Saturday, October 31

The Happening: Modals for Speculation Might, Could.




Most reviewers criticized this movie, but I am a fan of Shayamalan, the director. All of his films have provided me with very interesting activities because the stories are very creative. I used this scene to practice modals for speculation - possibility.

A. Read the latest news in today's newspaper:

The Honeybees Disappearance:

Apparently, honeybees are disappearing all over the country. Tens of millions of them. Just disappearing. There are no bodies, no sign of them. They're just mysteriously gone.

B. Talk to a partner and come up with at least two different theories about why this might be happening. Be as creative as possible. Use modals for speculation (might, could, must ) to construct your theory.

C. Share your ideas with the whole class. Make sure you use modals for speculation while reporting your theory.

D. Each student votes for the following theories.


1. The most plausible one

2. The most farfetched one

3. The most creative one


E. Count all the votes and check what the class's opinion is.


F. Now watch the movie segment and check whether your ideas and the characters' theories matched.


G. What are the characters' theories? Write them using modals for speculation.

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

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

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

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

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

WORKSHEET

Answer Key

Ex: G

1. It might be a disease.

2. It could be a virus or infection.

3. It might be pollution.

4. It could be global warming

5. It might be an act of nature we will never fully understand.

Saturday, October 24

Unbreakable: Present Perfect (with Just)

This movie is not one I would strongly recommend, but it has good moments. This scene is one of them. David's, Bruce Willis's character, touching passers-by make him see what they have just done minutes before that, which is perfect for the students to practice the present perfect tense, using - just - in their sentences. In this exercise they are to write down whole sentences, which makes it more challenging than the other ones I have published on this grammar goal. I hope you like it.





A. Talk to a partner: Decide what the best punishment for the following crimes is. You and your partner have to reach an agreement of what the sentence is, how much time in jail (if it is the case) should the outlaw spend, or how much the fine fine should cost:


1. Stealing jewelry from a store.

2. Showing racial prejudice in the public eye by calling someone names.

3. Hitting someone with a glass bottle.

4. Stealing candy from a child.

5. Kidnapping without killing the victim.

6. Kidnapping and killing the victim.

7. Taking advantage of a drunk person.

8. Breaking into a house and stealing goods.

9. Breaking into a house and murdering someone there.

10. Drinking and driving.



B. Class discussion: Compare your punishments. Who are the toughest and the most lenient students?






C. Watch the following segment. Bruce Willis's character has the power to see what some people have done minutes before just by touching them. Decide which of the crimes above the characters below have just commited. Write the number of the crime next to the character.






( ) The lady in red

( ) The man in yellow

( ) The man in green

( ) The man in orange




D. Now write sentences saying what these people have just done before arriving at the subway station. Make sure you use "just" in your sentences and the present perfect tense.






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



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



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



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



E. Talk to a partner about the following questions.

1. What do you think will happen next?

2. Would you like to have this super power? Is this gift really possible?

3. Are there people with this ability?

4. Rank the crimes the people in exercise C have committed - 1 as the most serious and 4 as the least serious one.




WORKSHEET

Answer key:

C.
1
3
7
9




D.
The woman in red has just stolen jewelry from a store.

The man in yellow has just broken a bottle on a passer-by.

The man in green has taken advantage of a drunk woman.

The man in orange has just broken into a house and murdered someone there.





Sunday, October 18

Sleuth: Imperative Forms

This is a great movie with excellent actors. The scene shows one character giving his partner instructions on how to break into his house in order to simulate a robbery. It is perfect for the students to pratice imperative forms, giving instructions. The correct matching is in the order presented in the exercise, so you should mix sentences up when you prepare your own exercise sheet.

A. Talk to a partner and match the verb and the complement. There are many possible combinations.

1 obey
2 go and get
3 place
4 extend
5 climb up
6 keep
7 keep
8 watch
9 keep
10 don’t look

11 smash


( ) the rules
( ) the ladder
( ) the ladder against the wall
( ) the ladder
( ) the ladder
( ) calm
( ) coming
( ) your step
( ) going
( ) down
( ) the window


B. Watch the movie segment and check the matching according to what you see.


C. Now imagine you have to give instructions to your partner. You have to tell him or her how to get your bedroom and get your favorite CD or DVD. Remember: your partner does not know your house and you have to be very clear about them. Give him your house keys and start giving the instructions. Use IMPERATIVE FORMS.


D. Switch roles.


WORKSHEET




Saturday, October 10

Leap of Faith: Modal for Advice - Should

This is Steve Martin's best movie, in my opinion. He plays the role of a hoax preacher who makes money out of people's beliefs. I used it to practice giving advice with should. The matching answers have the same color to facilitate your planning.





A. Watch the movie segment and match the people in the audience and their problems.


The audience:


1. The man in the brown jacket
2. The girl in the glitter jeans
3. The guy in the fishing cap.
4. The lady in the pink dress.
5. The man in the white shirt.
6. The man in the yellow shirt
7. The blue-haired lady
8. Emma Schlarp


The problems:


( ) Her mother is suffering deeply because she is pregnant.
( ) He has a back problem.
( ) He has a hearing problem.
( ) She lost her job.
( ) He has a problem with his neighbor
( ) He has a gambling problem.
( ) She has bone trouble.
( ) She has arthritis.



B. Write down a piece of advice for each of the people above.


1. The man in the brown jacket

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


2. The girl in the glitter jeans

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


3. The guy in the fishing cap.

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


4. The lady in the pink dress.

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


5. The man in the white shirt.

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


6. The man in the yellow shirt

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


7. The blue-haired lady

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


8. Emma Schlarp

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



C. Is your advice the same as the hoax preacher in the segment? Talk to a partner and decide whose advice is closer to the movie preacher's.



D. Talk to a partner.



1. Is this hoax preacher committing a crime? Explain it.

2. What should happen to people who cheat on people exploiting their religious beliefs?

3. Is he helping or harming these people? Explain it.


WORKSHEET



Saturday, October 3

Little Miss Sunshine: Tag Questions

This is a lovely scene from this wonderful film. I love the acting and the intelligent story. This scene is remarkable. I took advantage of the scene to practice asking tag questions. With this activity, the students can practice the grammar point based on contextualized evidence, which is great. I only used sentences in the past tense, though.



A. Talk to a partner

1. Have you ever participated in a pageant? Talk about it. What is your opinion about beauty pageants?

2. Is it OK for young children to participate in pageants?

3. What's your opinion about pageants like Miss Brazil, Miss Universe, Model of the Year, etc?


B. Watch the segment, fill in the blanks with affirmative and negative forms of the given verbs, and complete the sentences with a tag question. Make sure the sentences are according to the information presented in the segment.


1 - Olive .................................. (be) wearing a suit, a hat and a tie, .................. ?

2 – She ……….…………. (dedicate) her presentation to her grandfather, ....................?

3 – Olive …………………. (be) intimidated by the audience, ...............?

4 – The audience …………… (be) shocked with Olive’s sexy dancing, .................?

5 – Many spectators …………….. (leave) the hall during her presentation, ................?

6 – The dance ………………. (be) appropriate for the situation, .................. ?

7 – Her family ……………………. (support) Olive by dancing with her, ...................?

8 – The host …………………. (try) to remove her from the stage, ...................... ?

9 – Her father …………………… (dance) with her on the stage, ................ ?

10 – The DJ …………….. (be) the only person to clap the presentation, ................... ?

11 – Nobody …………………. (like) the presentation, .............?

12 – They ………………………… (be) ashamed of Olive, ..........?




B. Now ask a partner the questions above. Mind intonation.



WORKSHEET

Answer Key:

1. was - wasn't she?
2. dedicated - didn't she?
3. wasn't - was she?
4. was - wasn't it?
5. left - didn't they?
6. wasn't - was it?
7. supported - didn't they?
8. tried - didn't he?
9. danced - didn't he?
10. was - wasn't he?
11. liked - did they?
12. weren't - were they?

How to prepare your own video activity.

- Select a scene and write sentences for the students to complete with the main verb form of the provided verbs (choose the tenses you wish to assess)

- Students fill in the blanks with affirmative or negative forms of the verbs, according to the information in the segment.

- The students write the correct tag questions for the sentences.

- The students read their sentences to a partner, asking the tag questions.

- Make sure students use rising and falling intonation patterns.