Writing: Pay It Forward

A Writing Assignment based on an adaptation of a lesson found on Film English:  The lesson will be used in connection with the teaching of the dramatization of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.  Connections will be made concerning the transformation of the protagonist, Scrooge, from  the miserly man he was prior to his visitation by the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future to, the man he became after the visits.

Describe the boy in the picture?

Based on his appearance, what do you think he’s like as a person?

How do you think he is feeling in this moment?

Predict what’s happening in the picture?

Now, after looking at the picture and answering the questions, what do you think the film you are about to see is about?

[Discuss answers in groups and as a class]

Watch the film entitled "Giving"

Giving - Thai Commercial Truemove H - [English Subtitles]

Were any of your predictions about the film correct?

How did the film make you feel?

What is the theme or message of the film?

What does "Pay It Forward" mean?

According to the Film English it means the following:

It means that if somebody does something kind to you, you should do something kind to another person without expecting anything in return. This has become a global movement. In 2000, Catherine Ryan Hyde's novel Pay It Forward was published and adapted into a film, Pay It Forward. In Ryan Hyde's book and movie it is described as an obligation to do three good deeds for others in response to a good deed that one receives. Such good deeds should accomplish things that the other person cannot accomplish on their own. In this way, the practice of helping one another can spread geometrically through society, at a ratio of three to one, creating a social movement with the impact of making the world a better place.

Message or Theme of the Film:

The message of "Giving" is that we should pay it forward. The restaurant owner is kind to the child and expects nothing in return. However, his kindness has a profound influence on the young boy who subsequently dedicates his life to helping others and becomes an eminent surgeon. The restaurant owner’s life is saved by the surgeon who waves his fee because of the restaurant owner’s previous kindness to him.

Examples of Pay It Forward from Film English:

Collect cans of non perishable foods and give them to charities or organizations who would benefit 

Collect books and distribute to needy groups 

Buy the train or bus ticket for the person behind you 

Donate some of your professional services to someone in need on the day, for example - free hour consultation 

Buy a stranger a cup of coffee 

On a rainy day, buy a few umbrella's and give them to those who don't have one and are getting wet.

 Watch the second Film:

What do you think of each deed and would you do them them yourself?

Write five (5) "Pay it Forward" actions you would be prepared to carry out.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Share responses in groups and as a class.



What does the quote “Kindness, like a boomerang, always returns,” mean to you?

Share responses in groups and as a class.


Share quotes from slides:  Click Here
 Real Life Example:  Click Here

Writing Time:

Using one of the quotes from the slides develop an opening sentence(s) to introduce a paper entitled "Giving" or "Pay it Forward".

Share sentence(s) as a group

Now, the real writing begins, use the sentence(s) you developed to start your paper. The paper must include/explain the five (5) acts of kindness you listed earlier.

Use a different quote from the one used in the opening sentence(s) from the slides to develop a closing sentence(s) for your paper.

FOR PRE-WRITING DOCUMENT/WORKSHEET: CLICK HERE 

Interesting Article:  HAPPINESS = GRATITUDE + GENEROSITY + SINCERITY

Sample Lesson plans for a Lesson using Pay it Forward: 

Click Here


aDDING ON TO THIS IDEA OF gRATTITUDE:


Film English 365 Grateful:  CLick Here


ADDITIONAL LINKS ON THE WRITING WHISPERER FOR THIS LESSON:


Link 1 More Examples of Pay It Forward and the Giving Tree

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Happy Writing!

The Writing Whisperer

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of the Written Word!

Writing Assignment: Gratitude

This lesson uses a beautiful and moving video by time-lapse film-maker Louis Schwartzberg and encompasses the themes of gratitude, beauty and nature. Students will write sentences about gratitude, speak about what they are grateful for, watch a video, and write a short composition.

Original Lesson found on Film English and modified for use in Mrs. White's Classes

Downloadable original lesson materials: gratitude lesson instructions from Film English

Step 1

Look at the word written on the board.

GRATEFUL

What does the word mean. 

Now, write a sentence or two, which shows the meaning or feeling of the word.

HERE is an example sentence:

I’m really grateful for having a loving family.

NOTE:  Your sentence(s) should show or help the reader feel THANKS. In other words, try to elicit the meaning (feeling or showing thanks).

Step 2

Think about what you have to be grateful for and write 10 sentences.  Each sentence should start: 

I'm grateful for...

Sample Sentence:

I’m grateful for the friends I have.

I’m grateful for having a job I like.

Step 3

Share your sentences with your group and compare the things you are grateful for. 

Step 4

Groups will share the items that were similar on everyone's list and ones that were different. 

Are there any common themes we see in all the groups?  Are the things you are grateful generally big ideas/concepts or small.

Step 5

Watch the video entitled Gratitude.

Review:  Gratitude is an abstract noun from grateful. 

Note: The person who presents the video is the film-maker Louis Schwartzberg.

After viewing the film answer the following questions:

How does Louis describe his films?

What is time-lapse photography?

What does Louis say we can learn from nature?

What does Louis say we should be grateful for?

What’s the girl’s perspective of nature?

Do you like the young girl’s perspective and do you think it is a typical perspective of a young child.

What does the elderly man say we should be grateful for?

 
What does the elderly man say we should open how hearts to?

OPITIONAL: Watch and pause to answer the questions as they are  presented.

Step 6

Share answers.

Step 7

Use the following quotations from the video:

“When we see ourselves in nature, it connects us to every one of us, because it's clear it's all connected in one.”

“You think it’s just another day. It’s not just another day. It’s the one day that’s given to you today. It’s given to you; it’s a gift.”

Which of the two quotes speaks to you?  Why? 

 Composition TIME:

Title:  "What I’m grateful for"

Introductory Sentences:

     Gratitude can be defined as the act of being thankful, and in the video "Gratitude" by Louis Schwartzberg an elderly man has this to say on the subject, “You think it’s just another day. It’s not just another day. It’s the one day that’s given to you today. It’s given to you; it’s a gift.”   Through this simple statement the man reminds each of us that we are given so many "gifts", but sometimes we take these gifts for granted, and  in so doing, don't show our gratitude.  Sadly, there have been times in my own life that I have not shown gratitude for the gifts I have been given.

NOTE:  You have the option of developing your own opening sentences, but they must include the quote.

Make sure to use transitions to start each example (see list below):

Use three examples of "gifts" you sometimes take for granted:

Example  One: two to three sentences to explain

Example  Two: two to three sentences to explain

Example  Three: two to three sentences to explain

Note:  You can use more than three examples.

Concluding Sentence:

Option One:

Unfortunately, as the writer,  Cynthia Ozick states, “We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude,” but hopefully by recognizing that these are "gifts", and should be appreciated each and every day, we can thereby avoid taking them for granted, and instead, show our gratitude for having them in our lives.

 or

Option Two:

Hopefully, by recognizing that our lives are filled with so many "gifts" we can be like Piglet from Winnie-the-Pooh when he “....noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” ― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Transition Words

Words that can be used to show location:

above	behind	by	near	throughout
across	below	down	off	to the right
against	beneath	in back of	onto	under
along	beside	in front of	on top of
among	between	inside	outside
around	beyond	into	over

Words that can be used to show time:

while	first	meanwhile	soon	then
after	second	today	later	next
at	third	tomorrow	afterward	as soon as
before	now	next week	about	when suddenly
during	until	yesterday	finally

Word that can be used to compare two things:

likewise	also	while	in the same way
like	as	similarly

Words that can be used to contrast two things:

but	still	although	on the other hand
however	yet	otherwise	even though

Words that can be used to emphasize a point:

again	truly	especially	for this reason
to repeat	in fact	to emphasize

Words that can be used to conclude or summarize:

finally	as a result	to sum up	in conclusion
lastly	therefore	all in all	because

Words that can be used to add information:

again	another	for instance	for example
also	and	moreover	additionally
as well	besides	along with	other
next	finally	in addition

Words that can be used to clarify:

that is

for instance

in other words

Other list of Transition Words:

Grammar Your Dictionary

Multiple Paragraph List of Transition Words

OWL Online Writing Lab

Interesting Article about Gratitude:  Click Here

Opening Statement from Article:

In the season of thanks, I recently had my Harvard freshman seminar class take inventory of all they're grateful for. The responses were fairly predictable: family, friends, significant others, pets, jobs, opportunities. There were a few endearing surprises, including one student who was appreciative of his comforter, another her fuzzy hat. I had to smile at those ones.-Huffington Post

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Smile Continued

Everything is going to be ok from Kieran Donaghy

Second Video Link:  Smile Continued

Watch the video and list the positive effects that smiling has on your life based on the research presented in Ron Gutman's TED Talk.

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The Writing Whisperer

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of the Written Word!

Short Story Elements

Lesson Adapted from Film English

The lesson is designed around an Oscar-winning short film called The Man Who Planted Trees and the subjects of short stories and the meaning of life. Students read a short story, watch short video about writing a short story, write a short story, watch a short film, and speak about the meaning of life. The lesson should be done over 2 90 minute classes.-Film English

Language level: Upper Intermediate– Advanced (C1)

Learner type: Teens and adults

Time: 2 90 minute classes/May Vary depending on adaptation

Activity: Reading a short story, watching short video about writing a short story, writing a short story, watching a short film, and speaking

Topic: Short stories and the meaning of life

Language: Language related to elements of a short story

Materials: Short story, video and short film

Downloadable materials: the man who planted trees lesson instructions the 5 elements of a short story how to write a great short story the man who planted trees short story the man who planted trees discussion questions-Film English

Lesson 1

Step 1

Ask students the following question:

Have you ever read any short stories?

Can you remember the plot of any short stories?

What makes a good short story?


Step 2

Write the following words on the board:

Character

Setting

Plot

Conflict

Theme

Tell your students that these are generally considered the 5 essential elements of a short story. Put your students in pairs and ask them to discuss what each of the 5 elements means. Give them 5 minutes to discuss the 5 elements and then get feedback.

Step 3

Give students the 5 Elements of a Short Story handout and ask them to read it and then compare their answers with the information in the article.

The 5 Elements of a Short Story

Step 4

Ask your students the following question:

How can you write a great short story?

Put them into small groups and give them 5 minutes to come up with advice for writing a great short story.

Step 5

Tell your students they are going to watch a short video in which the writer Kurt Vonnegut gives 8 tips on how to write a short story. Ask students to watch the film and then try to discuss the advice he gives.

How to Write a Great Short Story

For advanced students you can read the short story The Man Who Planted Trees. Tell them they will need to use a dictionary as there is a lot of difficult vocabulary.

AUDIO LINK for The Man Who Planted Trees

If you use The Man Who Planted Trees Lesson Two use Film English

Or

You can use Thank You Ma'am by Langston Hughes

AUDIO LINK for Thank You Ma'am by Langston Hughes

Now, students will plan their own short story using the plot diagram and following the advice they learned in the lesson. They should choose their own title.

LESSON 2

If you use The Man Who Planted Trees instructions for Lesson Two are found on Film English

If you use Thank You Ma'am by Langston Hughes use the links below and the additional resources on The Things You Can Read.

Plot Diagram for Thank You Ma'am by Langston Hughes

Free Lesson Plan for Thank You Ma'am by Langston Hughes

Questions for Thank You Ma'am by Langston Hughes

Audio for Thank You Ma'am by Langston Hughes

Slide Show to Introduce and Teach Thank You Ma'am by Langston Hughes

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Happy Writing!

The Writing Whisperer

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of the Written Word!