#lower intermediate

Recently I have discovered a lower-intermediate appropriate podcast which introduces an expression in a 5-10 minute mini podcast.

Check out the Apple podcast link below!

WORD AS IMAGE

Watch the video, explain/discuss the words with students as thoroughly as the situation requires and ask them to create sentences with these words. In pairs, make students write their examples and read them aloud.

Afterwards, ask students to match the sentences in the first column with their missing parts in the second column. Sentences can be adapted to lower levels; alternatively, you may wish to create your own for your classes. You may also prefer to go straight to the matching exercise, and then make students create their own examples. Enjoy!

FIRST COLUMN

Think about

The sun sets

Catch

A comedy

A drama

Capitalism

Drill those rocks

Oil

Jesus

Bite me,

The thief

“Don't shoot!”

Kepp inflation

Inflation impacts

Negotiate your shares

Heights give me

A voyeur

Have bigger boobs

Don’t get ill!

Balloons float

A tsunami

Spiderman

Spiderman

Zip your fly

Unzip your fly

Cinderella has to leave

The clock

A pirate

Fire, fire!!!!

Magic

Fast food

Don’t eat

I’m on a diet.

Go on diet

The moon

Parallel lines

The Eurostar train

Marilyn’s pleated halter dress

Rabbits

Homosexual acts

Wear a condom

Take some cough syrup

You’re superstitious.

Dali

Van Gogh

The moon covers the sun

SECOND COLUMN

You never walk under a ladder.

with silicone implants!

with a zipper.

vertigo.

vampire!

to find oil.

ticks tick-tock.

the elevator.

Take aspirins and vitamin C!

before the clock strikes midnight.

spies on naked people through the window.

salary and wages.

Run to the exit!!!

robbed a convenience store.

opening the zipper.

on the horizon.

never meet.

makes you laugh.

makes you cry.

made the rabbit disappear.

low.

Jump.

is not a good diet.

is an economic system.

is a superhero.

in the air.

I can’t eat sugar.

had bread in the last supper.

had a pointy moustache.

goes through a tunnel.

goes round the earth.

floats.

are punished by death in some African countries.

fast food. It isn’t healthy.

during an eclipse.

sometimes drips from car engines.

destroyed the city completely.

cut his ear.

climbs walls.

at the stock market.

attacked a Turkish cargo ship.

and make your cough stop!

and lose weight!

and avoid catching the HIV virus.

a different idea.

Activity for LOWER INTERMEDIATE STUDENTS

The video above has no dialogues. The idea is for students to create the narrative for the video (both speaking and in writing) by using either the Simple Present or the Simple Past.

Alternatively, teachers may ask them to read the introduction below, explain the verbs listed and ask students to fill in the gaps with the correct verbs, using the same tenses mentioned before – if you want to use the Simple Past, the given text has to be changed accordingly beforehand.

INTRODUCTION - READING ACTIVITY

From the STOP MOTION GEEK:

"In all of about 10 minutes, Sweet Dreams – a short film by American animator Kirsten Lepore, transports you to a world completely fabricated and populated by food, making you laugh, cry and crave sweets all at once.

Sweet Dreams follows the exploits of a curious cupcake on his journey from his own candy-crafted land to an isle populated entirely with vegetables, then back again. The film’s set an characters were also made almost entirely from food – decorated by various sweets such as ice cream cones, sugar cubes and Liquorice (among others), while also featuring a Smorgasbord of vegetables."

VERBS

To scream

To be (2 x)

To build (2 x)

To dream

To fall

To feel

To fondle

To give (2 x)

To greet

To look (2 x)

To plant

To care for

To ring

To see

To shine

To sail

To stand up

To climb

To work

To stretch

To remove

To undress

To leave

To have

To hug

To destroy

To wake up

To rescue

To relax

To drag

To become

To knock

FILL IN THE GAPS WITH THE VERBS ABOVE

Sweet Dreams

The alarm clock ______ and wakes Cupcake up. He ________ his arms and gets out of the bed. He then ________ through the window and ______ awake: he wants to sail across the ocean to unknown lands... But he's off to work.

He ______ as a sugar cube layer. His co-workers are Donut and Ice Cream. They are ________ a tower.

Cupcake can’t help thinking about sailing, so he ______ a boat and _____ it to the shore. He _____ gently throughout the night. The sky ___ clear and the moon ______.

Then the sun rises and a seagull _____. Cupcake _______ and enjoys his trip. Suddenly, however, he realizes there is a leak in his boat. He starts to bail water out it, but it reaches the shore and avoids sinking.

The impact of the boat makes Cupcake fall on the sand. As he ______ __, he realizes he doesn’t know where he is, and decides to sit down. Then the rain comes, first in a few small drops, until it rains cats and dogs.

Cupcake ___ very diligent and builds himself a shelter, using sugar cubes, the mast of the boat, its staysail and green leaves. Muffin is so tired that he falls asleep.

Later, Potato _____ him __. She says “hello” and they engage in conversation. Potato asks him to follow her; they ____ through the broccolis and _____ Onion and Apple’s work: a newly erected building.

Cupcake _____ the ladder and _____ them. They start to work together and use carrots, celery and aubergines (eggplants) to build a small village. Potato and Muffin ________ very good friends. He gives her flowers and she _____ him a melon, which becomes his new home.

Onion, Apple, Cupcake and Potato have a lot a fun. They really _____ a good time together. At night, Potato and Cupcake look at the astonishing, astounding starry sky. He _____ her. They ____ in love and go to Cupcake's. He ______ her and she _______ him. They have sex.

In the morning, Lime ______ on the door and calls Cupcake. All his friends, including the Cucumber, have a surprise for him: a new boat. Potato ______ him some seeds before he ______. He sails back to his village, but the dwellers look down on him. They scorn and spurn him because he had gone away for a long time.

Cupcake _____ rather desolate but remains optimistic nonetheless. When he arrives home, he removes the flowers from the planter and _______ the seeds Potato had given him. He wants to talk to his old friends but nobody _____ for him. A storm comes and ______ the sugar cube tower. His old friends have nowhere to go, and desperately try to run away from the flood.

Cupcake's seeds, however, have grown and become big carrots, which are then used to build a high tower to ______ his old friends. The storm teaches his old friends a harsh lesson: carrots can save lives, and so can long-lasting friendship.

ANSWERS (full text)

Sweet Dreams

The alarm clock rings and wakes Cupcake up. He stretches his arms and gets out of the bed. He then looks through the window and dreams awake: he wants to sail across the ocean to unknown lands... But he's off to work.

He works as a sugar cube layer. His co-workers are Donut and Ice Cream. They are building a tower.

Cupcake can’t help thinking about sailing, so he builds a boat and drags it to the shore. He sails gently throughout the night. The sky is clear and the moon shines.

Then the sun rises and a seagull screams. Cupcake relaxes and enjoys his trip. Suddenly, however, he realizes there is a leak in his boat. He starts to bail water out it, but it reaches the shore before sinking.

The impact of the boat makes Cupcake fall on the sand. As he stands up, he realizes he doesn’t know where he is, and decides to sit down. Then the rain comes, first in a few small drops, until it rains cats and dogs.

Cupcake is very diligent and builds himself a shelter, using sugar cubes, the mast of the boat, its staysail and green leaves. Cupcake is so tired that he falls asleep.

Later, Potato wakes him up. She says “hello” and they engage in conversation. Potato asks him to follow her; they look through the broccolis and see Onion and Apple’s work: a newly erected building.

Cupcake climbs the ladder and greets them. They start to work together and use carrots, celery and aubergines (eggplants) to build a small village. Potato and Cupcake become very good friends. He gives her flowers and she gives him a melon, which becomes his new home.

Onion, Apple, Cupcake and Potato have a lot a fun. They really have a good time together. At night, Potato and Cupcake look at the astonishing, astounding starry sky. He hugs her. They fall in love and go to Cupcake's. He fondles her and she undresses him. They have sex.

In the morning, Lime knocks on the door and calls Cupcake. All his friends, including the Cucumber, have a surprise for him: a new boat. Potato gives him some seeds before he leaves. He sails back to his village, but the dwellers look down on him. They scorn and spurn him because he had gone away for a long time.

Cupcake feels rather desolate but remains optimistic nonetheless. When he arrives home, he removes the flowers from the planter and plants the seeds Potato had given him. He wants to talk to his old friends but nobody cares for him. A storm comes and destroys the sugar cube tower. His old friends have nowhere to go, and desperately try to run away from the flood.