La La Land: Narratives, Paragraph Writing

It is so rare to see good musicals on the big screen that it makes this movie really special.

Watch the movie segment. Then come up with a story to go along with the scene. 

Narrative writing is formatted like a story. This means all narrative writing has a setting and plot with characters, conflict and resolution, and a beginning, middle and end. Even pieces that are not themselves stories are written with the same structure. Like most forms of writing, narratives have a message for the reader. Unlike other forms of writing, this message is usually implied through the events of the story and the decisions or dialogue of the characters rather than explicitly spelled out. 

There are many different transition words you could use to let your audience know the events in your narrative. You could use first, next, then, and last. You could use first, second, third, and finally. You could start with first of all, afterwards, soon after that, and later. 

Now watch the movie segment and have a narrator read the narrative you came up with as the scene develops. Be creative and imaginative. 

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - LA LA LAND

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Minions: Transitions - Sequence Words - Narratives

 Watch the movie segment and make notes of some actions you managed to observe. Then write a short narrative, telling the story. Use sequence words (transition words) to link the sentences.

Words or phrases to help sequence ideas or transition between sentences or paragraphs 

• fi­rst... second... third... 

• in the ­rst place... also... lastly 

• after 

• afterwards 

• as soon as 

• at fi­rst 

• at last 

• before 

• before long 

• in the meantime 

• later 

• meanwhile 

• next 

• soon 

• then

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - MINIONS

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The Princess and the Magic Mirror: Simple Past and Paragraph Writing

Watch the movie segment and make a list of five things that the princess did during the segment. Then connect your sentences with the following transition words and write a paragraph about the scene:

FIRST - THEN - NEXT - AFTER THAT - FINALLY

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE PRINCESS AND THE MAGIC MIRROR

Rio: Sentence Fragments

Rio is a lovely movie. It is fascinating. I used this scene to practice correcting sentence fragments. 

Fragments result if you punctuate certain word groups as if they are complete sentences. 

You have a number of different options when fixing a fragment. Frequently, you can attach the fragment either to the front or to the end of a nearby main clause.

Another option is to add whatever words will give the fragment its own mandatory main clause.

 I. Watch the movie segment. Then read the sentences below about the segment. Revise the fragments in order  and make the necessary changes to make them complete sentences. There is more than one single possibility. If the sentence is correct, write CORRECT.

1. Trying to fly, the blue macaws landed on a passing hang glider. While it was gliding near the Corcovado.


2. Blu was fascinated by the view. Admiring the beaches and the landscape of the marvelous city.


3. Very confident, Blu spread his wings. To feel the breeze on his face and enjoy the flight.


4. Trying to survive, they ended up landing on a beach and crashing on some people.


5. The macaws were by hit some tourists on the beach. Such as a boy playing soccer and a beautiful girl wearing a bikini.


6. Even though the macaws are birds and are supposed to fly.



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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - RIO



Answer key - Possible Answers:

1.
Trying to fly, the blue macaws landed on a hang glider while it was gliding near the Corcovado.

 2.
Admiring the beaches and the landscape of the marvelous city, Blu was fascinated by the view.

3.
Very confident, Blue spread his wings to feel the breeze on his face and enjoy the flight.

4.
CORRECT

5. 
The macaws were hit by some tourists, such as a boy playing soccer and a beautiful girl wearing a bikini.

6.

Even though the macaws are birds and are supposed to fly, they ended up having an accident.

The Adventures of Tin Tin: Sequence Words, Narratives

This is one of my favorite teenage years characters. Steven Spielberg production is amazing and thrilling. A must!

Before you watch the segment, try to guess the sequence of events in the scene. Then watch the movie snippet and check whether the sentences are in the order they took place in the snippet.

( ) They ran out of gas.
( ) Tin Tin read the flying manual.
( ) Tin Tin started the plane engine.
( ) The plane was hit by lightning.
( ) The Captain saved Tin Tin.
( ) The plane fell on the desert.
( ) The plane headed into a dangerous thunderstorm.
( ) The Captain tried to fix the plane.

II. Now write a paragraph connecting the sentences in order to come up with a story / narrative of events. Use the sequence words below.

DON'T FORGET TO ADD A TOPIC SENTENCE AND A CONCLUDING STATEMENT AS WELL.

SEQUENCE CONNECTORS:

• At first
• firstly
• first of all
• to begin with
• secondly
• thirdly
• finally
• in the end
• afterwards
• after that
• then
• next

Answer key:

1. Tin Tin read the flying manual

2. Tin Tin started the plane engine.

3. The plane headed into a dangerous thunderstorm.

4. The plane was hit by lightning.

5. They ran out of gas.

6. The Captain tried to fix the plane.

7. The plane fell on the desert dunes.

8. The Captain saved Tin Tin.

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN

The Uninvited: Narratives - Simple Present

This film and scene are a bit scary. Make sure your audience is ready for this kind of material. It is great, though, and very easy to understand. The students can easily perform the assigned tasks and practice writing a narrative, using the simple present tense.



I. Work in pairs:


1. Do you dream every night?

2. Do you remember your dreams?

3. Which kind of dream do you remember with more details? Dreams or nightmares?

4. Do nightmares have meanings?


II. Complete the paragraph with the verbs provided below. You may repeat the verbs. This paragraph is a teenager's description of a nightmare she had in the previous night.

BE - WANT - HEAR - GO - RUN - FEEL (neg)

I _____ at a party, but all I _________ to do is get home. And then I _____ my mother's bell. I ________ to find her. She __________ alone. She ________ not supposed to be alone. I ______ up to the house to find my dad. There _____ something wrong. It ______ safe. There ______ something evil in the house.

III. Now watch the segment and check your answers.

(Segment without subtitles)

IV. Now write a short paragraph narrating a nightmare or a dream of yours. Use the simple present tense to describe it.

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE UNINVITED

Answer key: am, want, hear, go, is, is, run, is, doesn't feel, is.

Spirit - Stallion of the Cimarron: Dialog Writing

A. This movie is about Spirit, a wild mustang. Watch the segments and, in small groups, write down the dialog you imagine took place in the scenes. Imagine that the horses are speaking English! Use your imagination and be creative.

*Note to the teacher:

Pause the segments when the slide of a heart shows up. Have the groups write down the dialogs, following the instructions for each part as shown below, before you play the next segments, and pause again on the heart slides.

















Scene 1. Write down the dialog between Spirit and his mother.


Scene 2. Write down the dialog between Spirit and the other horses.


Scene 3. Write down the dialog between Spirit and the other horses.

Scene 4. Write down the final dialog between Spirit and his mother.

B. Now role play your dialogs, but you are people now, not horses. If possible, don't read the dialog, just act it out (if you prefer, you can be horses, not people, but the dialogs have to be in English, of course!!).

C. Extra Activity:
Write a short narrative/paragraph about the scene.



THERE IS NOT A WORKSHEET FOR THIS ACTIVITY FOR IT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE TASK


MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - SPIRIT, STALLION OF THE CIMARRON

Kick-Ass: Story Writing - Narratives

This film has some scenes which show violence, and I would never recommend them for the EFL/ESL classes. This scene, though, does not, and it is great for story telling/ narrative writing. In fact, it is a very attractive segment. Make sure your audience consists of adults.

I. Watch the movie segments with sounds off. Pay attention to the strips so you can come up with the story itself. If necessary, watch it twice with sounds off.

II. Work in pairs. Write down a story for the strips. Use your imagination and be creative.

III. Read your stories out loud.

IV. Watch the segments with sounds on now. Compare your stories. Which group wrote the closest ideas to what was shown in the segment.

V. Role play the story.

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - KICK ASS

THERE IS NOT A WORKSHEET FOR THIS ACTIVITY BECAUSE IT IS NOT NECESSARY

The Green Zone: Scanning - Teaching Reading

Of course Scanning is not a grammar point, but it is a technique we teach students to read better. Since many readings are sources for grammar points, I used this segment to have students practice scanning for information in a written text.



Scanning is a technique to search for key words or ideas. In most cases, you know what you're looking for, so you're concentrating on finding a particular answer. Scanning involves moving your eyes quickly down the page seeking specific words and phrases. When scanning, look for the author's use of organizers such as numbers, letters, steps, or the words, first, second, or next. Look for words that are bold faced, italics, or in a different font size, style, or color.

I. You will watch a scene of an invetigator scanning for information. He googles Lawn Dayne / Wall Street Journal / WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction). Scan the information along with the main character in the movie and write down all key words and data you can see.

II. Watch the segment again and complete your data collection.

II. Work with a partner and come up with an article summarizing the information you put together. You may use your imagination to come up with an interesting article. Don't forget to add a title to your article.







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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE GREEN ZONE

License to Wed & Death at a Funeral: Letters of Complaints

Of course writing a letter fo complaint is not a grammar point, but I have been adding activities to practice the 4 skills, so this one is for writing. Letters of complaints are contextualized with very funny situations here. These scenes made this writing class much more interesting and meaningful.


I. Watch the movie segments from the movies License to Wed and Death at a Funeral. Both scenes are very funny, but they show consumers who are dissatisfied with the service they were provided with. When you watch the scene, make sure you observe what the problem was and how you would like the problem to be resolved.

License to Wed's Scene:




Death at the Funeral's Scene:




Imagine now that you are one of the characters from the segments you have just seen. Put yourself in his shoes and write a letter of complaint to the company who provided you with the service. Choose one of the scenes to complain. Follow the guidelines below:

• An introduction that clearly identifies the subject of the complaint. In the first paragraph you should identify what the issue is and any relevant information that you believe is important. Be sure to include the following information if it's applicable to the situation: the date/time of the issue, location, name of person on duty, name of product, what the problem was, your account number, model number, price, warranty information and reference number. Be sure to stick with the facts and avoid putting emotions into your letter.

• A body paragraph that (a) clearly and specifically explains the nature of the complaint, and (b) provides the reader with all of the information needed to provide an appropriate response. It should state what you would like done to resolve the situation. If you received poor service, you could request an apology or a coupon. If a product malfunctioned, you could request that you could exchange the product for a new one or request a refund.


• A conclusion that clearly states what actions are needed to remedy the problem. The last paragraph should thank the reader for thoe time. You can also throw in some compliments about something you liked about their company's product or service. You should include your telephone number/e-mail address after your printed name so that they can contact you ASAP if necessary. Be sure to keep a copy of the letter for yourself and include photocopies of any relevant documents and enclose them with your letter.

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - LICENSE TO WED

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - DEATH AT A FUNERAL

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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

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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.

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - OUTLANDER