The Hunger Games: 2nd Conditional

This activity was provided by Philip Rice and it was published on his awesome blog THE ESL COMMANDO. Thanks, Phil, for such a great activity.

Phil Rice is an instructor at the English Language Institute in Delaware, USA. He has taught English for the past 5 years and in the ESL field for the past 3 years. He enjoys using technology, games, and creativity to help teach students English. His blog can be found at www.eslcommando.com. 

This activity uses listening and the Hunger Games to help students practice the unreal conditional in English. The "If...then" format is used, and students will love to watch the exciting clip of the Hunger Games! This activity gives practice on listening for details, writing sentences,  and then writing a short paragraph. The worksheet  that goes along with the video is downloadable and is below the clip.The formatting looks wrong on the example, but when downloaded into Word, it will look right.Click here  to download, or look below to preview the worksheet.  If you like this, please try out the NEW Man of Steel Classroom Activity!

The Hunger Games ESL Lesson:

Unreal Conditional Activity –

Watch the clip and answer the True/False Questions:

1. T/F: Katniss (the older girl) cares for her sister.
2. T/F: Katniss is chosen for the Hunger Games.
3. T/F: The Hunger Games are wonderful contests.
4. T/F: Only one person can survive the Hunger Games.
5. T/F: Katniss thinks the same way as the blond boy.

As you watch the clip, think of 5 feelings that you would feel if you

were in Katniss’ situation. Then write 5 sentences:

Use the form “If…. , then….”

Ex:  If I were in the Hunger Games, then I would be scared.

1. ---

2. ---

3. ---

4. ---

5. ---

What if you were in a survival situation like Katniss?  If you had to choose 3 things to help you survive in the wilderness what would they be and why?  Write a short paragraph using the unreal conditional form giving clear descriptions and reasons.

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Watch clip again at:

http://eslcommando.blogspot.com/2012/04/movie-trailer-esl-grammar-activity.html

WORKSHEET

Answer Key:

T,F,F,T,F

Essay answers will vary.  Focus on the verb forms that the students use.

Clip is found at:

http://eslcommando.blogspot.com/2012/04/movie-trailer-esl-grammar-activity.html

Green Lantern: Passive x Active Voice

I really like super heroes movies. The Green Lantern was not the blockbuster many had expected, but it is dense and The Lantern has an amazing personality and story. I used this scene to contrast the use of active and passive voices.


I. Before watching the segment, try to complete  these sentences with either active or passive forms of the verbs in parentheses.


1. Billions of years ago, a race of immortals ___________ (harness*) the most powerful force in existence.

2. The Guardians of the Universe ___________ (build) a world from where they could watch over all of the existence, the Planet Oa.

3. They ______________ (divide) the universe into 3.600 sectors.

4. A ring powered by the ring of will ____________ (send) to every sector to select a recruit.

5. It _______________ (say) that one must be without fear.

6. These 3.600 recruits ____________ (form) the intergalactic peacekeepers known as the Green Lantern Corps.

 * to bring under conditions for effective use


II. Watch the movie segment and check your answers.

















III. Talk to a partner:

1. What are your favorite super heroes? Why do you like them?

2. What are their super powers?

3. Would you like to have a special super power? Which one would it be?

4. If you had a super power, would you use it to protect your city/people/family, or would you hide it from everyone and use it only when you needed it? Why? 

WORKSHEET
MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - GREEN LANTERN

Answer key:

1. harnessed
2. built
3. divided
4. was sent
5. was said
6. formed 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.

Dark Skies: Past Modals for Speculation

 

Dark Skies is a great thriller, but the ending is a bit disappointing. The movie gave me chills, which I love while watching thrillers. I recommend it. This is an intriguing scene, perfect for modals for speculation.

I. Watch the segment, discuss the questions below, and then check the items that you believe are possible explanations for the  phenomenon in the segment.

1. Describe the phenomenon.

2. What was so peculiar about it?

3. Have you ever heard of anything similar to it? Talk about it.

4. How would you react if you lived in that house?

Which items below are possible explanations for the phenomenon? Write I if you believe it is possible, according to your own opinion. Write C if at least one of the characters believe it is possible. Write B if both characters and yourself believe they are possible explanations.

( ) The birds were contaminated.

( ) It was the start of an outbreak - a sudden beginning of a disease or something else dangerous or unpleasant.

( ) The birds were sick.

( ) It was avian flu.

( ) It happened because of environmental causes, such as hail storms or lightning.

( ) It was caused by fireworks.

II. Rewrite the sentences above, using past modals for speculation.

Ex: The birds might have been contaminated.


III. What MUST have happened, in your opinion? What is the most plausible explanation?Justify your answer.

IV. Rewrite the sentences in II, using past modals for speculation.
 

Ex: The birds might have been contaminated.

2 _______________________________________________
3 _______________________________________________
4 _______________________________________________
5 _______________________________________________
6 _______________________________________________

WORKSHEET
MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - DARK SKIES

Answer Key:

Answers will vary, but all of the items in I are possible explanations, according the movie characters.

2. It might have been the start of an outbreak.

3. The birds might have been sick.

4. It might have been avian flu.

5. It might have happened because of environmental causes.

6. It might have been caused by fireworks.

 

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion: Giving Orders/Instructions with WILL

Woody Allen is one of my favorite directors. This is one of his best/funniest movies of all times. This scene is wonderful. My students had a ball performing this task.




An official way of giving orders is to use simple or passive future tenses .

For example:

"Male workers will wear ties at all times."
"Male workers are supposed to wear ties at all times."

"Female workers will be properly dressed."
"Female workers are to be properly dressed."

Source:
http://www.english-online.org.uk/int2/aski1.htm


I - Read the orders given to someone who has been hypnotized. The commands or instructions are given with WILL.Then choose one verb from the list below and add WILL to make the orders clear. You may repeat some of the verbs.


FALL / OBEY / REMEMBER / WAIT / HAVE / HIDE / RETURN / DO / PROCEED


You______________________ deeper and deeper under the sway of my words.

You _____________________ my instructions carefully.

You _____________________ to the Kensington estate, where you will obtain the jewelry.

You _____________________ this with the utmost secrecy.

You _____________________ it with great ease and facility.

Then you ____________________ to your apartment taking the jewels with you.

You ______________________ them in a safe and secure hiding place.

You _____________ then ________________ into a deep slumber from which you will awake refreshed.

You ________________________  no memory of anything that has occurred.

You ____________________ to hear from me again.

You _____________________ my instructions to the letter.

You ____________________ absolutely nothing that occurred under trance.


II - Watch the movie segment and check your answers.

















 III - Choose five sentences above and rewrite them, using "to be + to" or "to be supposed to".

Ex:

You are supposed to fall deeper and deeper under the sway of my words.
You are to obey my instructions carefully.


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


III. Role Play:


All the students are to imagine that they are  hypnotists. They come up with a list of 8 orders to give a classmate. Don't let the students share their lists before the activities.

Ex: You will open your book. Then you will write your name on the blackboard, etc.

STUDENT 1: S1 hypnotizes his classmates and gives S2 eight orders, using the grammar point. S1 reads all the activities sequentially  just once.

STUDENT 2: S2 listens to the eight orders of the hypnotist. He/She cannot ask for repetition or write them down. Then he/she performs all the given commands in the order they had been given.


Next, students switch roles. If you want to make this a competition, the winner is the student who manages to remember and perform most orders in the correct sequence.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION


Answer key:

You will fall deeper and deeper under the sway of my words.

You will obey my instructions carefully.

You will proceed to to the Kensington estate, where you will obtain the jewelry.

You will do this with the utmost secrecy.

You will do it with great ease and facility.

Then you will return to your apartment taking the jewels with you.

You will hide them in a safe and secure hiding place.

You will then fall into a deep slumber from which you will awake refreshed.

You will have no memory of anything that has occurred.

You will wait to hear from me again.

You will obey my instructions to the letter.

You will remember absolutely nothing that occurred under trance.

In Time: Time Clauses with When, Before, After

This movie is a must. I love the idea it wants to transmit. Don't miss it!


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

1. _______________ people are 25 years old, they stop aging.

2. _______________ they turn 25, they only have time to live one more year.

3. _______________ his mother's 50th anniversary, he bought a bottle of champagne.

4. _______________ he hugged his mother, he wished her happy birthday.

5. His mother gave him 30 minutes to eat a decent meal _______________ they held each other's arms

6. They will celebrate __________ he gets back.

7. The price of the coffee rose ______________ he decided to buy it.

8. People are paid ______________ they leave the workplace.

9. He was given a lot of time by a rich man ___________________ he woke up.

10. He woke up _________________ he became a millionaire, according the currency used - time.

1. What do you think about not aging when you turn 25. What are the advantages and disadvantages in the situation shown in the segment?

2. What would you do if you had very little time left for you? What would you do if had too much time left for you?

3. How different would life be if time were our currency?

4. What do you prefer? Life the way it is nowadays, including aging the way we do, or the way it is in the movie - not aging, but having limited time to survive? Explain it.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - IN TIME


Answer Key:


1. When
2. After/When
3. Before
4. When
5. When
6. When/After
7. Before
8. After/When
9. Before
10. After

Hugo: Past Continuous x Simple Past

I simply loved this movie. It is made for movie lovers. I used this scene because it clearly shows the difference of the past continuous and simple past tenses. Besides, it is also kinesthetic.


I. Watch the movie segment and write down all the activities that people were doing at the the train station at 7:00 am. Then share your sentences with two partners and come up with as many sentences as possible.


Ex: Some people were carrying traveling  suitcases.









II. Work with the same partners. Watch the segment again and write down what Hugo did while those people were doing the thing that you mentioned in exercise I.

Ex: He ran through very narrow corridors.


III. Role-Play those activities to the students in the other groups. Check out if they can identify the actions and come up with correct sentences either in the past continuous or the simple past tenses.


WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - HUGO

What's Your Number?: Adverbs of Frequency

This comedy is worth watching. This scene is really funny. My students loved it.


I. Work with a partner. Check the items that you do before going on a date, willing to impress positively.


1. Do your hair.
2. Wear a suit.
3. Wear a daring dress.
4. Spray your hair.
5. Wear your best watch.
6. Arrive  at the meeting point before your date.
7. Wear your favorite perfume/cologne.
8. Leave your cell phone in silent mode.
9. Share the restaurant (expenses) check.
10. Avoid drinking alcoholic drinks.

II. Watch the movie segment and check the items the main characters did on that date.

III. Interview each other. Student 2 must use adverbs of frequency in their answers.

ALWAYS - USUALLY - OFTEN - SOMETIMES - SELDOM - RARELY - NEVER

Ex:

S1: Do you do your hair before going on a date?

Yes, I always do my hair.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER

Answer key:

I. character's items - 1 to 6.

Brave: Simple Present

In my opinion, this is one of the best animated movies ever. I love the princess, her hair, her bad humor, and how different a princess she is. 

I. Work in pairs and make a list of everything a princess does or doesn't do in order to be an example to society. Use your imagination.

Ex: She wears elegant clothes.

      She doesn't smoke in public.

1. ______________________________

2. ______________________________

3. ______________________________

4. ______________________________

5. ______________________________

II. Complete the sentences with the verbs below. Use affirmative and negative statements, according to the Queen's point of view.

PLAY - SPEAK - STRIVE** - CHORTLE* - RISE*** - BE

* To laugh at somebody's bad luck 

** To try very hard to do something against difficulties

*** Wake up

1. She ____________  to the people with a clear voice.

2. She ______________ musical instruments.

3. She _____________ at someone's misfortune.

4. She ______________ early.

5. She _______________ compassionate, patient, cautious, and clean.

6. She _______________ for perfection.

III. Watch the segment and check your answers.

IV. Discuss the questions:

1. Is she a conventional princess? Why (not)?

2. Read your list from exercise I. Does she do any of the things you wrote down?

3. Are the Queen's ideas right or are they stupid traditions? Why?

4. Are princesses nowadays similar to the one in the segment? Why (not)?

WORKSHEET 
MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - BRAVE

Answer key

She speaks to the people with a clear voice.

She plays musical instruments

She does not chortle

She rises early

She is compassionate, patient, cautious, clean

She strives for perfection.