AGE - Teens and above.
PROFICIENCY LEVEL - Intermediate and above.
MATERIALS - One ipad or another piece of equipment for recording. A story, narrative, or text that students need to read.
Before class time, record a story, a narrative, or any other similar text you want your students to work with. The recorded version of the story needs to be slightly modified, so you can change some facts, the names of the characters, the beginning or the end of the story. Have the original text at hand.
- Divide your group into two smaller groups, preferably with the same number of students. If that is impossible, there will be a trio working together at the end of the activity.
- Ask one group to leave the classroom. Give them the ipad with the recorded version of the story and ask them to listen attentively to all the details.
- Go back inside the classroom and read or tell the real story to the students who are with you.
- Bring back the group that was outside and pair students up, one from each group.
- They will tell each other their version of the story and guess which one is the real one. There can be an opinion poll when they are done. They can also work on a third version of the story, compiling the parts they think are more interesting.
Version 1- I was riding my bike to school when I saw a strange man standing at a bus stop. He pointed at me and shouted something. I couldn't hear him, so I rode by. A few minutes later, a bus passed me and I saw the man sitting by a window. Again, he pointed and shouted. This time, I almost fell off my bike because I was looking at him, trying to understand what he was shouting. I got really angry and shouted as loud as I could, "You, idiot!!!" When I got off the bike at school, I saw that my backpack was open. "Oh, no!", I thought. "He was trying to tell me that my bag was open." I looked inside and noticed that my math book was missing. I had no time to worry about it. I was late for class and a new teacher was starting that morning. When I opened the classroom door and rushed in, I saw him standing there. He recognized me and said, in a very friendly way, that he was trying to tell me about my backpack. I felt really embarrassed!
Version 2 - I was riding my bike to school when I saw a good-looking man standing at a bus stop. He pointed at me and shouted something. I couldn't hear him, so I rode by. A few minutes later, a bus passed me and I saw the man sitting by a window. Again, he pointed and shouted. This time, I fell off my bike because I was looking at him, trying to understand what he was shouting, and didn't see a big rock on the street. I hurt my leg and my hand, and got really angry and shouted as loud as I could, "Mind your own business!!!" When I got off the bike at school, I saw that my backpack was open. "Oh, no!", I thought. "He was trying to tell me that my bag was open." I looked inside and noticed that my wallet was missing. I decided to ride all the way back to try to find it, because all my money and documents were in it. Not very far from the school, the Principal passed by and saw me. He stopped his car and made me return to school. I tried to explain what had happened, but he wouldn't listen! I felt very sad and frustrated!
This activity was suggested by Daniela Lyra, from BrasÃlia, Brazil.
