Opposition



This segment is excellent because the main characters want to do completely different things, which is great to practice adversative conjunctions.
A. Talk to a partner:
1. Do you believe everyone has a soul mate? Have you found yours? Explain it.


2. Is it important for lovers to like the same things? Why (not)?



B. Watch the movie segment about a newly weds who do not know each other very well. Write HE in the square next to the sentence if it is about Eddie, SHE if it is about Miranda, or THEY if it is about both of them.


1 (He) loves to go fishing.
(She) gets seasick.

2 ( ) would like to go on an adventure and go up the mountains.
( ) thinks it would be nice to just relax on the beach.


3 ( ) kept on singing very excitedly.
( ) got tired of singing.


4 ( ) was sick and tired of her singing.

( ) wasn’t courageous enough to reveal it.


5 ( ) were going on their honeymoon.

( ) knew very little about each other.

C. Now combine the sentences above using the conjunctions below:



But / still / yet / whereas / while / although / despite the fact / though / however/ nevertheless

1 …………………………………………………….…………….

2 ………….....…………………………………………………....

3 …………………………………………………………………..

4 ............…………………………………………………………

5 ……………………………………………………………………


Answer Key:

B.
1. He/she
2. He/she
3. He/she
4. He/he
5. They/they

C. Answers will vary.



How to prepare your own video activity.

- Select a scene in which the characters enjoy or perform different activities.
- Prepare sentences for the students to identify who enjoys/performs the activities
- The students rewrite the sentences using the given conjunctions





MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE HEARTBREAK KID


How to prepare your own video activity:

- Select a scene in which two characters enjoy/ perform different activities
- Write down two sentences with the same or opposite ideas about the characters likes and dislikes
- Provide the students with the conjunctions you want them to use
- Ask them to combine both sentences with the conjunctions

Jul 5, 2009

The Butterfly Effect: Past Modals for Speculation - Might/ Must/ Could + Have + Past Part.

This is a very popular movie with a creative story. The main character, Evan, has occasional blackouts that prevent him from knowing exactly what happened at certain moments of his life. This is a scene of vandalism. Because Evan had a blackout, he doesn't know what took place during the elapsed 10 minutes of that day. We, spectators, dont know either. This is perfect for the students to practice past modals for speculation in order to guess what really happened.



A. Talk to a partner:


1. Should underaged individuals be legally responsible for their acts? Justify your answer.

2. Should teeangers go to jail like adults do when they are held responsible for a serious crime? Explain it.

3. What should the legal age be for an individual to be criminally responsible for their acts?

4. Does your city suffer with the acts of vandals? What are the most common ones?

5. What should be done about these cases?




B. Watch the segment and check the alternatives that you believe are possible explanations for the 10 minutes Evan blacked out, based on the evidence you have of their reactions and dialogs:

( ) 1. The bomb did not explode.

( ) 2. The owners of the house got seriously hurt.

( ) 3. A few people died because of the explosion.

( ) 4. A police officer saw what thet were trying to do and prevented a serious accident.

( ) 5. The bomb burned the house down.

( ) 6. Evan forgot what had happened to protect himself and his friends.




C. Now rewrite the sentences above using past modals (might/could/must/can't + have + past participle).



1 - ..................................................................
2 - ..................................................................
3 - .................................................................
4 - ................................................................
5 - ................................................................
6 - .................................................................

Answer Key:
All the items can be checked.


1. The bomb might not have exploded.
2. The owners might have got...
3. A few people might have died.
4. A police officer might have seen...
5. The bomb might have burned...
6. Evan might have forgotten...


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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT

How to prepare your own video segment:

• Select a segment in which the viewer cannot predict what happened before the scene actually takes place.
• Prepare an exercise with several possible (or impossible) explanations for the puzzle.
• Ask students to rewrite the same sentences, using the grammar point – Might/ Could/ Can’t/ Must + have + past participle.

Jun 28, 2009

Into the Blue: Have You Ever...? - Present Perfect x Simple Past

This movie is full of action and adventure. Teens love it. The setting is the gorgeous Bahamas sea. The scene is exciting and full of activities that most people have never performed. It is great for the students to practice questions with Have you ever...? and contrast the use of the simple past and present perfect tenses. It is perfect for practicing Yet/Already, too.


A. Watch the video segment and check all the activities you can see .

( ) jet ski
( ) travel to the Bahamas
( ) swim in the sea
( ) dive among the sharks
( ) be inside a cave
( ) ride a speedboat
( ) kiss someone in the ocean
( ) go snorkeling
( ) see a live shark
( ) be inside a grotto
( ) lose something in the sea
( ) find something valuable on the beach

B. Ask a few partners the following questions. Use the activities on the left. Follow the pattern:

Ex:

S1 - Have you ever … (jet skied)?

S2 - No I haven’t. / Yes, I have.

S1 - Would you like to jet ski? / When did you jet ski?

S2 - Yes, I would. / I jet skied last summer.

B. Write 8 sentences about the information presented in exercise A , using the words in parentheses. You may use different sentences as well.

(never) …………………………………………………………………………………….
(never) …………………………………………………………………………………….
(already) ………………………………………………………………………………….
(already) ………………………………………………………………………………….
(yet) ……………………………………………………………………………………….
(yet) ……………………………………………………………………………………….
(last year)………………………………………………………………………………..
(when I was a child) ……………………………………………………………………..

C. Talk to a partner. Come up with a list of 5 things that both of you have never done but intend to do before you die.

1...............................................................................................................
2..............................................................................................................
3..............................................................................................................
4..............................................................................................................
5. ...........................................................................................................


D. Choose a different partner and ask him/her if he/she has ever done what you and your previous partner intend to do in the future. Use the patterns in exercise A.




WORKSHEET


MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - INTO THE BLUE





How to prepare your own video activity:
- Select a scene in which the characters perform unusual activities or tasks
- Prepare a list with these tasks
- Have students ask each other questions with Have you ever....?
- Have them rewrite the sentences with yet, never, already and with a definite time in the past so they can use either the present perfect tense or the simple past.
- Students prepare a list of things they have never done in their lives, but intend to do in the future.
- They interview a different partner, using the target language.

Jun 21, 2009

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.


WORKSHEET

Jun 14, 2009

City of Ember: Future Continuous

This movie is for children and teens but it has a great message for the whole family. I enjoyed watching it. The opening scenes are great for the students to practice the future continuous tense in a contextualized manner.



A. Imagine the following situation:



On the day the world ended, the fate of mankind was carried in a metal box. Scientists and engineers met and decided to build an underground city to protect people for the next generations. they will keep the people in the city for 200 years hoping the world will be inhabitable then. In the box, there are instructions about how to leave the underground city. The people in this city, Ember, do not know there is an outside world.



B. Check the alternatives with the information you think will be taking place in Ember when the box opens in 200 years.


( ) 1. People still live underground
( ) 2. Citizens experience several power blackouts during the day.
( ) 3. The world is falling apart
( ) 4. Children live for playing.
( ) 5. Teens work hard
( ) 6. The city mayor will determine the population’s occupations.
( ) 7. People live in comfortable houses
( ) 8. People face serious difficulties
( ) 9. People own modern cars.
( ) 10. People work as engineers, doctors and scientists.
( ) 11. People work as electricians, potato peelers and messengers.
( ) 12. Citizens work on computers.



C. Now watch the segment and check if you were right.


D. Now rewrite 8 of the sentences in exercise B using the future continuous tense.


Ex: People will still be living underground.

1 ...............................................................................

2...............................................................................

3...............................................................................

4..............................................................................

5.............................................................................

6..............................................................................

7..............................................................................

8.............................................................................


Answer Key:

The true sentences are:
1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10.


How to prepare your own video activity:

- Select a scene in that takes place in the future.

- The scene must contain a time marker so that the students can use the future continuous tense meaningfully.

- Write a few sentences with possible alternatives for what will be taking plave when something else happens (the time marker). Use the simple present tense.

- The students watch the scene and decide which ones are true.

- The students rewrite the sentences using the grammar goal.






MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - CITY OF AMBER



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Jun 7, 2009

New in Town: Quantifiers - Enough x Too

This is a delicious romantic comedy that shows a lot of contrasts between a big city like Miami and a cold little town in Minnesota. This scene is funny and excellent for the students to students to practice the position and meaning of enough and too.







Talk to a partner about the following questions:


1. Have you ever seen/been in a car accident? Describe it.
2. Have you ever felt that your life was at risk? Talk about it.
3. What would you do if you were alone and stuck inside your car in the middle of a snow storm?

B. Watch the movie segment and rewrite them using either enough
or too, according to the information presented in the segment. Be
careful where you will place them.

1. The weather was snowy.

Ex: The weather was too snowy.

2. The car tracks weren’t visible.

3. She packed clothes for the trip.

4. There weren’t any flights because of the storm.

5. She was driving fast .

6. She was not concentrating on her driving.

7. She was clever to hang her red pantyhose on the antenna.

8. She drank liquor to keep her warm and resist the cold.

9. She got drunk to walk by herself.
10. She was lucky to be located.

C. Talk to a partner.


1. What’s your opinion about the main character’s decisions?

2. What were the wrong things she did?

3. What were the right things she did?

Teacher’s Key
B.
Ex:
1. The weather was TOO snowy.
2. The car tracks weren’t visible ENOUGH.
3. She packed ENOUGH clothes for the trip.
4. There weren’t ENOUGH flights scheduled because of the storm.
5. She was driving TOO fast .
6. She was not concentrated ENOUGH in her driving.
7. She was clever ENOUGH to hang her red pantyhose to the antenna.
8. She drank ENOUGH liquor to keep her warm.
9. She got TOO drunk to walk by herself.
10. She was lucky ENOUGH to be located.





WORKSHEET

How to prepare your own video activity:

- Select a scene with extreme weather, commotion, problems or complications.
- Write sentences about these situations without the target language (TOO/ENOUGH).
- Make sure you write sentences in which TOO and ENOUGH would suit perfectly.
- Ask the students to add the quantifiers to sentences you have selected.

May 31, 2009

Outlander: Transitional Words or Phrases - Connectors




I don't usually enjoy science fiction movies, but I decided to try this one out. This is a great scene for students to practice the use of connectors, transitional words, and writing a paragraph as well. I integrated grammar, writing, listening and speaking in the lesson plan. The main goal for this activity is to enable students to write a paragraph, using the movie context and the transitional words you are teaching

A. Watch the movie segment, talk to a partner, and put the events of the story in the correct order.


( ) They killed the Moorwens, the beasts that lived on the island, with fire.

( ) As part of his pay, he received a place for his family to live.

( ) He left on a journey.

( ) They hunted down those Moorwens they missed.

( ) They removed and buried all the dead Moorwens.

(1) They took the island they wanted.

( ) This surviving Moorwen killed everyone.

( ) He knew one of the Moorwens had survived
B. The Outlander was a man in conflict because of his memories. Write a paragraph telling his story, using the given transitional words below. In the end, write a concluding sentence justifying why the Outlander is such a sad man.



First

Second

Then

Next

After that

Three weeks later

Subsequently
Afterward

Finally



C. Paragraph writing:



His people was no different from hers, hungry for lands. First, they took the island they wanted


.............................................................................


.............................................................................


............................................................................


............................................................................


...........................................................................


..........................................................................


..........................................................................


..........................................................................


..........................................................................


..........................................................................




For your information:
Answer Key:


The correct sequence is:
2, 6, 3, 4, 5, 1, 7, 8.

The transitions words may vary.

How to prepare your own video activity:

- Select a scene in which a character or a narrtaor is telling a story.

- Write the sequence of the narration out of order.

- Students put the story in the correct order

- Students write a paragraph using the grammar point to connect their sentences in the paragraph.

- Ask them to come up with a topic sentence and/or a concluding sentence for their paragraph.





WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - OUTLANDER

May 24, 2009

Marley & Me: Zero Conditional

When I read the book, I thought a movie about Marley would be sensational. In fact, it is a great movie, but the ending is terrifying due to Marley's suffering and the family's loss. Those who have dogs should never see this movie, I guess. However, the scene I selected to practice the zero conditional is funny and entertaining. The couple have to leave Marley with a dog sitter while they take a brief week off. It is perfect to practice the zero conditional because they leave instructions and write about what to do when Marley performs certain actions.

A. Talk to a partner:




1- Do you have a pet? Tell your partner about it or about a friend’s pet you know.

2- What animals can be raised as pets?

3 – What are some unusual pets you know?

4 – What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a dog as a pet?


B. Marley’s owners are leaving him with a dog sitter. The first column is the condition the owners present and the second one is what they tell the sitter to do in those situations. Match both columns before you watch the segment.

Condition Clauses


1 - Marley jumps on you


2 - Marley looks starved


3 - Marley poops in the garden


4 - Marley tries to drink water from the toilet


5 - Marley wants to exercise


6 - A storm is arriving


7 - Marley is stressed



Result Clauses:

......... Feed him again.

......... Keep the toilet lid closed.

........ Give Marley sedatives.

........ Walk or run with him twice a day.

........ Knee him.

........ He chews the furniture.

........ Use the poop scooper and watch your step.


C. Watch the segment and check your answers.


D. Now rewrite the sentences using the zero conditional. Notice that we are talking about something which is generally true, not a specific event.


1 - ………………………………………………………………………………………………….

2 - ………………………………………………………………………………………………….

3 - …………………………………………………………………………………………………

4 - ………………………………………………………………………………………………….

5 - ………………………………………………………………………………………………….

6 - ………………………………………………………………………………………………….

7 - ………………………………………………………………………………………………….


Teacher’s Key

Correct answers:

B.
2, 4, 6, 5, 1, 7, 3

D. Possible answers:

1. If Marley jumps on you, knee him.

2. If Marley looks starved, feed him again.

3. If (when) Marley poops in the garden, use the poop scooper and watch your step.

4. If Marley tries to drink water from the toilet, keep its lid closed.

5. If Marley wants to exercise, walk or run with him twice a day.

6. If a storm is arriving, give Marley sedatives.

7. If Marley is stressed, he chews the furniture.



WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - MARLEY & ME

May 17, 2009

Stardust: Adverbs x Adjectives

This is a funny scene with Robert de Niro in great shape. The movie wasn't such a great blockbuster because it had been advertised as a new Harry Potter, which made people reject it. It is a good movie, though. It has nothing to do with Harry Potter. I used this scene to talk about stereotypes, activating the students' schemata, in order for them to practice when to use adjectives or adverbs in a sentence. The task is simple, but effective. The correct answers are on the worksheet. A. Talk to a partner about the following questions:

1 - Do you consider the first impression the most important one? Justify your answer.

2 - Do you think people have a correct idea of your personality just by looking at you, your physical appearance and clothes? Explain it.

3 - What are some personality traits a doctor must have? Name at least 5 adjectives.

4 - What about a teacher?

5 - Did you have a different opinion about your teacher's personality in the beginning of the term? Why (not)? What made you change your mind?


B. Write down six adjectives you would use to describe the captain of a ship. What are some important features he must have?

1 - ......................................
2 - .......................................
3 - ......................................
4 - .....................................
5 - ........................................
6 - ......................................

C. Watch the video segment and check which of the adjectives you chose in the previous exercise actually describe Captain Shakespeare?


D. Now choose the correct form of the words (adjectives or adverbs) in the sentences below.

1) Captain Shakespeare has a fearsome/ fearsomely reputation.
2) While putting on some makeup, the Captain moved his head gentle / gently.

3) The fighters handled their swords elegant / elegantly.
4) While everyone was fighting violent / violently on the deck of the ship, Captain Shakespeare was dancing graceful / gracefully in his cabin.

5) Captain Shakespeare's dancing was awkward / awkwardly.
6) He looked unhappy / unhappily after his friends saw him with those ridiculous clothes.


How to prepare your own video activity:
- Choose an attractive scene with action.

- Write down sentences about the film with adjectives or adverbs for the students to select the correct one.
- Make sure you use action and stative verbs about the segment. Doing so, the students will have the choice for both adjectives and adverbs.



WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - STARDUST

May 10, 2009

Australia: Simple Past

Despite the fact this movie did not meet my expectations, the opening scene is good for basic learners studying the past simple tense for the first time. The characters speaks BROKEN ENGLISH, an aspect that is worth-mentioning to beginners.

For this blog, I wrote down the answers in purple to help you with the preparation.

A. Talk to a partner:

1- What do you know about Australia? Tell each other everything you know about it.
2- What is the Australian outback?
3- What do you know about the aboriginals?
4- How different do you think Australia is from your own country? Why?
5

B. Pay attention to Nullah narrating a few events that took place on that day. Because Nullah is an aboriginal who doesn't have much contact with white people, he doesn't speak English correctly. Watch the segment, underline the verbs that are incorrect in each of the sentences below and correct them.



This is Nullah

1 - My grandfather, King George, he take me to walkabouts.

2 - My grandfather teach me the most important lesson of all.

3 - That day, I see them, the white fellas, pushing bulls across the river.

4 - King George ________ angry at white fellas.

5 - The coppers come here to take me away.

6 - This story not begin that day.

7 - This story begin a little while ago in a land far, far away.


C. Talk to a different partner now. Decide what information about Australia presented in the movie segment was new to you and you didn't mention when you and your partner did exercise A.




D. Class discussion:

1. Summarize the story of the segment

2. Nullah is an aboriginal who does not have much contact with white people. How is that reflectd in the way he speaks?

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - AUSTRALIA

May 3, 2009

Twilight: Modal Verb for Ability - CAN

Although this movie is apparently attractive just to teenagers, this scene is fun and exciting for everybody. This scene is excellent for teens, though. They like the movie and it suits the grammar goal well. Students can practice the modal verb CAN for ability. They can also learn some new vocabulary about baseball, especially if they are in a country where the sport is not so popular, like here in Brazil.

Talk to a partner about these questions:

1- What do you know about vampires?
2- What can they do?
3- What's good and bad about being a vampire?

A. Vocabulary Collocation:


Match both columns


1 - Pitch

2 - Hit

3 - Run

4 - Handle

5 - Jump

6 - smell


( ) the baseball precisely

( ) the baseball hard

( ) fast

( ) the bat with agility

( ) high

( ) different perfumes easily




- . The Cullens





- . The Nomads


Observe the movie segment below. There you will see The Cullens, the group of vampires playing baseball, and the Nomads, the group of vampires who arrive later. Then write down sentences saying what the Cullens and the Nomads can do that we, humans, can't. Use the matching exercise items and others.






1 ..........................................................................................
2 ........................................................................................
3 .........................................................................................
4 .........................................................................................
5 .........................................................................................
6 ........................................................................................

Talk to a partner and decide:


What super powers would you like to have?
I can .........................., ................................., and ......................................
Answer Key - Matching may vary:
1. Pitch the ball precisely
2. Hit the ball hard
3. Run extremely fast
4. Handle the bat with agility
5. Jump high
6. smell different perfumes easily

How to prepare your own video activity:
- Select a scene in which the characters can perform different activities, like skills or sports.
- Ask students to write about what they see and what activities they can (not) perform.





Apr 26, 2009

Jumper: 2nd Conditional

The dream of most human beings would probably be to have David's super power to teleport. Going from one place to the other without transportation means would be fantastic. I took advantage of the first scene of "Jumper" to have students practice the 2nd conditional in a contextualized manner. Besides, both the scene and the movie are sensational. Here is the lesson plan:

A. Watch the movie segment. Decide how different life would be if everyone had David’s power to teleport. Write at least 5 different things.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.



B. Talk to a partner and make a list of what both of you would (not) do if only you had David’s power to teleport. Remember that you have to be ethical and think about the possible consequences of your acts.


What we would do : 

What we wouldn’t do:

C. Work with a partner and write down a condition for the sentences below.

1. We would donate 1 million dollars to charity if...
2. We would teleport ourselves to the Sahara desert if...
3. We wouldn't call the police if...
4. We would hide our super power from the other people if...

How to prepare your own video activity:
- Select a movie scene in which the characters do things our studens would not normally do.
- Preview the scene with hypothetical questions about the segment.
- Have students come up with sentences using the 2nd conditional.



WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - JUMPER

Apr 19, 2009

The Mist: Modal Verbs - Possibility, Speculation - MIGHT, COULD, CAN'T

This is an excellent horror / thriller for those who enjoy this kind of movie, like I do. I would recommend the scene for adults or high teens because it is a tense, but not violent segment. Because none of the characters have an idea of what that mist is or what is in it, it is great for the students to practice modal verbs of speculation and possibility - might, could, can't. Although the movie has very frightening scenes, this one isn't and won't shock anyone. In fact, it is one of the best moments of this amazing movie, based on a Stephen King's story.


A. Watch the movie segment.

B. In column 1, write YES if you believe it is a possible explanation for the mystery, and NO if you believe it is an impossible explanation.

In column 2, check the items that the characters in the movie believe are possible explanations for what is in the mist.

WHAT IS (IN) THE MIST?

MY OPINION / THE CHARACTERS’ OPINIONS


( ) ( ) A military operation

( ) ( ) A pollution cloud

( ) ( ) A terrorist attack

( ) ( ) Some kind of chemical explosion

( ) ( ) Death

( ) ( ) Just their imagination

( ) ( ) An earthquake

( ) ( ) Aliens

( ) ( ) The end of days

( ) ( ) A poisonous gas cloud

( ) ( ) A nuclear explosion

( ) ( ) A war simulation

C. Now write sentences with might, could or can’t to express possibility or impossibility, speculating about what is in the mist.
Might
1 ………………………………………………………………………………..
2 ……………………………………………………………………………….

Could
1 ………………………………………………………………………………..

2 ………………………………………………………………………………..

Can’t
1.…………………………………………………………………………………..

2 ………………………………………………………………………………....

D. What would you do if you were the woman who needed to go into the mist in order to rescue her eight year-old daughter?

E. Talk to a partner and decide what is the most probable explanation to the situation. Justify your choice.

Answer Key:
The characters’ guesses:

A pollution cloud
Some kind of chemical explosion
Death
An earthquake
The end of days
A poisonous gas cloud

How to prepare your own video activity:
-Select a scene in which a mystery can't be explained
- Prepare alternatives for the mystery
- Ask the stsudents to write sentences with their guesses for the explanation of the mystery using the grammar point