Jul 26, 2009

The Bucket List: Possessive Pronouns with Gerunds

This is a great movie with touching messages. Although the story seems to be sad, the film itself is uplifting. This scene in particular is funny and exciting. I took advantage of such a thrilling scene to have students practice the construction of possessive pronouns before gerunds.


A. Talk to a partner:



1. Have you ever gone skydiving? Would you like to do it? Why (not)?

2. What was the most exciting adventure you have ever had? Tell your friend about it?

3. Do you prefer to have vacation time in a place to practice extreme sports and/or enjoy nature, or would you rather travel to the city in order to enjoy its night life? Explain it.

4. Are you braver than you used to be when you were younger or are you less courageous nowadays? Why do you think so?


B. Watch the movie segment and choose the best way to complete the sentences below.












Carter and Edward

1. Their/ They/ Them getting ready to jump was extremely awkward.
2. One of Carter's concern was his/ he/ him/ missing the chance to see his wife again.

3. Edward disliked Kyle's / Kyle making comments about Edward's second wife.

4. Edward supported Carter's / Carter jumping off the plane.

5. Carter was really concerned about the parachute's/ parachute not opening.

6. Their/ Them/ They having a few months of life made them experiment new adventures before dying.
7. Edward's instructor was desperate with his/ he/ him singing while they were skydiving.

8. Edward and Carter seemed to have enjoyed their/ their/ they diving.

C. Complete these sentences. Use pronouns / possessive ('s) before gerunds in your answers.

1. One interesting thing in the scene was ………………………………………………………….
2. The funniest moment of the segment was ………………………………………………………..
3 . ………………………………………………………………………………………….….. was amazing.


D. Individually, make a list of 10 things you would like to do before you die. Don't show it to anyone.


E. Work in groups of three students now. Share your list with a friend and come up with a final one with 10 things the three of you would like to do before you die. You have to negotiate and convince your partners because only 10 activities are possible.



F. Share your list with your classmates.

Answer Key:
Their / His / Kyle's / Carter's / Parachute's / Their / His / Their




WORKSHEET


MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE BUCKET LIST

Jul 19, 2009

Meet the Robinsons: 3rd Conditional

This movie is wonderful. It is appealing to both children and adults. I love animated movies and this one is really special. I selected two scenes of the movie. The first one, when Lewis is abandoned by his Mom, and another one very close to the ending, when he travels back in time and has the chance to talk to his mom and change his past. The activity is also divided into two parts. It is perfect to practice the 3rd conditional in a creative and contextualized manner.



A. Watch the first part of the video segment. Because Lewis's mother left him at he door of a foster home, here are a few consequences of this act in his life. Check the ones YOU believe are possible:

1. He never met his biological mom.
2. He was raised in a foster home.
3. He was never adopted.
4. His life was lonely.
5. He did not have many friends.
6. He always wanted to meet his real mother.
7. He became a clever child anyway.
8. Many foster parents interviewed and refused to adopt him.





Part 1

B. Now watch the second part of the video segment. It took place 12 years later. Lewis traveled back in time and had the chance to change his past.

C. Now rewrite the statements in exercise A, saying how different Lewis’s life might/could/would have been if he had changed his past. Make sure you use the 3rd conditional.

If Lewis
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………....
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
,

1. He would have met his biological mother.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Answer Key:

2 - He wouldn't have been raised in a foster home.
3 - He wouldn't have been adopted.
4 - His life might not have been lonely.
5 - He might have made friends.
6 - He wouldn't have wanted to meet his mother.
7 - He would have become a clever child anyway.
8 - He wouldn't have been interviewed by foster parents.





Part 2



D. Ask a partner the following questions:

1. If you could change something about your past, what would you change? Justify it.
2. If you could grant only one wish for the future, what would it be?
3) If you could change something that happened in the history of humanity, what would you change?


E. Switch roles.


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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - MEET THE ROBINSONS PART 1

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - MEET THE ROBINSONS PART 2


Jul 12, 2009

The Heartbreak Kid: Adversative Conjuctions - Opposition



This segment is excellent because the main characters want to do completely different things, which is great to practice adversative conjunctions.
A. Talk to a partner:
1. Do you believe everyone has a soul mate? Have you found yours? Explain it.


2. Is it important for lovers to like the same things? Why (not)?



B. Watch the movie segment about a newly weds who do not know each other very well. Write HE in the square next to the sentence if it is about Eddie, SHE if it is about Miranda, or THEY if it is about both of them.


1 (He) loves to go fishing.
(She) gets seasick.

2 ( ) would like to go on an adventure and go up the mountains.
( ) thinks it would be nice to just relax on the beach.


3 ( ) kept on singing very excitedly.
( ) got tired of singing.


4 ( ) was sick and tired of her singing.

( ) wasn’t courageous enough to reveal it.


5 ( ) were going on their honeymoon.

( ) knew very little about each other.

C. Now combine the sentences above using the conjunctions below:



But / still / yet / whereas / while / although / despite the fact / though / however/ nevertheless

1 …………………………………………………….…………….

2 ………….....…………………………………………………....

3 …………………………………………………………………..

4 ............…………………………………………………………

5 ……………………………………………………………………


Answer Key:

B.
1. He/she
2. He/she
3. He/she
4. He/he
5. They/they

C. Answers will vary.



How to prepare your own video activity.

- Select a scene in which the characters enjoy or perform different activities.
- Prepare sentences for the students to identify who enjoys/performs the activities
- The students rewrite the sentences using the given conjunctions





MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE HEARTBREAK KID


How to prepare your own video activity:

- Select a scene in which two characters enjoy/ perform different activities
- Write down two sentences with the same or opposite ideas about the characters likes and dislikes
- Provide the students with the conjunctions you want them to use
- Ask them to combine both sentences with the conjunctions

Jul 5, 2009

The Butterfly Effect: Past Modals for Speculation - Might/ Must/ Could + Have + Past Part.

This is a very popular movie with a creative story. The main character, Evan, has occasional blackouts that prevent him from knowing exactly what happened at certain moments of his life. This is a scene of vandalism. Because Evan had a blackout, he doesn't know what took place during the elapsed 10 minutes of that day. We, spectators, dont know either. This is perfect for the students to practice past modals for speculation in order to guess what really happened.



A. Talk to a partner:


1. Should underaged individuals be legally responsible for their acts? Justify your answer.

2. Should teeangers go to jail like adults do when they are held responsible for a serious crime? Explain it.

3. What should the legal age be for an individual to be criminally responsible for their acts?

4. Does your city suffer with the acts of vandals? What are the most common ones?

5. What should be done about these cases?




B. Watch the segment and check the alternatives that you believe are possible explanations for the 10 minutes Evan blacked out, based on the evidence you have of their reactions and dialogs:

( ) 1. The bomb did not explode.

( ) 2. The owners of the house got seriously hurt.

( ) 3. A few people died because of the explosion.

( ) 4. A police officer saw what thet were trying to do and prevented a serious accident.

( ) 5. The bomb burned the house down.

( ) 6. Evan forgot what had happened to protect himself and his friends.




C. Now rewrite the sentences above using past modals (might/could/must/can't + have + past participle).



1 - ..................................................................
2 - ..................................................................
3 - .................................................................
4 - ................................................................
5 - ................................................................
6 - .................................................................

Answer Key:
All the items can be checked.


1. The bomb might not have exploded.
2. The owners might have got...
3. A few people might have died.
4. A police officer might have seen...
5. The bomb might have burned...
6. Evan might have forgotten...


WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT

How to prepare your own video segment:

• Select a segment in which the viewer cannot predict what happened before the scene actually takes place.
• Prepare an exercise with several possible (or impossible) explanations for the puzzle.
• Ask students to rewrite the same sentences, using the grammar point – Might/ Could/ Can’t/ Must + have + past participle.