Tangled & Rio: Simple Present

Both movies are wonderful. Both have scenes that show daily acitities, so I prepared this fun activity to make students practice the simple present tense in a challenging and exciting manner.



I. Watch the segments below only once. Then work in groups and decide who performs the following activities every morning. Write R if it is Rapunzel (Tangled) or L if it is Linda (Rio).

( ) Sweep the floor at 7 a.m


( ) Read a book

( ) Paint

( ) Play the guitar

( ) Wake up at 7:15 am

( ) Brush her teeth

( ) Have breakfast

( ) Knit

( ) Bake a pie

( ) Solve a puzzle

( ) Play chess

( ) Feed her pet

( ) Open the store

( ) Make candles

( ) Brush her hair



Tangled:








Rio:





II. Now rewrite the sentences above in the simple present tense:

Ex: Rapunzel sweeps the floor at 7:00 am.


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

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

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



III. Now write down two sentences that Rapunzel doesn't do in the morning and two sentences about what Linda does not do in her typical morning.


Ex: Rapunzel does not swim.


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

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

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

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


III. Divide the class into pairs. Give Student 1a list with Rapunzel's activities. Give the other student a list with Linda's activities. Each student mimes their main character's activities and his/her partner has to say the correct sentences.


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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - TANGLED

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - RIO


Answer key:

R - Rapunzel - Tangled

She sweeps the floor at 7 a.m.
She reads a book.
She paints
She plays the guitar
She knits
She bakes a pie
She solves a puzzle
She plays chess
She makes candles
She brushes her hair
She sings



L - Linda -Rio

She wakes up at 7:15 am
She brushes her teeth
She has breakfast
She feeds her pet
She opens the store

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.

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.

Dear John: Passive Voice with Simple Present, Simple Past and Present Perfect

This is an effective tearjerker which I liked a lot. This scene is full of passive voice structures, perfect for review on passive voice with mixed verb tenses.

A. Read the script of the first scene from the movie Dear John. The paragraph is in the passive voice. either the simple present tense, simple past or the present perfect tenses. Fill in the blanks with the passive voice of the given verbs. Decide which of the two tenses you will use, depending on the context.



Glossary:

punch out: hit someone or something hard and repeatedly

rim: to be round or along the edge of something

bevel: to give something a sloping edge

stamp: to make a mark

mint: to produce something new





1. I’m eight years old again, on a tour of the US Mint, listening to the guide explain how coins ______________ (make). How they _______________ (punch out) of sheet metal. How they ______________ (rim) and ______________ (bevel). How they _________ (stamp)and __________ (clean). And then how each and every coin _________ (personally / examine) just in case one has slipped through with the slightest imperfection.



2. I am a coin in the United States Army. I __________ (mint) in the year 1980. I ____________ (punch out) from sheet metal, I __________ (stamp) and ___________ (clean), my edges _____________ (rim) and _______________ (bevel).


B. Watch the movie segment and check your answers.








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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - DEAR JOHN


Answer key:


1. are made/ are punched out/ are rimmed and beveled/ are stamped and cleaned/ is personally examined

2. was mint/ have been punched out/ have been stamped and cleaned/ have been rimmed and beveled

Saturday Night Fever: Simple Present

This is a great classic, extremely tacky, that the students are not very familiar with. They usually love the scene and have fun with the song. It's a revival! I like sharing classics with the students, sometimes the only opportunity they have to watch them.










A. Make a list of 5 things you do before you go out dancing Saturday nights.


Ex:

I take a hot shower.

I wear a beautiful dress.

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

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

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

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

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


B. Share your list with a partner and ask him/her if he/she does what you have on your list.

Ex:


S1: Do you take a hot shower?

S2: Yes, I do


S1: Do you wear a beautiful dress?

S2: No, I don't. I wear pants.



C. Watch the movie segment and write down 5 activities Tony Manero does before he goes dancing Saturday night.




Ex:


1. Tony dries his hair.

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

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

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

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



D. Ask each other if you perform Tony's activities before you go dancing.


Ex:

1. Do you dry your hair?


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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER

Planet 51: Passive Voice with Simple Present

Happy 2012!!! Hope you enjoy the activities planned for 2012. Remember to share yours too. Email them to claudioazv@gmail.com and your credits and pictures are added as well.


Planet 51 is amazingly funny. I laughed so much that I almost cried during the movie. It is attractive to children and to adults, too. Rent the movie! You'll love it. I took advantage of the opening scene to practice passive voice in the simple present tense.

A. Watch the movie segment and check the activities that the inhabitants of Planet 51 perform on a typical afternoon.







1. ( ) They wear strange clothes



2. ( ) They play tennis.



3. ( ) They drive flying cars.



4. ( ) They read the newspaper.



5. ( ) Boys ride flying bicycles.



6. ( ) They walk their pets.



7. ( ) Workers sweep the street.



8. ( ) Children play hopscotch.



9. ( ) They make barbecue.



10. ( ) They sell candy.

B. Now rewrite the sentences above in the passive voice. Decide if the sentence is affirmative or negative according to the information in the snippet:



Ex:



1. Strange clothes aren't worn.



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



9. ..............................................



10. ............................................




C. Now read the activities in exercise A and ask your partner if they perform those activities on a typical Sunday afternoon.



EX:



1.



S1: Do you wear strange clothes?



S2: No, I don't.


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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - PLANET 51

Answer key:

A. Students should NOT check items 1, 2, 5, 9, 10


B.


2. Tennis isn't played.


3. Flying cars are driven.


4. The newspaper is read.


5. Flying bicycles aren't ridden.


6. Pets are walked.


7. The streets are swept.


8. Hopscotch is played.


9. Barbecue isn't made.


10. Candy isn't sold.

The Princess and the Frog: Simple Present

This is one of the best animated movies by Disney in recent years. It is fun, amusing and uplifting. The music and plot are great. I love it. I used this scene to practice the simple present tense based on a typical routine day in New Orleans. In the end, the students may personalize the exercise talking about themselves and their own city. They loved it!







A. Take a look at the activities below. Watch the movie segment and write T if Tiana, the main character, performs the activity or P if it is the people of New Orleans who do it, or B if both Tiana and the people do it on a typical day, according to the segment.




( ) 1. Read a magazine on the way to work.

( ) 2. Play musical instruments in the streets.

( ) 3. Dance in the streets of New Orleans.

( ) 4. Serve food and drinks in a restaurant.

( ) 5. Play card tricks.

( ) 6. Buy newspapers in the streets.

( ) 7. Have fun.

( ) 8. Make magic.


B. Now write down four affirmative and four negative statements about what Tiana does (doesn't do) and what people do (don't do) on a typical New Orleans day. Use the information in exercise A.


Affirmative sentences:

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

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

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

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

Negative statements:

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

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

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

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

C. Now take a look at the activities in exercise A. Write affrimative and negative statements saying wht you do (don't do) on a Brasilia's (or your town's) typical day.


Ex 1. I read (don't read) a magazine on my way to work (school).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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







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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG

Up in the Air: Simple Present x Simple Past

This movie is really nice and the scene is perfect to contrast the uses of the simple present and simple past tenses.


I. Work in small groups. Make a list of activities you do every time you travel by plane. Think about what you do during the day until the plane takes off. Make sure you mention the steps you take at home and at the airport too.

Ex:

I make my bags.
I shave.

II. Watch the movie segment and check which of the activities you listed in Exercise I George Clooney's character did that day.


III. Now write 5 sentences saying what he did in the segment that you did not list in exercise II.


Ex: He took off his shoes at the airport.


IV. Now write sentences saying 5 things from your list that he didn't do before traveling.

Ex: He didn't shave.

PLAY THE SEGMENT TWICE.







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What Dreams May Come: Simple Present

This movie has a great message about the afterlife. The special effects are overwhelming. This beautiful scene is great to have students practice the simple present tense.





I. Make a list of at least 10 activities you do in your spare time.

Ex:
1. I listen to music.
2. I go swimming.

II. Ask your partner if he/she does it in his/her spare time.

Ex:
1. Do you listen to music in your spare time?
Yes, I do / No, I don't


2. Do you go swimming?

Yes, I do / No, I don't

II. Watch the segment now. The scene takes place in heaven. Observe what people do in heaven and write at least 5 sentences saying what they do there to spend time.

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

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

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

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

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



III. Are there any similarities between your list and the activities in the segment?


IV. Talk to a friend.


1. What's your opinion about the heaven in the segment? Is it interesting or boring? Why?

2. What do you like and dislike in the heaven you saw in the segment?

3. Do you think heaven is like that? Do you believe in heaven?



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Knowing: Simple Present

A. Watch the segment. It takes place in 1960. Then imagine the same situation in the movie, but nowadays. Make a list of 1o things that you usually do in your free time or about the world, talking about your routine. Your sentences will be placed in a capsule and people will open it in 2060.

Ex:

I listen to music with my I-pod.

I eat pizza every Sunday.


1. __________________________
2. __________________________
3. __________________________
4. __________________________
5. __________________________
6. __________________________
7.__________________________
8. __________________________
9. __________________________
10. _________________________











.

B. Exchange your list with another friend. Check which activities are similar to yours.
.

C. Now imagine you received a capsule from the future, Year 2060. Write three sentences about people's routine in 2060. Use your imagination and be creative:

Ex: We spend our vacation in a house on the moon.

1. _________________________________
2. _________________________________
3. _________________________________

D. Read your sentences to the class. Do you all have the same idea of the future? Which was your favorite one?


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Monsters, Inc.: Present Continuous x Present Simple

This is a great movie and activity. This activity was published on Sabrina de Vita's blog, a very inspiring and resourceful site. Sabrina kindly sent me this activity to share with my readers and I'm proud to publish it here. The activity is great and so is the movie segment. This great activity will certainly foster your visiting her site. Sabrina is a consciencious educator and she also likes sharing, just like I do. All the activities and text below were developed by her. Here is what she says about herself on her blog.

I’m from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I’m an English teacher. I have studied at the teacher training college Joaquin V Gonzalez-At the moment, I’m working in the primary and secondary school: Saint Exupery. With BE the Real Thing we specialised in teaching ESP (Legal and Medical English) and Business English. We also give online classes.

Thanks a lot, Sabrina. Can't wait for more!

I will share with you one lesson plan I have prepared to revise the use of Present Simple and Present Continuous. It is based on this scene from the movie Monsters Inc.

And here go the activities:

1) Complete the sentences with the appropriate tense ( Present Simple and Present Continuous)

a) Every day, Sulley _______________ (drive) to work. However, today they ____________ (walk)

b) Right now, Mike _______________ (talk) to Sulley’s mum on the phone.

c) Afterwards, they often ______________ (watch) tv, but today they __________ (also / star) on a tv commercial.

d) Sulley and Mike _____________ (not exercise) together. Sulley ______ (do) his routine and Mike __________ (guide) him.

e) Then, Sulley always ______________ (brush) his teeth.

f) Sulley usually ____________ (get up) at 6:00 but today he ____________ (still/ sleep) at 6:05.

2) Watch the film and put the sentences in the correct order.

3) Write 5 sentences about what the monsters Sulley and Mike encounter on their way to work are doing at the moment.

4) Did you like the scene? Why (not)?

Hope you like it and find it useful. If you have used it, please share your experience with us. If you have more ideas to work with this particular film or with movies in general, don’t hesitate to share your views.

Sabrina

The Game Plan: Simple Present

This segment is the beginning of the movie and you can assess the simple present tense in a contextualized manner. The movie is great and very easy for beginners.

Think about a typical morning of yours. Check all the activities that are true for you after you wake up in the morning. After that, ask your partner questions about him/her and check the ones which are true for him/her.

( )You ( ) Your friend ( ) Kingman wear slippers

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman turn on the TV

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman have vegetables for breakfast

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman make fruit juice

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman read the newspaper

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman work out

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman wear a uniform

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman put on some makeup

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman wear a helmet

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman play with the dog

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman play sports

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman listen to music

Now watch the movie segment and check the ones which are true for Kingman.

Finally, write sentences about kingman, saying what he does and what he doesn't do in the morning.

Ex: Kingman wears slippers.

Kingman doesn't listen to music.

How to prepare your own video activity:

Select a scene in which the characters’ routines are evident

Choose and prepare a list with a few of the activities the characters perform

Ask the students to check the items whose activities they perform

Students ask a partner questions about the same activities

Students watch the segment and now check what the characters in the movie perform

Students write sentences about the characters in the movie, using the simple present tense

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Bee Movie: Simple Present

I simply love this animated movie. Bee Movie is really special, funny and carries a great message for everyone. I use one of the scenes to practice the simple present tense.

Adam

Martin Benson (Dad) and Janet Benson (Mom)

Barry

Check the characters who perform the following activities. Write (B) if it is Barry, (A) if it is Adam, (D) if it is Dad, and (M) if it is Mom.

( B ) wear only black and yellow clothes
( ) comb the hair in the morning
( ) spray honey deodorant every day
( ) serve breakfast
( ) use antennas to communicate
( ) sharpen the stinger
( ) read the newspaper during breakfast
( ) read the newspaper in the street
( ) like flying around the house
( ) drive a red car very fast in the city
( ) pick up a friend to go to school
( ) park the car perfectly

I. Write down sentences saying what the Bensons and Adam do everyday.

Ex: 1 - Barry wears only black and yellow clothes.
2 - __________________________________
3 - __________________________________

II . Write down 3 things The Bensons or Adam don’t do in the morning.

Ex: 1 – Adam doesn’t have breakfast with the Bensons.
2 – ______________________________________
3 - ______________________________________

How to prepare your own video activity:

Grammar Goal: Simple Present Tense - Affirmative and Negative Statements

• Select a scene in which the characters’ routines are evident
• Identify the characters in the segment
• List some of the activities the characters perform in the segment
• Students write the name of the characters who perform such activities
• Students write complete sentences, using the simple present tense

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The Incredibles: "Simple Present"

Write the name of the characters that perform the following activities:

Bob (father) Helen (mother) Jack Jack (baby)

Dash (boy) Violet (girl)


1) Kiss Helen ( )

2) Listen to music ( )

3) Play with racing cars ( )

4) Do the laundry ( )

5) Feed Jack Jack ( )

6) Play football ( )

7) Exercise on the train tracks ( )

8) Read fitness magazines. ( )

9) Vacuum the carpet ( )

I. Write down sentences saying what the Parrs do everyday.

Ex: 1 - Bob kisses Helen every morning.
2 - ___________________________
3 - ___________________________

II . Write down 3 things The Parrs don’t do in the morning.

Ex: 1 – Jack Jack doesn’t play soccer.
2 – ___________________________
3 - ___________________________

D. In Pairs, write down what the Parrs do every weekend. Use the actions in exercise A or use other ones from your imagination. Write 10 sentences.

E. choose five students. each one will be either Jack, Helen, Bob, Violet or Dash.

F. read your sentences out loud (Ex: Violet Kisses Jack, Bob exercises in the track, Violet plays tennis…) and the characters perform the activities they hear. They change their activities when the reader assigns the character a new activity.

How to Prepare your own video activity:

• Select a scene in which the characters’ routines are evident

• Identify the characters in the segment

• List some of the activities the characters perform in the segment

• Students write the name of the characters who perform such activities

• Students write complete sentences, using the simple present tense

Watch the movie segment here:

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