The Present

This ELT lesson plan is designed around a moving short film by Jacob Frey titled The Present and the theme of teenagers. Students practice adjectives related to character and teenagers, watch the start of a short films, write a narrative and discuss the film.

 

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Language level: Pre-intermediate (A2) –Intermediate (B1)

Learner type: All ages

Time: 90 minutes

Activity: Practising vocabulary, watching a short film, prediciting the ending of a film, and speaking

Topic: Teenagers and disability

Language: Adjectives to describe character

Materials: Short film

Downloadable materials: the present film instructions

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Step 1

Divide the class into an even number of groups. Tell half of the groups that they have to come up with positive adjectives to describe character; the other groups have to come up with negative adjectives to describe character. Give them 10 minutes to come up with their adjectives.

 

Step 2

Pair students so that there is one member of the group who came up with the positive adjectives and a member of the group who came up with the negative adjectives in each pair. Their task is to compare their adjectives and to try to match the positive adjectives with a negative adjective. If they have not got the opposite of an adjective, they should try to supply it.

 

Step 3

Get feedback from the whole class, and write up the most common positive and negative adjectives.

 

 Step 4

In their pairs ask your students to discuss the following question:

What adjectives are normally used to describe teenagers?

Encourage students to use both positive and negative adjectives.

 

Step 5

Hold a plenary discussion on the question.

 

Step 6

Tell your students they are going to watch a short film in which they see a teenage boy. As they watch they should think of adjectives to describe the boy and his behaviour.

Show the film until 02:41.

The Present from Jacob Frey on Vimeo.

 

Step 7

Get feedback from the whole class on the boy’s character and behaviour.

 

Step 8

Show the film until 02:41 again. Ask them to summarise the story the film tells.

 

Step 9

Ask students to predict the rest of the film.

 

Step 10

Tell your students they are going to watch the rest of the film. As they watch they should compare their ending with what they see in the film.

 

Step 11

Ask your students to discuss the following questions in small group:

• Was the ending surprising?
• How does the film make you feel?
• Has your opinion of the boy’s character changed?
• Does the film have a message?

 

Step 12

Hold a plenary discussion based on the questions.

 

Homework

Students write a composition based on the point of view of the mother or the boy.

 

I hope you enjoy this ESL lesson.

 

Support Film English

Film English remains ad-free and takes many hours a month to research and write, and hundreds of dollars to sustain. If you find any joy or value in it, please consider supporting Film English with a monthly subscription, or by contributing a one-off payment.

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from Film Lessons – Film English http://film-english.com/2016/02/01/the-present/