This is a great movie. The visual effects and colors are unusually gripping. It is one of
my favorite epic movies ever. The first scene is excellent for passive voice practice since the narrator uses the target struture to explain Leonidas's journey to become a Spartan king. I'm sure your students will enjoy the scene and use the passive voice in the simple past tense in a contextualized manner.A. Talk to a partner about the following questions:
1. In a few cultures, couples are allowed to have only one child. Do you think it’s fair? Justify your answer.
2. If you could have only one child, would you still have the baby knowing he/she would be sick forever? Explain.
3. Is it possible to train someone to be a king or a hero? Justify your answer.
4. In ancient Greece, Spartans used to reject and kill all the handicapped children? The whole population consisted of healthy, strong people. What’s your opinion about it?
B. Before you view the segment, rewrite the following sentences using passive voice.
1. Spartans inspected the boy when he was born.
2. Spartans would have discarded him if he were too small or misshapen.
3. Spartans baptized him in the fire of combat.
4. They taught him not to retreat or surrender.
5. They taught him that death in the battlefield was the greatest glory.
6. Spartans took him from his mother and plunged him into a world of violence.
7. They called it the agoge.
8. Rod and lash punished the boy.
9. They taught the boy to show no pain or mercy
C. Watch the movie segment and check your answers.
WORKSHEET
Answer Key
B.
1. The boy was inspected when he was born.
2. He would have been discarded if…
3. He was baptized in …
4. He was taught not to…
5. He was taught that…
6. he was taken from… and plunged into…
7. It was called the agoge.
8. The boy was punished by the rod and lash.
9. He was taught to …
