This ELT lesson plan is designed around a short film by Beth David and Esteban Bravo and the theme of love. Students learn and practice expressions using the word “heart”, watch a short film trailer, predict and write a story, watch and discuss a short film, and watch and discuss a video in which elderly people give their reactions to the short film.
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Language level: Intermediate (B1) – Upper Intermediate (B2)
Learner type: Teens and adults
Time: 90 minutes
Activity: Practicing expressions using the word “heart”, watching a short film trailer, predicting and writing a story, watching and discussing a short film, and watch and discussing a reaction video
Topic: Love
Language: Vocabulary related to love
Materials: Trailer, short film and reaction video
Downloadable materials: in a heartbeat lesson instructions
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Step 1
Write the following sentences on the board:
- My sister is so good-hearted – she’s always volunteering at food banks and trying to help the less fortunate.
- I feel terrible for Anna – she’s been broken hearted since she broke up with Alex.
- I was going to take the job in Australia, but after thinking how much I’d miss my family and friends, I had a change of heart.
- My girlfriend and I had a real heart-to-heart and we’re getting on much better now.
- The President ignored the requests to accept more refugees, causing many to accuse him of having a heart of stone.
- Laura was studying economics, but her heart wasn’t in it and she gave up after a year.
- His parents wanted him to marry the daughter of their rich friends, but he followed his heart and married his childhood sweetheart.
- When John broke up with his girlfriend, he poured his heart out to his mother.
- My mother’s 87, but she’s young at heart.
Step 2
Pair your students. Ask them to work out the meaning of each expression using the word “heart”.
Step 3
Elicit the meaning of each expression.
Step 4
Ask your students to write 5 true sentences for them using the expressions they’ve just looked at.
Step 5
Ask your students to read their sentences to a partner.
Step 6
Write the following sentence on the board:
“I’d go and live in a small house in the country in a heartbeat.”
Elicit or explain that “in a heartbeat”, means to do something quickly, instantly, without thinking.
Step 7
Ask your students if there’s anything they’d do in a heartbeat.
Step 8
Tell your students they are going to watch a trailer for a short film titled “In a Heartbeat”. As they watch the trailer, they should imagine what story the whole film tells. Show the trailer twice.
In a Heartbeat – Official Trailer from In a Heartbeat on Vimeo.
Step 9
Put your students into small groups. Ask them to write the story the film tells using narrative tenses. Help them with vocabulary and expressions as necessary. Set a time limit of 10 minutes.
Step 10
Get a spokesperson from each group to read out their story. Ask for comments from the other groups.
Step 11
Tell your students they are now going to watch the film. As they watch they should compare the story the film tells with their own narratives. Show the film twice.
Step 12
Ask your students how the film’s narrative was similar and difference to their stories.
Step 13
Dictate the following questions:
- How is the red-haired boy feeling at the strat of the film? Why?
- What is his heart telling him to do? Why is he afraid to do this?
- What is the dark-haired boy feeling at the beginning of the film?
- What happens in the school?
- How is the red-haired boy feeling when he only has half of his heart?
- What happens when the dark-haired boy gives the red-haired boy the other half of his heart back?
Tell your students they should answer these questions as they watch the film again.
Step 14
Hold a plenary discussion based on your students’ answers.
Step 15
Ask your students the following questions:
- How does the film make you feel?
- Does the film have a message? If so, what?
Step 16
Ask your students how they think a group of seniors (over 65) would react to the film. Ask them what adjectives they might use to describe it.
Step 17
Tell your students they are going to watch a video in which they will see the reactions of a group of American seniors to the film. As they watch they should note down any adjectives the people (Johnny, Norman, Robert, Libby, Jennifer, Catherine, Cheryl, and Vera) use to describe the film. Show the video twice until 04:25
Step 18
Get feedback on the elders’ reaction to the film
Homework
Ask students to record their own video with their reaction to the film. They should send you a link to the video. Give them feedback on content and pronunciation.
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.
Monthly subscription |
| €7,00 EUR – monthly €3,00 EUR – monthly €10,00 EUR – monthly €25,00 EUR – monthly |
One-off payment |
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from Film Lessons – Film English http://film-english.com/2017/08/06/in-a-heartbeat/
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