The butterfly circus -Motivational session in English-

Some ideas to do in your English classes through a short film! For 4 E.S.O. and Bachillerato

The butterfly circus is a motivational short film of 20 minutes long.  Through this short film students will practice the listening, speaking and writing skill. This activity is explicitly design to make them know that they can do what they want as long as they have a positive attitude. By giving to the students this touching movie, they are being encouraged to talk about something that has to do with everybody.

Film’s plot:

At the height of the Great Depression, the showman (Eduardo Verastegui) of a renowned circus leads his troupe through the devastated American landscape, lifting the spirits of audiences along the way. During their travels they discover Will (Nick Vujicic), a man without limbs at a carnival sideshow, but after an intriguing encounter with the showman he becomes driven to hope against everything he has ever believed. http://thebutterflycircus.com/about/story/

Here is the film with English subtitle.

Film part 1: http://dotsub.com/view/7b5f59aa-6339-4831-866c-d085988f52ec

Film part 2: http://dotsub.com/view/02683716-f4f1-4fb3-b6a7-43dbf0b1f9fa

Objectives:

• Practice the listening so as to be able to give their opinions from what they have understood from the film.
• Practice the oral skill giving their opinions, ideas and thoughts.
• Write a reflection from the conclusions they get of the film.
• Motivate students to make them known that with a positive attitude and effort a person can achieve what they want.

 Pre-activity

Think about a situation in your life were you thought that you could not do something. For example: to pass an exam, or a moment that you were so shy and could not say something to somebody, or to speak in front of the class, or forgive someone. If you do not have any in mind think about a possible situation in the future that you find right now impossible to happen as for example to study a degree or to work in something that you would like to, or to have a good level of spoken English.

The teacher writes down in the blackboard students’ ideas. Each student has to thing at least about one.

Show them a photo of Nick Vujicic. Do you think this man can do something in life? have a decent life? How difficult can be your life without arms and legs? Do you think this is a real person or a fictional character?  Have you heard about him before?

During the activity.

The teacher put the movie in class until the minute 3:50 when Will, the limbless man spit at Mr. Mendez. Then, they have to think what is going to happen with Mr. Mendez. Will he help Will? or Will he treat him as the others?

Write down things that draw you attention during the movie to talk about them after the movie.

Post activities:

Which things have drawn your attention during the movie? Set the class in horseshoe position.

                Think about:

·         Tell the differences between ‘The carnival sideshow’ and ‘The butterfly circus’. How do they treat people?

·         Why are the people in ‘The butterfly circus’ happy?

               

Discuss in groups of four what these two sentences mean; what relation do they have with the movie and especially, with Will? Afterwards put your ideas in common and write them down.

-          ‘Where there is a will there is a way’

-          ‘Life is not a bed of roses’

In groups of four also search on the internet about all the things Nick Vujicic has done during his life. Do you know that he is married? Write down everything that you thought it was impossible for someone like him to do. Then, make a digital poster of Nick Vujicic ‘s life.

Write 5 lines reflection upon the movie and the things you thought they were impossible to do and that after watching the movie you think that you will reach.

Think about:

·         What can you learn from this character?

·         How a good attitude can help us to get the thing we want.

·         Think about the things you thought at the beginning of the class that you could not do.

Assessment

The assessment is in relation to the participation in class. Write down notes about the movie and about people´s opinion that may help you to construct your own.

Make a digital poster about Nick Vujicic in groups of four.

Hand in individually a writing with the meaning of the sayings ‘Life is not a bed of roses’ and ‘Where there is a will, there is a way’ and the relation they have with the movie. Also may your own reflection upon the movie.

Enjoy!!