IAN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dLEO8mwYWQ

Activity: Watching a short film, speaking, writing and reading

Topic: Disability and inclusion
Language: Vocabulary related to parks and playgrounds, and disability
Materials: Short film and article
Materials materials: ian lesson instructions     the story behind the short film ian
Step 1
Put your students into pairs and ask them to come up with as much vocabulary as they can
related to parks and playgrounds.

Step 2
Ask each pair to give you vocabulary and write the words on the board. Elicit or explain
vocabulary such as grass, swings, seesaw, playing games, playing football, table and benches.

Step 3
Dictate or write on the board these actions:

a boy crying

a girl going up and down on a seesaw

two boys laughing at another boy

a boy and a girl sitting on a bench

boys playing football

a mother pushing her son in a wheelchair

a boy going down a slide

a girl throwing a paper aeroplane

a boy dropping a drink

a boy wearing glasses having a drink

 
Step 4
Tell your students they are going to watch the start of a short film. As they watch they should
put the 10 actions into the order they appear.

Show the first part of the film (00.18–02.10).

Correct order:

boys playing football

a girl throwing a paper aeroplane

a girl going up and down on a seesaw

a boy and a girl sitting on a bench

a boy going down a slide

a boy wearing glasses having a drink

two boys laughing at another boy

a boy dropping a drink

a boy crying

a mother pushing her son in a wheelchair 

 
Step 5
Tell your students they are going to watch the first part of the film again. As they watch they
should try to remember as much of the film as they can. Show the first part of the film again.

Step 6
Write this introduction on the board:
 “It was a beautiful sunny day. A group of boys were playing football in the park. A girl threw
a paper aeroplane …”

Put your students into small groups and ask them to retell the story the first part of the film
tells in as much details as possible.

Step 7
In their groups ask your students to discuss these questions:

1. What happened to the boy in the blue jumper?

2. What problem do you think he has?
3. How does the boy feel?
 

Step 8
Hold a plenary discussion based on the questions.

Possible answers:

1. He wants to play with the other children but two boys laugh at him and other children ignore
him. He drops his drink and is blown away from the park through a fence; he disintegrates but
is then put back together and is sitting in a wheelchair. He cries and his mother pushes him
away from the park.
2. He has cerebral palsy (CP), a group of permanent movement disorders that appear in early
childhood. Symptoms include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles and tremors. In
most cases CP is caused by brain damage while the baby is still in the utero or shortly after
birth.
3. He feels very sad because he wants to play with the other children and be accepted, but he is
laughed at and rejected.
 

Step 9
Tell your students that the boy’s name is Ian. Tell them they are going to watch the second
part of the film. As they watch they should answer these questions:

1. What toys are the three girls playing with?

2. What toy is Ian playing with?
3. What happens when Ian tries to follow the girls?
4. What does the boy in the light green T-shirt do?
5. What happens to Ian?
6. What does Ian do when his mother pushes him away in his wheelchair?
 

Show the second part of the film (02.10–04.28).

 Answers:

1. Dolls
2. A dinosaur
3. He falls over.
4. He laughs at Ian.
5. He is blown thrown the wire fences, he disintegrates and is put back together again.
6. He stops his wheelchair by putting on the brake and then turns the wheelchair so that he is
facing the playground.
 

Step 10
Put your students into pairs and ask them to write the rest of the story. Walk around the
classroom helping them with vocabulary. Set a time limit of ten minutes.

Step 11
Ask each pair to read out their stories.

 
Step 12
Tell your students they are going to watch the rest of the film. After they watch they should
compare their narratives with the story told in the film.

Show the third part of the film (04.28–07.12).

Step 13
Show the film again and after ask your students to discuss these questions in small groups:

1. Do you like the film? Why / Why not?

2. How does the film make you feel?
3. What do you think the film’s message is?
4. Who do you think made the film?
 

Step 14
Hold a plenary discussion based on the four questions from the previous stage.

Step 15
 Tell your students that the film is inspired by a true story. Show the rest of the film from
07.12 to 07.58 in which images of the real Ian appear. Pause at the caption which reads:

“To Ian,

for sparling with his smile,

strengthening us with his love,

and conquering our hearts.”

Elicit or explain the meaning of the message.

Step 16
Tell your students they are going to read about the story behind the film. Give your students
the article The Story behind the Short Film Ian  and ask them to answer these questions:
 

1. What was the book Ian’s mother wrote about?

2. Why did Ian’s mother set up a foundation?
3. How did the animation studio respond when Ian’s mother approached them about making an
animation?
4. What has the response to Ian been since it was released?
 

Answers:

1. The book is about the daily life of a family that includes people with disabilities.
2. When Sheila saw how children who were not used to people with disabilities treated Ian in the
playground, she set about changing minds and attitudes about people with disabilities by
setting up a foundation.
3. They were interested and enthusiastic.
The response has been very positive – it has won numerous international awards. It has even
been nominated for the Academy Awards 2018.

Homework
Give your students this link to the Cerebral Palsy Guidance website:
https://www.cerebralpalsyguidance.com/cerebral-palsy/living/bullying/
Ask them to read and the page About Cerebral Palsy and Bullying and in the next class
discuss what they have found out.

Can I help you with anything?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBqfKUWaku8
 This ELT lesson plan is designed around a short film which was created for Kindness.org, a
charity that encourages people to take part in acts of kindness and share them online.
In the lesson students predict the content of a short film, watch a short film, speak about the
short film and kindness, and perform a roleplay.

Language: Vocabulary related to kindness, expressions to offer, accept and refuse help
Materials: Short film
Downloadable materials: can I help you with anything lesson instructions
Step 1
Put your students in pairs. Tel them they are going to watch the first part of a short film tiled
‘Is there anything I can do for you?’ Ask them to discuss the questions.

 What do you think the film will be about?

 What images do you think you will see?
 

Step 2
Hold a plenary discussion based on the questions in Step 1.

Step 3
Watch the film until 00:38. Ask students if their predictions were correct.

Step 4
Elicit that the film is about a young man, Joe, who wants to be kind to as many people as he
can.

Step 5
Put your students into small groups. Ask them to discuss these questions.

 Why do you think Joe wants to be kind to people?

 How do you think people will react when Joe offers to help them?
 What things do you think Joe will do to help people?
  

Step 6
Hold a plenary discussion based on the questions from Step 5.

Step 7
Tell your students they are going to watch the rest of the short film. As they watch they
should answer this question.

 How do people react to Joe’s offer to help them?

Show the rest of the film.

Step 8
Elicit that many people are suspicious and refuse his offer, but many others accept his offer
and are very grateful to him.

Step 9
Tell your students they are going to watch the whole film again. As they watch they should
answer this question.

 What things does Joe do to help people?

Show the whole film.

Step 10
Elicit that Joe gives a flower, pays a bus fare, carries shopping, sweeps up rubbish, holds up
an umbrella, is a tennis ball boy, paints a structure, is a goalkeeper, paints walls, gives out free
newspapers, buys a coffee, buys a pint of beer, makes a birthday cake, gives a hug and folds
up a plastic sheet.

Step 11
Put your students into groups. Ask them to discuss these questions.

 What do you think of Joe’s project?

 What adjectives would you use to describe Joe’s personality?
 Would you consider doing something similar to what Joe did? Why / Why not?
 
Step 12
Write the following quote from Joe on the board.

 ‘We can’t say what is meaningful or not, because a small thing can have that butterfly effect.’
Ask students to discuss what Joe means.

Step 13
Elicit or explain that Joe means small actions may lead to larger unforeseen consequences
over time.

Step 14
Write these sentences from the film on the board.

 I wondered if there’s anything I could do for either of you?

 I wonder if I could help you with your bags?
Elicit or explain that both sentences are used to offer help to another person.

Step 15
Elicit or explain other expressions to offer help such as:

 Do you need any help?

 May I help you?
 Can I do anything for you?
 Do you need a hand?
 
Step 16
Elicit or explain expressions to politely refuse help such as:

 That very kind of you, but I’m okay.

 That’s very nice of you, but no thank you.
 That’s really sweet of you, but I’m all right.
 I’m fine, thank you.
 
Step 17
Elicit or explain expressions to accept help such as:

That’s really kind of you. Thank you so much.

That’s so nice of you. Thank you.

Yes, please. Thank you.

Step 18
Pair your students. Tell them you want them to write a roleplay in which one person offers
someone help, and the other person either rejects the offer politely or accepts the offer and is
grateful.

Step 19
Students perform their roleplays in pairs.

Step 20
Students perform their roleplays in front of the whole class.

Homework
Ask students to do something kind for another person. In the next class they should explain
what they did and how they felt.

DIFFERENCE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MJrRvpjB1I

Activity: Watching a short video, describing a friend, speculating on what speakers are

saying, and speaking
Topic: Children and difference
Language: Comparatives, language of speculation and vocabulary related to differences
Materials: Short video
Downloadable materials: difference lesson instructions
 

Step 1
Elicit or explain different ways of describing differences between people such as:

“Anna’s much taller than me.”

“John has got darker hair than me.”

“Maria speaks much more quickly than me.”

“Carla’s got more brothers and sisters than me.”

“Katie’s more outgoing than me.”

Step 2
Ask your students to think of their best friend and how they are different from them. Ask
them to write five sentences comparing themselves to their best friend using the constructions
from the previous stage. Model the activity by telling your students about your best friend and
how you are different from each other. Set a time limit of 10 minutes.

 
Step 3
Pair your students and ask them to explain their sentences to their partner.

Step 4
Hold a plenary discussion on how your students are different from their best friends.

 
 Step 5
Tell you students they are going to watch but not hear a short video in which pairs of best
friends are asked the question “What makes you two different from each other?” As they
watch they should focus on how each pair of best friends are different from each other.

Play the video with no sound and pause at 01:45.

Step 6
Put your students into small groups and ask them to discuss how each pair of best friends are
different.
 

Step 7
Tell your students they are going to watch the video again with no sound, but this time you
are going to pause at each pair of best friends, and ask them to describe how they are
different. Show the video and pause at each pair of best friends.

 
Step 8
Tell your students they are going to watch the video a third time without sound. This time
they should speculate about what each child is saying about his/her best friend. Show the
video pausing each time a child speaks and ask your students to speculate on what the child is
saying. Encourage them to use “She may/might/could be saying …”

Step 9
Tell your students they are now going to watch the video with sound. As they watch and listen
they should compare what they thought the children said with what they actually say.

Play with sound twice.

Step 10
Get feedback from your students on what they understood. Ask them if they are surprised by
what the children said.

Step 11
Show these four screenshots from the video. Ask your students to comment on each photo and
what the children say. You may need to explain that a “den” is a secret place where children
you to play and that “tag” is a playground game that involves two or more players chasing
other players in an attempt to “tag” or touch them, usually with their hands.
 
Step 12
Now show the closing caption at 01:50:

“When it comes to difference,

Children see things differently.”

Ask your students to discuss the meaning of this sentence in relation to the video.

 
Step 13
Hold a plenary discussion on the meaning of the sentence.