Genre Swap, English Foundations

Created Feb. 7, 2024 by Amber Hoye, Camille Daw, Mimi Fahnstrom

Please Note: Many of the activities on the Pathways Project OER Repository were created by upper-division students at Boise State University and serve as a foundation that our community of practice can build upon and refine. While they are polished, we welcome and encourage collaboration from language instructors to help modify grammar, syntax, and content where needed. Kindly contact amberhoye@boisestate.edu with any suggestions and we will update the content in a timely manner.  — The Pathways Project

About the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) Language Activity Repository

The activities provided by the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) serve as foundational activities which can be adapted by any language and scaled up or down on the proficiency scale. Many of these activities offer an English Version that is “language-agnostic” to provide language instructors from around the country a platform to remix these instructional materials, infusing them with their target language and culture! The activities within the Pathways Project OER Repository seek to help students solidify their interpersonal speaking and interpretive skills through task-based situations or communicative activities. These activities should be facilitated in the target language for approximately 90% (or more), per the recommendation of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

How to use the WLRC Repository’s Activities:

1. Use the Activity as is:

Before you begin:

  • Most activities are 30 minutes in duration, unless otherwise specified.
  • Be sure to read through the activity description, and review the list of required materials. You will notice that the activity materials are also highlighted in yellow throughout the activity instructions.

If you have any suggestions about grammar, syntax, and content, please kindly contact amberhoye@boisestate.edu.

2. Remix for Your Language Classroom:

When you are ready to begin remixing the activity, in order to adapt it for the needs of your language classroom, simply click the blue “Remix This Resource” button at the top of your screen. This will then take you to a screen with a NEW, editable version of this activity. The text provided in purple is a suggestion of what you might say to your students in the target language, and may be altered for different levels and age groups. All activities have “NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do” statements, a warm-up, a main activity, and a wrap-up.

Many of the activities include printable cards and other instructional materials such as Google Slideshows. If you would like to make changes to these materials in Spanish, follow the instructions below:

  • Google Slideshows:
    • To begin, go to File -> Copy to create an editable version of the slideshow.
    • Once finished with your changes, please complete the following steps to share:
    • Click on Share
    • Who Has Access
    • Ensure link sharing is on and allow external access.
  • Materials Saved as PDF: Please email WLRCLAR@gmail.com and we will provide you with an editable copy. Please allow up to two business days for a response. For YouTube videos and other websites, hyperlinks are provided. 

3. Adapt for Another Language:

  • See the linked English Version at the top of the activity (English Version may not be available for all activities)

Genre Swap

Description:

Students will act out a popular movie trailer in the target language. Keeping with the original plot of the movie, students have to act out the trailer as if it were a different genre. 

Proficiency Level:

Intermediate High

Keywords:

movie, genre, film, acting, literature, 

World-Readiness Standards:

Standard 1.1 Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions

Standard 1.2 Students understand and interpret spoken and written target language on a variety of topics

Standard 1.3 Students present information, concepts, and ideas in the target language to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.

Standard 2.1 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of Hispanic cultures.

Idaho Content Standards for World Languages:

COMM 1.1: Interact and negotiate meaning (spoken, signed, written conversation) to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions

COMM 2.1: Understand, interpret, and analyze what is heard, read, or viewed on a variety of topics.

COMM 3.1: Present information, concepts, and ideas to inform, explain, persuade, and narrate on a variety of topics using appropriate media in the target language.

 COMM 3.2: Adapt presentation to various audiences of listeners, readers, or viewers.

CLTR 1.1: Analyze the cultural practices/patterns of behavior accepted as the societal norm in the target culture.

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I can talk about my interests and hobbies.
  • I can give reasons for my preferences.
  • I can ask for information, details, and explanations during a conversation.

Materials Needed:

Warm-up

1. Begin by introducing today's Can-Do statements. 

2. Show students the sample movie trailer. 

3. In the target language, ask students the following questions: 

What types of books do you like best? Why?

What kind of stories do you like best? Why?

Would you like to work as a critic of the lyrics? Why?

Main Activity

1. Using the iMovie app, students will reimagine their favorite books as films of different genres. For example, Harry Potter as a memoir, Jurassic Park as a detective novel, Cinderella as a Pirate, etc. 

2. Students will create trailers on iMovie to announce their movies. With the final minutes of the lab, we are going to have a film festival where we see the trailers.

"First, decide on a book you'd like to make a trailer for. You are going to create a trailer for the book in a different genre. For example, Cinderella as a pirate movie." 

3. After each group has decided on a book, have them pick one of the genre cards. 

 4. Students will open iMovie and click on a trailer.

"Once you've decided on your book, open iMovie on the Ipad and click on the trailer option. Follow the instructions on iMovie to create the trailer. Do your best because at the end, we will present them to the class." 

5. Follow the instructions in iMovie to create the trailer.

Wrap-up

Ask the following questions to finish the lab: 

What was the easiest part of this activity and why?

What was the most surprising?

If they could change some of this activity, what would they change and why?

End of lab:

 Read Can-Do statements once more and have students evaluate their confidence. 
(Use thumbs up/thumbs down or download our student cards.) 
• Encourage students to be honest in their self-evaluation.
• Pay attention, and try to use feedback for future labs!

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I can talk about my interests and hobbies.
  • I can give reasons for my preferences.
  • I can ask for information, details, and explanations during a conversation.
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