Casablanca

As this is an old film set in North Africa during WW2 it's going to need some warm up in order to get students thinking about what's happening.You can find the full script here.

Lesson plan

1 Pin up a world map and write up “Casablanca” on the board. Ask students to find it (feel free to help out, if necessary).

2 Ask students what's it like there. Is it hot or cold? A rich or poor place? What do people wear? Etc

3 Write up “1941” on the board. What was happening in the world at that time? Get students to do steps 1 and 2 in pairs or large groups if you think that they might find this difficult. You could perhaps set this for homework.

At all times you should be aiming to

Reduce the amount of time you speak (they need the practice, not you).

Enable them to understand something that they may never have come across in their own education(just how wordly were you at say, fourteen?).

Give them as great a chance of understanding as possible. Success breeds success, failure breeds failure.

4 Give out the photocopy and ask students to read through it Deal with any vocabulary/grammar issues.

CASABLANCA

A Boss

B Yeah!

A Boss, ain't you going to bed ?

B Not right now.

A Ain't you planning on going to bed in the near future ?

B No.

A You ever going to bed ?

B No.

A Well, I ain't sleepy either.

B Good. Then have a drink.

A No. Not me, boss.

B Then don't have a drink.

A Let's get out of here.

B No, sir. I'm waiting for a lady.

A Please, boss, let's go. Ain't nothing but trouble for you here.

B She's coming back. I low she is coming back.

A We'll take the car and drive all night.We'll get drunk. We'll go fishing and stay until she's gone.

B Shut up and go home, will you.

A No, sir. I'm staying right here.

B They grab Ugarte and she walks in. Well, that's the way it goes. One in, one out. Sam ?

A Yeah boss ?

B Sam, if it's December 1941 in Casablanca, what time is it in New York ?

A Uhm, my watch stopped.

B I bet they're asleep in New York. I'll bet they're asleep all over America.

A Of all the gin joints in all the world, she walks into mine.

5 Students, in pairs or groups, decide;

Who's speaking ?

What's the relationship between them?

What are they talking about?

How do they feel? Why?

What do you think happened before the scene started?

What do you think will happen next?

6 Play the film with the scene (without showing the screen) and ask students to decide if they want to change any of their answers.

7 Play the scene with picture an sound. Once again students discuss their answers.

8 Tell the students that they are going to act out the scene in pairs and that they have 10 minutes to rehearse.Explain to them that they will perform the scene and that the class will vote on the best prformance.

This is very much a hit and miss exercise. It can have wonderful results or just die a slow and painful death in the lesson. It very much depends on the “chemistry” that the students bring with them into the classroom. Be warned!!!