Lessons for Life

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Welcome to “Radu Vlădescu” Theoretical High School! 6 May 2015 The Pedagogical Meeting of the Teachers of English on the Buzău Valley

Transcript of Lessons for Life

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Welcome to “Radu Vlădescu” Theoretical High

School!

6 May 2015

The Pedagogical Meetingof the Teachers of English

on the Buzău Valley

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School: '' Radu Vlădescu'' Theoretical High School, Pătârlagele

Grade: 11th Form

Level: Upper-Intermediate

No. of students: 29

Time: 50 minutes

Date: 6 May 2015

Title of the activity: “Lessons for Life” (Teaching and Learning Values in School- types of activities)

Skills covered: Integrated skills

Aims: - to develop moral character features and values such as tolerance, honesty, empathy, respect, integrity etc ;

- to provide an opportunity for pair-work, group-work and critical thinking;

-to assess the benefits of the whole - film approach.

Anticipated problems: - some students may not have the necessary knowledge or skills to complete the task(s);

- some students may not have enough experience/courage to address the topic;

Aids: PowerPoint presentation, audio and video excerpts, flipchart, posters, handouts, paper etc.

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II. What do you think they did?a. I was in the supermarket yesterday and I saw this elderly woman walking up and down the aisles. She didn’t have a trolley and was putting her shopping straight into her bag. Anyway, I thought nothing more about it and carried on doing my shopping and when I went to queue up to pay, there she was in front of me. I watched her put one tin of cat food on the counter and pay for it, then she walked out with her bag full of unpaid shopping.

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What would you have done?

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II. What do you think they did?b. Something awful happened to me last week. I’d invited six people round for dinner and you know how I hate cooking. Anyway, I spent all afternoon preparing the meal and actually I was quite pleased with how it turned out. I even managed to get all the vegetables ready at the same time as the meat. So the vegetables were on the table and I just had to get the chicken out of the oven. I lifted it out and I don’t know how it happened, but I dropped it on the kitchen floor and before I could pick it up, the cat had licked it. She regretted it afterwards, because she burnt her tongue.

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What would you have done?

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II. What do you think they did?c. I had a very strange experience the other day. I was up in London for a meeting and it was lunch time. It was a lovely day, so I bought a sandwich and went for a walk. I was just on my way back to the office when I noticed a scruffy, bearded man begging in the street. I recognized him immediately. It was someone I’d been at university with, a brilliant mind. He’d always been a bit of a rebel, but a very clever man. We’d been very good friends, but I’d lost touch with him when he left university.

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What would you have done?

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What quotation or proverb would you use to illustrate your decision in each of the three

situations?• “Food comes first- morals

later.” (Bertolt Brecht)

• “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” (Dalai Lama)

• “What you allow, you encourage.” (Michael Josephson)

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III. Learning from Proverbs and Quotes

Re-phrase the proverbs/ quotes on the right in one sentence and use your life experience to explain/ illustrate them.

e.g. “Virtue is its own reward.” This proverb means that we should not expect praise for acting in a correct or moral way. For example, a parent should not give a material compensation when a child makes a good deed like helping a neighbour or being a friend in need.

1. There is no pillow as soft as a clear conscience. (French proverb) 2. Two wrongs don’t make a right. (English proverb)3. People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. (English proverb)4. Beggars can’t be choosers. (English proverb)5. It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend. (William Blake)6. One does evil enough when one does nothing good.(German proverb)7. The evil that men do lives after them. (William Shakespeare) 8. As you make your bed, so you must lie in it. (English proverb)9. A man is known by the company he keeps. (Romanian proverb)10. It takes a village to raise a child. (African proverb)

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IV. Solving moral dilemmas (group work) 1.Your history teacher made a huge mistake on your final grade. A mistake that was very much in your favour. Should you point out the mistake to your teacher or accept your good fortune quietly and gratefully?

2. You discover that your best friend is getting into some pretty risky behaviors, including experimenting with dangerous drugs. You confront him/her and the horrific truth is admitted but only after you promise to keep it a secret. What should you do?

3. Three of your classmates have created an offensive website that attacks teachers. The principal wants to know who did it and you are the only one who knows. Should you lie to the principal or “betray” your classmates?

4. Your childhood friend, Bridget, is wrapped up in an online relationship with some older guy on Myspace, a social networking website. You sense real danger, but Bridget resents your warnings and wants you to stay out. You don’t want to endanger your close friendship with her. What would/should you do?

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V. LEARNING FROM MOVIE CHARACTERS FLIPPED (2010), directed by Rob Reiner, written by Mr. Reiner and Andrew Scheinman, based on the novel by Wendelin Van Draanen…

… a “ sensitive exploration of how parents shape their

children.” (The Austin Chronicle)

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The Bakers Vs. The LoskisWhat family values did they teach you?

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The Bakers

The Loskis

Respect, Generosity, Altruism, Kindness, Courage, Caring, Honesty, Empathy, Dignity, Integrity ?

JULLIANA “JULI” BAKER ROBERT BAKER TRINA BAKER

DAVID BAKER MATT and MIKE BAKER

BRYCE LOSKI RICK LOSKI PATSY LOSKI

LYNETTA LOSKI CHESTER “CHET” DUNCAN

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VI. Re-create a scene by helping the characters to say and do the “right” thing

Juli’s passion includes her chickens and, having too many eggs, she offers some to Bryce’s family. The Loskis are ruled by fear and see only the potential for salmonella. Instead of thanksgiving and joy, her gift is received with lies and deceit. Bryce accepts the eggs but secretly throws them away until eventually he is caught by Juli.

“Hi, Bryce. Brought you some more eggs.” “Wow. Thanks.” “Did your family like the first batch?” “Do you even have to ask?” “Great. See you at school.”

Panicked about his feelings, Bryce feels the need to talk to someone and chooses his best friend Garrett. However, their conversation in the school library doesn’t go as expected. What is worse, it is also

overheard by Juli.

GARRETT: These aren't real emotions. BRYCE: They're not? GARRETT: You feel guilty because of the egg thing. BRYCE: Yeah, and I insulted her yard. GARRETT: Exactly. Of course, the place is

a dump anyways. BRYCE: Her dad's got a retarded brother and all their money goes to helping him. GARRETT: A retard? Well, shoot, that ought to tell you something. BRYCE: About what? GARRETT: About Juli. BRYCE: What are you saying? GARRETT: The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, my friend.

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Homework Comment upon the following quotation:

“Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.” (Albert Einstein)Use between 150-180

words.

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We are the teachers of English on the Buzau Valley