The dead reading activity

1. Understanding Plot and Character Analysis
Activity 2 Topic: the Dead – Billy Collins Animated Poetry
Level B1
Interaction of Language
Technique Literature Discussion
Objective Interpret and communicate information about a video story
Values
Respect other people’s perceptions
Segment Time Instructor’s Task
Participants
Learning Tasks
Rationale
Schema
activation
5 min - T is to going to show a
video about a poem in
regards to dead people
and how they can see the
living.
T- is going to ask students
to use their imagination,
feeling, critical thinking to
set judgments.
T- is going around the
class checking the use of
English. Elicit answers
- Ss identify the
sound of words
heard in a specific
context during the
video.
-
- This section of
the class will
focus on Ss to
create their own
set of judgments
based on what
they see on the
video and
promote team
work.
Controlled
Reading
Practice
(analyses the
story )
10 min -T is going to present a
video (The Dead – Billy
Collins).
T- is going to ask
students to sit in pairs or
in groups and discuss the
elements such as symbols,
figures of speech,
semantics and
morphology elements).
Elicit answers.
T- is going to write some
key words from the poem
so students can follow the
sequence of events.
T- is going to explain the
use of phrasal verbs
(regular and irregular
verbs).
- In pairs, or in
groups, students are
going to review
phrasal verbs by
selecting a number
of verbs and put
them into sentences
to create their own
summary.
-Ss are going to
complete a written
exercise using
phrasal verbs from
the poem.
- This section of
the class will
enable Ss to test
their reading and
writing abilities.

2. -T is going to ask students
to use a specific phrase of
verb found in the poem
and use it in different
scenarios as much a
possible.
Expansion
activity
(telling a
poem)
15 min -T is going to ask students
to create their own story
by looking the picture on
the video and
T. is going to ask students
to use their judgments to
create the story on their
own.
T- is going to give 5 to 10
minutes to discuss and
answer the questions.
T- is going to check the
grammar structures orally
on each group on each
sentence.
T- elicit questions,
answers, grammar
structure,
-Ss in groups of
three are going to
draw the sequences
of their summary by
using phrasal verbs
in simple present
and Simple Past.
-Ss are going to
complete some
written exercises by
using phrasal verbs
taken from the poem
itself.
-Ss are going to use
either simple present
or simple past tense
to create a group
discussion based on
their story and
involve the rest of
the class.
-Ss are going to
provide a feedback
about judging others
just by their cover.
This section of
the class will
focus Ss to create
critical thinking
and make some
reflections about
people’s
perceptions.

3. ANNEXES
The Dead
By: Billy Collins's "The Dead"
The dead are always looking down on us, they say.
While we are putting on our shoes or making a sandwich,
they are looking down through the glass bottom boats of heaven
as they row themselves slowly through eternity.
They watch the tops of our heads moving below on earth,
and when we lie down in a field or on a couch,
drugged perhaps by the hum of a long afternoon,
they think we are looking back at them,
which makes them lift their oars and fall silent
and wait, like parents, for us to close our eyes.
Linkfor the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuTNdHadwbk

4. Phrasal Verbs / Fill in the blanks exercise
1. The dead are always _______________on us
2. They are also ___________ on us while we are __________our shoes.
3. They are ___________ through the glass bottom boats of heaven.
4. They watch the tops of our heads _____________ on earth.
5. They are ____________ on us when we ___________ in a field or on a couch.
6. They think we are _____________ at them.
Looking down putting on
Looking down moving below
Lie down looking down
Looking back looking down

5. Create your ownsummary
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