A terrific short video that can be used to anchor a lesson plan for an ESL conversation or writing class.
This is a deceptively hard writing challenge.
Watch the short video 2 or 3 times (about one minute long).
Make a list of the 13 simple concepts presented.
Write a couple of sentences to describe how each concept is presented with balls and lines.
The key challenge is to describe the actions of the balls and lines with accurate verbs.
There are two ways to run this activity.
- If you have a class with strong writers and a good amount of time (say 45-60 minutes), break students into pairs and ask them to write a short passage for each of the 13 concepts. Working in pairs is usually best because it help students brainstorm accurate verbs.
- If time is short or the class level is not strong, divide the concepts into two groups. Ask pairs of students to write about the first 6 or last 6 concepts.
- Check answer on board.
- Most students need to watch the videos many times. They can watch the video on their smartphones by opening this link: Tiny Story from Vimeo or this link from YouTube.
Group A describe first six actions:
- Begin, Dream, Listen, Learn, Wait, Find
Group B describe next six actions:
- Love, Respect, Trust, Pledge, Share, Enjoy