MAKE ME A STAR

OBJECTIVES:

1. To create believable television commercials in English
2. To encourage the use of English in a setting other than the classroom
3. To have fun—‘cause this lesson is!!

PROCEDURE:

1. Break students of into groups of three or four.
2. Give each group a random object, something found lying around the school. I had six groups and I used a bucket, garden filter, helmet, very old, hole-ridden bowl, frying pan, and a broomstick.
3. Direct your students to write, plan, and execute a 30 sec TV commercial where all members of the group act and have lines. You should help them with grammar, syntax, and filming. To make things easier I gave them a list of topics to cover during the commercial: ie. Price, features, possible uses, where to buy it, etc…
4. Give very strict timelines about what should be accomplished in each class. I would suggest class one be used for creating a rough outline, casting, and even a few lines. Class two should be used to finish and polish the lines in preparation for filming in the third class. I guess you could extend it one more class if you need to.
5. After filming all the commercials, show the finished product to the rest of the class. Everyone will enjoy seeing their friends on TV!

NOTES:

• During the filming portion of the exercise have the group leave the classroom to lend an air of secrecy to the production. The class will enjoy the viewing much more.
• Encourage creativity. Try to make them understand that TV commercials need to be exciting to properly sell products. I filmed my own commercial prior to presenting this activity so the students could see what I was aiming for.
• We all know that thinking outside the box can be hard for our students, so feel free to give them gentle nudges if they seem stuck.

CUT! That’s a Wrap!