We’re the Superhumans
Overview
This ELT lesson plan is designed around a short video commissioned by Channel 4 to advertise the Paralympic Games in Rio. In the lesson students listen to a song, write down song lyrics, visualise the content of a video, watch a video, speak and write about the struggles people with disabilities overcome.
Step 1
Tell your students they are going to hear but not see a short video. As they listen their task is to think about what type of video it is and to visualise what images and people appear in it.
Play the video with sound on and vision off.
Link:
Step 2
Pair your students and ask them to compare their ideas. Get feedback on their ideas from the whole class.
Step 3
Tell your students they are going to listen to the video again; this time they should concentrate on the song and try to understand the lyrics and message of the song.
Play the video again with sound on and vision off.
Step 4
Ask students what lyrics they can remember and what they think the message of the song is.
Step 5
Tell your students you are going to play the video again, but this time you are going to pause after each line and they have to write down the lyrics. Play the video and pause after each line to give them time to write down the lyrics.
Step 6
Ask students to compare their lyrics with a partner.
Step 7
Give your students the Yes I Can lyrics. Go through the lyrics and help them with vocabulary as necessary. Ask them to describe the message of the song.
Step 8
Tell your students you are going to play the video again, but this time you are going to pause at certain points. Their task is to imagine what is happening in the video at each point.
Play the video and pause at the following points:
- 00:42 – when the athlete jumps over the bar.
- 01:09 – when the couple are dancing.
- 01:22 – when the singer crashes through the window.
- 01:49 – when the footballer scores a goal.
Step 9
Put your students and ask them to speculate about what is happening in the video each time you pause. Get feedback from the whole class.
Step 10
Tell your students they are now going to watch the video, that you are going to pause at each of the 4 points and that they have to see if they were correct.
Play the video and pause at each point.
Step 11
Tell your students you are going to play the video again, but this time without pausing. As they watch they should think about the following questions:
- Who created the video?
- What is the message of the video?
- How does the video make you feel?
Play the video.
Step 12
Get your students to discuss the questions in their groups.
Step 13
Elicit or explain that the video is an advert for the Paralympic Games on Channel 4 in the UK. Ask your students what they know about the Paralympic Games. Elicit or explain that theParalympic Gamesis a major internationalmulti-sport event, involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities,held almost immediately following the Olympic Games.
Step 14
Tell your students they are going to watch the video again. This time their task is to identify the different types of disability illustrated in the video.
Play the video.
The different types of disability are:
- Mobility
- Visual
- Hearing
- Development
Step 15
In their groups, ask students to think of the challenges a person with each type of disability has to overcome.
Step 16
Hold a plenary discussion on the challenges a person with each type of disability has to overcome.
Homework
Give your students links to the interviews with different members of the cast in the film. Ask them to watch them at home, choose one of the people and write a composition in the first person singular to describe the struggles he/she has had to overcome to be what they are today.
I hope you enjoy the lesson.
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by Kieran Donaghy