Beyonc If I Were a Boy

Stag e Activity Option Materials

PRE-LISTENING

Personalise

1. Divide the class into boys / girls and ask them to complete the following sentences: Being a girl is / If I were a boy Id Being a boy is / If I were a girl Id.. or Conduct a survey / opinion poll 2. Open a page on IWB (see attached) with random answers to the above question. Ask Ss to sort them into two groups. Draw their attention to hypothetical nature of would Play a snippet of the song and ask Ss if they have heard the song. What is it about? Why is it called If I Were a Boy? Who is it by? Is it a happy/sad song? How does she feel? Show the picture of Beyonc Elicit what Ss know about the singer. (age, the group she used to sing in, famous hits, awards etc) Hand out worksheets What do you think Beyonc would do if she were a boy?

IWB page 1 blank page

IWB page 2 use drag & drop function Windows Media Player (song in MP3)

Generate Interest

Brainstorm knowledge

IWB page 3 Write next to / on the picture IWB page 3 - scroll down to the table

Prediction / Task

Use white ink to Tell Ss that she might use different words in blank over the the song. Check they understand the task. middle and right columns to be erased / revealed later students worksheets Windows Media Player (song in MP3)

WHILE-LISTENING

While 1 Check prediction

Ss listen to check that their predictions are correct and tick off the ones the singer mentions as they listen to the song.

Allow time to check the answers in pairs before going over the answers as a class. Erase & reveal the answers line by line as you go through the answer with the class

IWB page 3 Erase & reveal the middle and right column

While 2 Repeat listen

Repeat listening for task from While 1 if necessary hand out the lyrics clarify vocabulary if necessary

POST-LISTENING

Post Speaking

Facilitate whole class discussion

Post Language focus While 3 Listen & Watch

Optional: Focus on using would for hypothetical situations (Second conditional) Watch the video Does the video help you understand the message of the song or does it change your perception of it?
http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=AWpsOqh8q0M

POST-LISTENING

WHILE-LISTENING

Post Writing

Write a short essay Do you think it is easier to be a man or woman? In which countries do you think it is easier to be a woman, and in which counties do you think it is easier to be a man?

Follow up suggestions

Video Bend It Like Beckham see for example this scene: No more football! Video Billy Elliot Reading on Gender Roles

IWB page 2 If I were

Girls answers Boys answers

wear dresses not cry spend hours in front of the mirror get into fights play football on Saturdays talk on the phone a lot (add your own ideas)

Students worksheet Beyonce

If I Were a Boy

What would Beyonc do if she were a boy? play soccer

turn her cellphone off

spend time with whomever she wanted go out drinking wear whatever she liked not cry at night not care about other people Listen to the song and tick the ones you hear. Students worksheet 2

After watching the video Does the video help you understand the message of the song or does it change your perception of it? Why do you think a policeman/woman was chosen as the main character? What is he doing on the computer at 1.30?

Do you think it is easier to be a man or woman? In which countries do you think it is easier to be a woman, and in which counties do you think it is easier to be a man?

IWB page 3 Beyonce

If I Were a Boy

What would Beyonc do if she were a boy? play soccer

No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes put myself first Id turn off my phone kick it with who I wanted drink beer with the guys throw on what I wanted

turn her cellphone off spend time with whomever she wanted

go out drinking wear whatever she liked not cry at night not care about other people

Listen to the song and tick the ones you hear. Beyonc

If I Were a Boy
Taken from the album I Am Sasha Fierce (2008)

If I were a boy Even just for a day Id roll out of bed in the morning And throw on what I wanted and go Drink beer with the guys And chase after girls Id kick it with who I wanted And Id never get confronted for it. Cause theyd stick up for me. [Chorus] If I were a boy I think I could understand How it feels to love a girl I swear Id be a better man. Id listen to her Cause I know how it hurts When you lose the one you wanted Cause hes taken you for granted And everything you had got destroyed

If I were a boy I would turn off my phone Tell everyone its broken So theyd think that I was sleeping alone Id put myself first And make the rules as I go Cause I know that shed be faithful Waiting for me to come home (Chorus) Its a little too late for you to come back Say its just a mistake Think Id forgive you like that If you thought I would wait for you You thought wrong (Chorus) But youre just a boy You dont understand Yeah you dont understand How it feels to love a girl someday You wish you were a better man You dont listen to her You dont care how it hurts Until you lose the one you wanted Cause youve taken her for granted And everything you have got destroyed But youre just a boy