Welcome back to our series “From Dull To Dynamic: Song Facts For ELT Success -Transforming Songs into Engaging Classroom Experiences!“
In this lesson, we’ll focus on the Song Fact Activity of Matching Movie Reviews to Pictures. This activity is a fun and interactive way to engage your students’ visual and critical thinking skills.
Here are some steps to implement it:
1. Prepare a set of movie reviews and pictures in advance:
To create this activity, you’ll need to choose a set of movie reviews and pictures that feature a song in their soundtrack that you want to focus on. You can find movie reviews on websites like Rotten Tomatoes or IMDb, and pictures can be movie stills or promotional posters. Make sure to choose reviews and pictures that are age-appropriate for your students and that align with the level of English proficiency you are targeting.
2. Divide your students into pairs and have them match the movie reviews with the corresponding pictures:
Once you have your materials prepared, divide your students into pairs and provide each pair with a set of reviews and pictures. Encourage your students to work together to match the reviews with the pictures that they think go together. You can set a time limit for this task to keep your students engaged and focused.
3. Set a clear objective for the matching task:
Before your students begin the matching task, provide them with a clear objective to make the process more engaging and effective. Here are some practical tips and steps to guide them:
a. Introduce the task: Briefly explain the purpose of the matching task to your students. Let them know that they will be matching movie reviews to corresponding pictures while focusing on specific aspects of the reviews.
b. Choose the focus points: Select two or three aspects of the movie reviews that you want your students to pay attention to, such as the plot, characters, themes, or setting. Make sure these aspects are relevant to the movies and songs you’ve chosen for the activity.
c. Model the process: To help your students understand what’s expected of them, model the process using an example review and picture. Show them how to look for keywords or phrases in the review that relate to the focus points you’ve chosen. Demonstrate how these clues can help them find the correct match.
d. Create a checklist: Provide your students with a simple checklist to guide their analysis of the movie reviews. The checklist could include questions like, “Does the review mention the main characters?” or “What themes are discussed in the review?” This will give your students a clear framework for approaching the task.
e. Encourage collaboration: Remind your students that they should work together in their pairs or small groups to discuss their findings and come to a consensus on the best match for each movie review and picture.
f. Monitor and support: While your students are working on the matching task, circulate around the room to monitor their progress. Offer support and guidance when needed, but encourage them to rely on their critical thinking skills to find the correct matches.
4. Challenge your students to guess which movie the song is from based on the review and picture:
After your students have completed the matching task, challenge them to guess which movie the song is from based on the review and picture. This will encourage them to use their critical thinking skills and engage in a deeper analysis of the materials. You can also provide hints or additional information to help your students make an educated guess.
“The sound and music are 50% of the entertainment in a movie.”
George Lucas
5. Use this activity as a starting point for a larger conversation about movies and music:
Finally, use this activity as a starting point for a larger conversation about movies and music. Follow these steps to engage your students in meaningful discussions:
a. Brainstorm movie elements: Start by asking your students to brainstorm different elements of movies, such as plot, characters, cinematography, and music. Write their ideas on the board to create a visual reference for the discussion.
b. Discuss the role of music in movies: Next, focus specifically on the role of music in movies. Ask your students how music can contribute to the overall atmosphere, emotion, and storytelling of a film. Encourage them to provide examples from their favorite movies.
c. Share personal experiences: Ask your students to share their favorite movies and explain why they like them, focusing on the role that music plays in their enjoyment. Encourage them to think about how the soundtrack enhances the viewing experience and connects with the emotions of the audience.
d. Debate the importance of music in movies: Organize a debate or discussion about the importance of music in movies. Divide your students into groups and assign them different perspectives, such as arguing that music is essential to the movie experience, or that it is not always necessary. This will help them practice their speaking and argumentation skills, while also encouraging critical thinking about the topic.
e. Reflect on the activity: To wrap up the discussion, have your students reflect on what they learned from the matching activity and how it relates to the broader conversation about movies and music. This will help them consolidate their understanding and make connections between the activity and the concepts discussed.
By following these steps, you can create a more informative and engaging discussion around the topic of movies and music, encouraging your students to share their opinions and engage in meaningful conversations.
Incorporating this activity into your lessons can help make your lessons more engaging and memorable for your students. By transforming bad tunes into teaching treasures, you can create a fun and effective way for your students to learn English.
The next installment of the course “From Dull to Dynamic: Song Facts for ELT Success” will explore another exciting Song Fact Activity: using movie titles, trailers, and reviews. Stay tuned for more tips and tricks on how to transform bad tunes into teaching treasures. Until then, keep on teaching and happy transforming!
Click the Image Below To Go To Part 2c:
Song Activity Factory 