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If only, I wish and the 3 conditionals to develop the oral skills through ICT

• Suggested level : intermediate – upper intermediate

• Materials and tools to be used : a movie extract (the first trial scene in The Reader
movie, starring Kate Winslet, David Kross and Ralph Fiennes), work sheets,
PowerPoint presentation, word processing, the World Wide Web (of course together
with all necessary equipment, that is a computer, a data projector and fast internet
connection)
• Modes of student work : individual contributions, whole class discussion, pair work,
group work
• Skills : the emphasis is on speaking, but all skills are involved in an integrated manner
• Other skills : online research, note-taking, critical thinking, hypothesizing, reviewing
• Use of curriculum : history, geography, ICT
• Language required : basically wish expressions and conditionals, but students are
encouraged to use any appropriate language to respond to the tasks

Pre-viewing activity 1
(PPT demonstration through picture or simple use of board)
“A skeleton in the cupboard” Are you familiar with this
expression?
Get divided into small groups and discuss its meaning
providing examples. Then report to the class. You need to
decide who is going to be the spokesman of the group.

Previewing activity 2
(PPT demonstration with web-researched picture of Adolf Hitler and skeleton gif
images)

This figure’s cupboard has plenty of skeletons. Can you mention some? Discuss
with your group and make up a short list. Use your history knowledge.

Pre-viewing activity 3 (word processing skills)

Use your background knowledge to do the following quiz

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1. Auschwitz was a concentration camp in ...

a. Germany b. Poland c. Austria
2. ‘The Final Solution’ was ….
a. the Nazi plan to build camps for the handicapped
b. the Nazi plan to destroy all European capitals
c. the Nazi plan to exterminate all the Jewish people
3. ’ Death marches’ were about
a. forcing camp prisoners to march long distances out of the camps
b. forcing camp prisoners to march in the camp yards
c. forcing prisoners shoot other prisoners while walking in the camp
4. The trial of the Nazi war criminals took place in …
a. Berlin b. Munich c. Nuremberg
5. In the concentration camps, usually …..were selected to be killed
a. the Jewish prisoners
b. those unfit for forced labour
c. the women and the children

Now you may check your answers by visiting the site of Holocaust Memorial Museum

URL: http://www.ushmm.org/outreach/en/

Click only on the following links:

1. The "Final Solution“

2. At the Killing Centres

3. Auschwitz

4. Death Marches

5. The Nuremberg trials

Viewing activity 1 - Step 1

You are going to watch an extract from the movie “The Reader”
(Kate Winslet, David Kross, Ralph Fiennes). Before watching, go
through the synopsis of the story so far to get an idea.

“Michael is a young German law student. Years ago, at the age of 15

and while still a school boy, he had a love affair with a much older
woman, who likes being read books by him. She suddenly disappears
and Michael feels devastated, but he goes on with his life. In the film
extract, he and other law students are taken to the court by their
professor in order to attend a real trial. There, he is going to discover
terrible secrets about her…”
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Watch the first part of the clip and with your group work out the answers to the following
questions:

1. Which law school are the young people attending? What do you think of their choice?
2. What is the group’s first assignment?
3. How seriously does Michael take his work?
4. Where do the students and their professor go by train? Why?

Step 2 (interpreting feelings and thoughts)

What is in their minds? Guess the hypotheses these people are making about their choices

Each student about his choice of the “ if I ……

specific law school

Michael’s decision to study instead of “ if I ……

socialising

The professor’s taking them to a real “ if I ……

courtroom

Viewing activity 2 (information transfer – word processing skills)

Watch the second part of the clip and complete the missing information on the table
(group work). Hanna Schmitz is Michael’s long lost lover, now a defendant.

The trial

The defendants (who are they?)

Hanna’s current age

Hanna’s charge

Hanna’s previous job

Hanna’s reasons doing what she is accused of

The judge’s reasons for asking

Hanna’s SS duties
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Viewing activity 3 - step 1

Describe Michael’s feelings and thoughts in the stills. Speak like him (1st person)

Listening to Hanna in the courtroom On the train, later on

Step 2 - These characters’ words hide a wish. Can you work out what each one silently
wishes?

“I don’t know. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting”

………………………………………………………………………...

“I thought it was exciting, because it’s justice”

………………………………………………………………………...

“Well, what do you think?

What were you expecting?”

………………………………………………………………………...
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Post viewing activity 1 (writing – easy)

Get divided into groups. You are preparing a poster of the movie on which there will be
pictures of several of the movie characters. Your task is to write a few words below each
character describing his role in the movie.

Alternatively - activity 2 (writing – easy)

Get divided into groups. You are presenting some of the movie characters in the movie
advertising leaflet which is distributed to the public in the cinema halls.
Write a few lines (4-5) about each one of them.

Alternatively – activity 3 (free discussion - medium)

In groups, discuss which of all the characters you mostly sympathise with. Your group
spokesman will report to the rest of the class.

Alternatively – activity 4 (free expression – medium)

Suggest a scenario for the rest of the movie.

Alternatively – activity 5 (debate – difficult)

Suppose the two young men had to express their view concerning Hanna’s guilt during the
trial. Their views differ dramatically, so you have to take sides. Help them support their
ideas with appropriate arguments.
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Suggested areas

a. INVESTIGATION OF ASPECTS OF WORLD WAR II

• Concentration camps
• Major historic figures
• Nazi Germany , and so on

b. Uncommon relationships

• Types of differences
• Famous couples with a difference and their stories
• Social attitudes across centuries

c. Education

• Qualities of a good teacher with examples from history

• Cross examination of education systems
• Theory versus practice, and so on

d. Crimes and Trials

• Unresolved crimes
• Notorious criminals
• The Nuremberg trial
• Important trials
• Unjustly sentenced victims
• The capital punishment