A2+

STEP-BY-STEP PROJECTS
Make a soap opera
Work in pairs. Answer the questions. Then read the Introduction to check your answers.
1 Why do people watch soap operas?
2 What do all soap operas have in common?
3 What are the ingredients of a good soap?

Introduction
People like TV soap operas because theyre about families and
relationships. The main ingredients of a soap opera are characters
of different ages. They usually live or work in the same location a
street or area of a town. The characters usually have problems that
the audience can relate to and exciting things happen. The final scene
always ends with a cliffhanger something to discover in the next
episode.

Work in groups. Follow the steps to create a scene for your own soap opera.
Take turns to make notes.

Step 1
Choose the locations and characters for your scene

A:
B:
D:
C:
B:
D:

Amy and Jons living room

Whats the soaps location a street, a school, a

shopping centre ?
Where does your scene take place in a flat, a
classroom, a caf, a shop ?
Draw a plan of the scenes location.
Who are the people in the scene friends, members
of a family ?
Make a list of the characters, and some notes about
their personalities.
The scene takes place in the living room of a flat.
Who are the people?
The main characters are a brother and sister.
Her names Amy and his names Jon.
What are they like?
Shes friendly and funny. Maybe hes shy.

Step 2
Plan the scene.
Whats the story about problems with boyfriends/girlfriends,
exams at school, online bullying ?
What are the characters doing at the beginning of the scene
watching TV, doing housework, speaking on the phone ?
What happens next? Does something exciting happen? Whats
the cliffhanger?
A: The storys about a problem between Amy and Jon.
B: At the beginning of the scene Jons speaking on the
phone.
C: Where is he?
A: Hes sitting on the sofa.
B: What happens next?
E: Amy walks into the room. Shes unhappy.
D: Why?
B: Because Jons using her phone.
C: Whys he using her phone? What happens next?
This page has been downloaded from www.macmillanbeyond.com
Macmillan Publishers Limited 2014. This sheet may be photocopied and used within the class.

Jons speaking on
the phone ...

A2+

STEP-BY-STEP PROJECTS
Make a soap opera
Step 3
Write the scene

What do the characters say? Write the

conversations.
What do the characters do? How do they feel? Write
the instructions.
How does the scene end? Think of a cliffhanger.

Jons speaking on the phone. Amy

walks into the room. Shes angry.
Amy: What are you doing?

Jon:

(surprised) Um nothing.
Im, er, phoning a friend.

Amy: Why are you using my phone?

Step 4
Practise

Decide on jobs for everyone in the group. You need

actors and a director, as well as people to find the
things for the scene and to help the actors to learn
their words. You also need a copy of the script for
everyone in the group.
Practise the scene and try to remember the words
without looking at the scripts.

Step 5
Act your soap opera scene

Present your scene to the rest of the class.

Watch the other groups scenes.
Discuss all the scenes in the class. Which did you
like the best? Why?

I can
find the chairs.
make the sound effects.
Can you
speak slowly / look angry?
help the actors learn their words?

The location for our scene

is a living room. The main
characters are Amy and
Jon theyre brother and
sister. We hope you enjoy the
scene!

This page has been downloaded from www.macmillanbeyond.com

Macmillan Publishers Limited 2014. This sheet may be photocopied and used within the class.