The Princess Bride Film - Essay Example

English/ESL unit The Princess Bride film (PG) A teaching unit for Stage 4 English with links to ESL pedagogy Part I: Introduction Duration 6–8 weeks 2. Rationale This unit is an English class designed for stage 4, year 9 students. An average class runs 60 minutes. The American film The Princess Bride is chosen as the teaching unit as it combines comedy, adventure, romance and fancy. The teaching and learning activities in The Princess Bride unit are based on visual texts and the aim of the unit is to develop students’ understanding of the visual media of films and to improve their linguistic proficiency through this visual texts. The unit aims to enhance students’ knowledge regarding the various techniques employed in the film; it is expected that the selected scenes from the movie will provide useful insights to learners regarding the various camera shots, movements, sound effects, music and dialogues as shown in the movie. The students need to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and understanding of film through an analysis of selected scenes from the movie and the assessment tasks are carefully planned to meet the language needs of the learners too. The ESL Scales pointers have also been considered in the selection of learning activities for the students so that each of the activities caters to the linguistic level of the learners. 3. Focus Stage 4 outcomes A student: 1 responds to and composes texts for understanding, interpretation, critical analysis and pleasure 3 responds to and composes texts in different technologies 4 uses and describes language forms and features, and structures of texts appropriate to different purposes, audiences and contexts 9 demonstrates understanding that texts express views of their broadening world and their relationships within it 4. Assessment 1. Students are asked to submit a portfolio at the end of the unit for teacher feedback and the portfolio should comprise of their understanding of the various themes of the movie and how the character sketch of each of the major characters are revealed in the movie from the scenes shown to them. 2. The class task asks the students to make a write up of the importance of dialogues and sound effects in the movie. For this, students are shown certain scenes in the movie without any sounds. Students need to construct appropriate dialogues based on the actions and later they can be shown the same scenes with all the dialogues and sound effects. Part II: Level of support 1. FIELD BUILDING ACTIVITIES The following field building activities are aimed at introducing the film, its genre, characters and the setting of the movie: a) Pre-viewing Activities that will provide the students with an understanding of the basic factors associated with the genre of film, the various categories of films and the major actors/actresses of the movie. 1. Discussion: The teacher organizes an open discussion in the class. Initially, the teacher asks each one what they know about films in general. Each one contributes to the discussion by adding a different point. The students are asked to take notes whenever a new idea is being discussed. Students can also ask for clarifications, examples and substantiation on what others have pointed out. The activity goes on until the students have shared all their previous understanding of the genre of films. The teacher can then intervene to divert their attention to new information on films and can carefully elicit their responses. This would pave way for another creative discussion where the learners will share their understanding on the one hand and this will also provide an opportunity for the students to ask various questions to the teacher whereby they get a better picture of the genre of film. b) Activities whereby the students identify to which the category The Princess Bride belongs, who has directed the film, and who are the major characters in the movie. 2. Visual and videos: The teacher employs various visuals and video clippings of the movie to familiarise the learners that the movie belongs to the genre of romance. For this, the teacher shows a series of romantic scenes from the movie where both Westley and Buttercup are involved. It is also good that the teacher brings a number of visuals of some other romance movies of the same category. Similarly, the visuals of the director and the video clippings from his other films can also be shown. Later, the teacher can show different visuals of the major actors and actresses in the movie and ask students to identify them. The teacher can thus elicit responses from the students regarding the genre of the movie, its director, and the major actor/characters in the movie. c) Activities whereby the learners grasp the importance of dialogues and sound effects in the movie. 3. Brainstorming: Brainstorming can best be used to convince the students of the significance of dialogues and other sound effects in a movie. At the end of the brainstorming session, students need to find answer to the question whether sound effects are necessary in a film and up to what extend sound effects enhance the visual effect of the movie. For this, the teacher can show some video clips from the film, some with all the sound effects and others without any sound effects. Students can also be shown the same movie clip first without any sounds and then with all the sound effects. The teacher elicits responses from the learners regarding the differences between the two and turns the session into a discussion at the end of which students are convinced of the significance of dialogues and sound effects in any movie. 2. MODELLING ACTIVITIES The modeling activities for the unit are comprised of two types of role plays: 1. Role plays: Students are shown a particular scene from the movie without dialogues or sound effects. Students need to frame appropriate dialogues based on the actions they watch on the screen. Students are divided into various pairs. Each pair needs to observe the actions keenly and prepare suitable dialogues for the actions. Once all the students in pairs are ready with the dialogue script, they can role play the written dialogues modeling on the characters’ own mannerisms and actions. The activity is repeated until most of the learners get a chance to stage their role plays in front of the class. The teacher offers scaffolding assistance to the learners wherever necessary. It is expected that by the end of the activity the learners will improve their communication skill to use the language in various social situations. 2. Enactment: Students are provided the dialogues between Westley, Buttercup and Ingo Montoya of a particular scene in the movie and the setting of the action also is told to the learners. Students are asked to model their actions on the given dialogues. Students are divided into random groups of three and each group is given time to enact the script they are provided. The teacher needs to offer the needy assistance to each of the groups in the enactment process. Special care is to be taken by the teacher to foster the creativity and original thinking of the learner and the primary objective of the activity is to observe how the students demonstrate their understanding of the genre of film and acting. 3. JOINT CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES 1. Group Work: Students are divided into various groups. The teacher carefully selects a series of scenes from the movie that will convey the dominant themes in the movie to the learners. As the first step of the group work, each student makes a list of the dominant themes in the movie based on the scenes they have seen. Students are also asked to pinpoint which scene in the movie has imprinted the specified theme in their minds. For this, the students need to note down the scene as well as the corresponding theme of each of the scenes. Once the students complete their individual note making, they are asked to consolidate their understanding of the various themes in groups. Each group at the end presents their findings to the whole class and the other group members are asked to make a note of the themes thus pointed out. 2. Joint Construction Activity: The purpose of this joint construction activity is to convince the students of the importance of the various sound techniques employed in the movie. For this, students are asked to watch the various scenes without any sound effects in the initial stage and later they watch the same scenes with all the sound effects and dialogues. The activity begins by each student pointing out at least one difference or advantage of the sound techniques. The next student adds another difference or advantage. The fifth student consolidates the differences pointed out by others and the activity is continued until the students have brought out all the major points. The activity thus provides the necessary background information for the write up. The teacher scaffolds by offering appropriate transitional phrases wherever necessary. 5 stages of curriculum cycle A. Stage One: Building of the field 1. Discussions: Discussion is chosen in this stage to familiarise the students the various concepts regarding the genre of movie. The teacher organizes an open discussion in the class. Initially, the teacher asks each one what they know about films in general. Each one contributes to the discussion by adding a different point. The students are asked to take notes whenever a new idea is being discussed. B. Stage Two: Learning about the text type d) Immersion in the text type: The students are given ample opportunity to watch various parts of the visual text. They get immersed in the text in order to understand such details of the film as its themes, characters, camera techniques and various types of shots. The students need to observe the film clips shown to them and formulate ideas with the scaffolding of the teacher. C. Stage Three: Guided practice in using the text type 1. Jointly constructed writing: Group Work on the various themes of the film is provided for jointly constructed writing. Students are divided into various groups. The teacher carefully selects a series of scenes from the movie that will convey the dominant themes in the movie to the learners. As the first step of the group work, each student makes a list of the dominant themes in the movie based on the scenes they have seen and later they need to consolidate their ideas in groups. D. Stage Four: Independent Use of the text type 1. Develop a rough draft: Students are asked to develop a rough draft in connection with the film. For this, the students are given an individual aassignment where they are asked to prepare an individual write up on the importance of sound effects, music and dialogues in the movie for teacher feedback. For this, they can make use of the discussion they had with the peers. E. Stage Five: Reflecting on the text type and its use 1. Evaluate and critically analyse similar texts on an informed bases: Students are asked to watch at least one similar movie and submit a review of the movie. In their review, they are expected to comment on such aspects as the theme of the movie, the character sketches of the main characters, the setting of the movie, its camera techniques, music, sound effects, dialogues etc. 4. Part III: Lesson Plan 1 English Syllabus outcomes Students learn to: Students learn about: Language Focus Teaching and learning sequence Resources Quality teaching ESL Scales Outcome: 4.1 Students learn to identify and describe the purpose, audience and context of texts ESL Scales Outcome: 5.1 Students communicate in familiar social and classroom situations, extracting relevant information from spoken English and elaborating on some ideas in coherent speech. ESL Scales Outcome: 4.1 Students learn to identify and describe the purpose, audience and context of texts ESL Scales Outcome: 4.4 Accesses and incorporates English into own oral repertoire from a range of oral and written sources in order to extend oral skills in English. ESL Scales Outcome: 5.1 Listen for relevant information when questions are given beforehand (audio-visual aids). 5.9 The students communicate on a range of familiar topics and incorporate language and ideas drawn from different sources in response to varying demands of the classroom 5.9 Sustain an argument on a simple point of view and come to a conclusion 5.1 Recount the views and statements of others. 5.10 They adjust the form of writing to contexts, purposes and audiences. 6.3 interprets and creates spoken texts in ways that show a developing control over subject-specific registers. 9.8 The ways in which their experiences and perspective shape their responses. . 9.9 The ways their experiences and perspectives are represented in texts (understands how their previous experiences help them in facilitating new learning). 3.9 communicates on a number of familiar topics through writing simple creative and informational texts in response to classroom demands. Vocabulary genre, characters, romance, Setting, Plot, Structure, Listening, communication Conversation, Questions and answering Note making Listening, Identifying, and answering Discussion Character and character traits 1. Pre-viewing activities: introduction to films. PRIOR KNOWLEDGE Students brainstorm the various concepts associated with films. Initiates a discussion through a variety of questions: FIELD BUILDING 1. Discussion: Initiates a discussion through a variety of questions: What is film? Establish a common, shared understanding of the term Why do people watch films? Can you tell me some of the major categories/genres of films? Have you watched the film ‘Titanic’? Which category does the film fall into/ What do you understand by romance? Have you watched the film Stand by me? -each student contributes to the discussion. Students take notes whenever a new idea is discussed. The activity continues until everyone has shared his/her views 2. pictures, postures, Visual and videos Shows postures of all the films by Rob Reiner and asks students to identify them Shows various video covers, OHTs and postures of the film The Princess Bride and elicits responses from the learners regarding the actors and actresses in the film. Shows various pictures (images) of the characters in the film and introduces all the major characters and their relation to each other Oral communication Pictures/posters of various romance films. Pictures, postures of all the films by Rob Reiner Video covers, Postures, OHTs Pictures, images Significance: Background knowledge Cultural knowledge Background knowledge Cultural knowledge Background knowledge Cultural Knowledge Background knowledge Cultural knowledge Part III: Lesson Plan 2 English Syllabus outcomes Students learn to: Students learn about: Language Focus Teaching and learning sequence Resources Quality teaching ESL Scales Outcome: 5.9 The students communicate on a range of familiar topics and incorporate language and ideas drawn from different sources in response to varying demands of the classroom. ESL Scales Outcome 3.2 demonstrates awareness of aspects of spoken English necessary for communicating and learning at school. Responds to controlled spoken English in familiar exchanges and manipulates learned structures and features to make original utterances characterised by simplified language and varying grammatical accuracy. ESL Scales Outcome 5.11 Writes a number of coherent texts, demonstrating some flexibility and control over key organizational and language features. ESL Scales Outcome 5.10 adjust the form of writing to contexts, purposes and audiences. 3.11 write a variety of simple cohesive texts, demonstrating a developing use of simple language and structures (Evaluate, understand and appreciate a movie in terms of its sound effects, music, and dialogues). 5.1 Engage in transactions and simple negotiations with peers (organizing, planning and presenting a group project or special event). 5.4 uses knowledge of oral and written English to sustain and monitor spoken English 5.10 They adjust the form of writing to contexts, purposes and audiences 5.9 Write logically, incorporating relevant information. 4.4 Accesses and incorporates English into own oral repertoire from a range of oral and written sources in order to extend oral skills in English. 5.1 Recount the views and statements of others (learns how to employ appropriate transitions while narrating differences). 5.3 shows understanding of spoken English cueing into key organizational and language features and demonstrating control over a basic oral repertoire. 5.12 focuses on planning and editing writing to improve its range and expression (learns the necessary prerequisites of group work) 4.12 make use of discussion and reflection to enhance the writing process. Listening and Identifying Listening and Identifying Understanding and appreciation Transitional phrases Group discussion Writing skills-assignment MODELLING: 1. The Importance of Sound Effects in a Movie Visuals and videos: Guided Support 1. Role plays: Students are shown a particular scene from the movie without dialogues or sound effects. Students need to frame appropriate dialogues based on the actions they watch on the screen. Students are divided into various pairs and role plays. Shows students the scene where Westley and Buttercup meets for the first time with all the sound effects Shows the same scene again without any sound effects or dialogues. Asks students about the difference they felt. Each student suggest at least one difference and the others take notes on them. The observations of the learners are consolidated in the classroom. The teacher scaffolds by adding various transitional phrases wherever necessary. Guided Support Shows another scene between the two and asks students to frame appropriate dialogues for the action they watched. The scene can be played more than once, if needed. Group discussion, consolidation and presentation of the importance of sound effects, music and dialogues in the movie. Independent Support Assignment-an individual write up on the importance of sound effects, music and dialogues in the movie for teacher feedback. Video clips Video Videos and visuals Chart displaying the major transitional phrases Video clips of various types of shots Engagement Engagement Metalanguage Deep understanding Assignment-understanding Part III: Lesson Plan 3 English Syllabus outcomes Students learn to: Students learn about: Language Focus Teaching and learning sequence Resources Quality teaching ESL Scales Outcome 5.6 Demonstrates Understanding of how information is organized and presented in visual texts. ESL Scales Outcome 5.6 Demonstrates Understanding of how information is organized and presented in visual texts. ESL Scales Outcome: 5.9 The students communicate on a range of familiar topics and incorporate language and ideas drawn from different sources in response to varying demands of the classroom. ESL Scales Outcome 5.8 Applies basic text access strategies to enhance comprehension and learning. ESL Scales Outcome 4.9 Communicates for a range of purposes on a variety of familiar topic using a basic repertoire of text types. ESL Scales Outcome 6.1 communicates in familiar formal and informal registers, interpreting spoken English mainly at a literal level and organising language and ideas drawn from different sources. ESL Scales Outcome 5.11 Writes a number of coherent texts, demonstrating some flexibility and control over key organizational and language features. 5.8 applies basic text access strategies to enhance comprehension and learning 6.3 interprets and creates spoken texts in ways that show a developing control over subject-specific registers. 6.9 communicates on a range of topics, marshalling ideas through a variety of well-known text types. 6.3 interprets and create spoken texts in ways that show a developing control over subject-specific registers. 6.9 communicates on a range of topics, marshalling ideas through a variety of well-known text types. 6.11 writes a variety of coherent texts characterised by a cohesive and flexible use of language. 5.10 adjust the form of writing to contexts, purposes and audiences 5.7 interprets text cueing into key organizational and language features 4.7 interprets simple texts, recognising key words connecting ideas and the organization of information in a visual text. 5.6 demonstrates understanding of how information is organised and presented in English texts. 4.5 listens for a range of purposes and identifies main ideas and specific information in simple texts. 4.12 make use of discussion and reflection to enhance the writing process. 5.9 communicates on a range of familiar topics and incorporates language and ideas drawn from different sources in response to the varying demands of the classroom. 4.11 writes a variety of texts demonstrating some overall cohesion and coherence. 5.9 Write logically, incorporating relevant information Identifying and understanding Identifying and understanding Identifying and understanding Identifying and understanding Identifying and understanding Discussion Flaw chart Discussion Writing skills-assignment. Guided Support 3. Understanding of the various shots in movie Shows students different sorts of shots from the movie and asks them to identify which is mid shot, close shot, close up shot, long shot, aerial shot etc….. The teacher brings a series of video clips from various movies that will provide the learners an understanding of the various types of shots employed in the movie. Students are asked to observe keenly and identify the peculiarity of each of the shots. Guided Activity Close up shots: asks students how their close up photos are taken. Teacher shows them some close up photos. Later students are shown some video clippings where close up shots are involved Elicits responses from the learners regarding the peculiarities of close up shots. Mid shot: The same activity is continued. Students get an idea of mid shots from the variety of visuals shown to them. Examples of mid shots from The Princess Bride. Long shot: shows some visuals where a combination of close up shots, mid shots and long shots are involved. Students watch each scene carefully and formulate ides regarding all of these shots. Teacher elicits responses from the students through various questions. Aerial Shot: shows some scenes where aerial shots are being used. Students identify the specialities of aerial shots. Controlled Support Discussion 1: students are divided into various groups and they discuss on the difference between each shots. After the discussion, each group is asked to make a flaw chart of the various shots involved in the movie. Discussion2: Camera Techniques. The aim of this group discussion is to provide the learners with the various camera techniques involved in each of the shots in a movie. Teacher initiates a discussion on the camera techniques used in the making of each shots and the learners share their understanding. Independent Support Assignment: At the end of the discussion, students are asked to submit an individual write up on the various shots and camera techniques employed in the making of a film for teacher feed back. Visuals and video Visuals and videos Visuals and videos Visuals and videos Visuals and videos Flaw chart assignment Engagement Engagement engagement engagement engagement Engagement Engagement, understanding Deep understanding Understanding Part III: Lesson Plan 4 English Syllabus Outcomes Students learn to: Students learn about: Language Focus Teaching and learning sequence Resources Quality teaching ESL Scales Outcome 5.6 Demonstrates Understanding of how information is organized and presented in visual texts. ESL Scales Outcome 5.6 Demonstrates Understanding of how information is organized and presented in visual texts. ESL Scales Outcome 5.10 adjust the form of writing to contexts, purposes and audiences. ESL Scales Outcome 5.11 Writes a number of coherent texts, demonstrating some flexibility and control over key organizational and language features. ESL Scales Outcome: 5.9 The students communicate on a range of familiar topics and incorporate language and ideas drawn from different sources in response to varying demands of the classroom. 4.1 understand the gist of unfamiliar topics expressed in familiar language and communicates in predictable social and learning situations, expressing simple messages in connected speech. 6.3 interprets and creates spoken texts in ways that show a developing control over subject-specific registers. 4.6 relates own culture, knowledge and experience to information in the visual text. 4.10 demonstrate an awareness of how effective writing is tailored to the requirements of the topic and the needs of the reader. 4.9 communicates for a range of purpose on a variety of familiar topics using a basic repertoire of text types. 4.4 Accesses and incorporates English into oral repertoire from a range of oral and written sources in order to extend oral skills in English (The various themes employed in such a visual text as a film). 4.7 interprets simple texts, recognising key words connecting ideas and the organization of information in a visual text. 4.11 writes a variety of texts demonstrating some overall cohesion and coherence. 6.9 communicates on a range of topics, marshalling ideas through a variety of well-known text types. Listening, identifying Listening, Identifying Listening, Identifying Listening, identifying Note-making, Group work Communication skills JOINT CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY Identification of Themes Guided Support: As the first step of the joint construction activity, each student makes a list of the dominant themes in the movie based on the scenes they have seen. Students are also asked to pinpoint which scene in the movie has imprinted the specified theme in their minds 1. The theme of Romance and true love Shows all the major romance scenes between Westley and Buttercup in the movie. The scenes where Westley and Buttercup part, their sufferings, the cruelties of Humperdinck, Westley’s fights to fulfill his love and the final scene where the two lovers are united are also shown. 2. The theme of Revenge shows such scenes where Ingo Montoya expresses that his only goal in life is to take revenge on the six fingered man who murdered his father The scene where he takes revenge on Count Rugen is shown Independent Support Individual listing of the major themes and character-sketches in the film Controlled Support Consolidation in groups where students need to substantiate each theme/charcter-sketch with relevant scenes and actions from the movie. Independent Suppot Presentation by each group Conclusion by the teacher by eliciting responses from the learners on the theme, character sketches, sound effects, music, dialogues and various shots employed in the movie. Video and visual text Visuals and video Video clips Note-making Engagement Engagement Engagement Understanding Deep understanding Engagement, understanding and deep understanding. Read More