Level 3 Film Activity -
One flew over the cuckoo's nest - Part 1
DVD activity by Viv Quarry (www.vivquarry.com)
Part 1 (DVD scenes 1 - 5 ) Viewing time approx. 25 minutes (activity time 45mins.)
Pre-teach/check the
following vocabulary
Crime & criminals (p.18f*) Describing people (p.20f*)
(V+N) Assault (ADJ) Belligerent
(N) Statutory rape (ADJ) Resentful
(N) Jail = penitentiary = work farm (ADJ) Lazy
(EXP) fake sth. = pretend to be ill (ADJ) Willing to do sth
to escape from sth. you don't want to do.
Health & body (p.26f*) (N) Mental institution / hospital
(ADJ+N) Deaf (ADJ+N) Mentally ill=insane=crazy=mad=loony/lunatic=nuts/wacko(USA)
(ADJ+N) Dumb (N) Patients /PAYSHUNTS/
(N) Group therapy (N) Ward
Sport & leisure (p.38f*)
Pack of cards Suits Hearts Ace Take a pack of cards into the classroom when you
Clubs King present this vocabulary. You can deal two cards
Diamonds Queen to each student and play '21'. Teach 'hit me',
Spades Jack 'stick' and 'bust'. Students say the cards they've got.
(V+N) Deal Exp. The jack of clubs.
(V+N) Shuffle
Use photocopies
of 'One flew over the cuckoo's nest -
part 1 dialogues'
Teacher plays role of Mc Murphy, students are assigned the other roles ('S-1, 2 etc. are to help the teacher assign dialogue to the students in the class. Mc Murphy's role can also be assigned if you like, but this will mean that the activity will take longer to complete).
To avoid
any embarrassment, I've removed the following part of
dialogue "but
when you get that little red beaver right up there in front of ya", spoken
by Mc Murphy when talking about his statutory rape conviction. Strong language
has been removed from the other dialogues or highlighted in blue.
While the DVD is loading and the 'copyright' warning is on:
Tell the students that they are going to
watch a film and Brainstorm questions about the
film:
What's it called? What's it about? Who stars in it? Who directed it?
When was it made? Where/when is it set? Is it based on a book?
Stress that it isn't important that they
understand every word and when subtitles are enabled, only to read them if they
have to. It's better to watch the actor's face and gestures.
Play the film from the
start with no subtitles.
When Nurse Ratched and
the patients appear doing fitness exercises select subtitles in English
Watch the film until external buildings appear after the combative
stare between Nurse Ratched and Mc Murphy at the end of the first group therapy
session then Stop the film.
Post-viewing activity: Discussion of mental health care in student's country. Advantages of pleading insanity to avoid going to prison. Is McMurphy mad? Why? Why not?
* Viv's vocabulary organisation - see Organising your student's notebook