"smile" lesson plan

This is another example of lesson plan. The reason I loved these lesson plans is that they provide a great communication to the learners. I took them from here: 

Smile

Language level: Intermediate (B1) +

Learner type: Mature teens; Adults

Time: 90 minutes

Activity: Listening; speaking; reading

Topic: Smiling; optimism

Language: Optimistic vocabulary and expressions

Materials: 2 short films and TED video,video transcripts; PowerPoint presentation

Overview

This lesson practises listening, speaking and reading. This optimistic lesson is designed around  a short film School Portrait by director Nick Scott  which tells the story of a jaded, cynical school photographer who tries to give each child a harsh vision of what their future will really look like, but a little girl with an infectious smile teaches him an important life lesson. The lesson also includes images from  a beautiful book Everything Is Going To Be OK which uses positive artwork from a variety of artists, graphic designers and illustrators.  I discovered the book on Maria Popova‘s wonderful Brainpickings. 

Step 1

Write School Portrait on the board and ask your students if they know what it means. If they don’t know explain that it is a photograph taken at school by a professional photographer. Ask your students if they have had an individual school portrait taken at their school. Ask about their experience. If you have your own school portrait show it to your students.

Ask your students if they can remember what the photographer said to them and how he encouraged them to smile.

Step 2

Tell your students that they are going to watch a short film called School Portrait. Ask them the following question:

How is the photographer different from a normal school photographer?

School Portrait (2011) from Michael Berliner on Vimeo.

Step 3

Cut up the sentences which the photographer says in the School Portrait Dialogue Word document. Put students into small groups and give each group one set of sentences. Tell them they are going to watch the film again and that they have to put the photographer’s sentences into the correct order.

Check answers and get feedback.

Answers

Step 3

Put your students  in small groups and ask them to discuss what the message of the film is.

Step 4

The message of the film is that smiling and being optimistic is extremely important in life. Show students the images below taken from a beautiful bookEverything Is Going To Be OK  . Ask them to discuss each image and its message.

here are pictures.

Follow up

Ask students if they know what an infectious smile is. Ask them if they know anyone with an infectious smile. Show them the photo below.

Ask your students the following questions:

Do you like this woman’s smile?

Does she smile a lot?

What kind of person do you think she is?

What kind of philosophy does she have about life?

What does she do?

Tell your students they are going to watch a short film about this woman. Ask them to watch the film and check their answers.

Unfortunately, the film can’t be embedded, but here’s a link.

Homework

For homework give students the link to this TED video in which Ron Gutmantalks about empirical research which shows how important smiling is in life.

Ask students to watch the video and make notes about research which shows that smiling has a positive effect on our lives.

Give students the transcript of the talk.

here is the transcript of the video.