ADAPTED VERSION · B1 · dyslexia friendly

Session 3: Media study: The Walking Dead

Question: What moral dilemma does a survival series put on screen?
Step 1

Goals

Step 2
Today's language goal

To understand the premise of a series and give my moral opinion on a survival dilemma, we need the words of a series (premise, trailer, survivors, leader, dilemma, moral) and should, ought to, had better to give a moral opinion.

Warm-up

Students describe a TV series they know in three words. What makes a series about the end of the world popular?

Step 3

Read

Age note for the teacher. The Walking Dead is a violent series rated TV-MA in the United States. Use only the short official trailer below, watched first by the teacher; no full episodes in class.
Document: the premise. The Walking Dead is an American TV series broadcast on AMC from 31 October 2010 to November 2022, over eleven seasons. It was developed by Frank Darabont from the comic book by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard. Sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma in a hospital and discovers a world overrun by the dead. He searches for his wife and son and joins a group of survivors.
One official extract. Watch the official Season 1 trailer on the official The Walking Dead AMC channel on YouTube or on amc.com. Teacher: pick the trailer only.

Viewing table

While watchingNotes
Places (hospital, city, road)
Sounds and music
Emotions on faces
One key image

Vocabulary

WordMeaning
premisethe starting situation of a story
comaa long state of unconsciousness
deputyan assistant to a sheriff
survivorspeople still alive
leaderthe person who guides a group
moralabout good and bad
trailera short video to advertise a film or series
dilemmaa choice between two difficult options
Step 4

Grammar lesson: should, ought to, had better: giving a moral opinion

To understand the premise of a series and give my moral opinion on a survival dilemma, we need should, ought to, had better: giving a moral opinion
On the board, to copy

Rule

should + verb = it is a good idea. He should help the stranger.

Form

  • should / shouldn't + base verb: A leader should listen.
  • ought to + base verb (a little more formal): We ought to help.
  • had better (not) + base verb: You'd better hide now.
  • should have + past participle: He should have warned the group.

Examples from the lesson

  • What should he do?
  • A good leader should stay calm.
  • Helping may put the group at risk, so he had better be careful.

Common mistakes

  • Not He should to help., but He should help.
  • Not He ought help., but He ought to help.

Quick check (2 minutes, hands up or mini whiteboards)Should, ought to or had better?

  1. A leader ______ listen to everyone.
  2. You ______ hide now: they are coming!
  3. We ______ to share our water.
  4. He ______ have checked the road.
Show the answers

1. should. 2. had better. 3. ought. 4. should.

Exercises

EntryRecognition. Say what each sentence expresses: opinion or advice (O), strong warning (W), criticism of the past (C).

  1. Survivors should help strangers.
  2. You'd better lock the door tonight.
  3. Rick should have waited for the others.
  4. We ought to vote on the decision.
  5. The group shouldn't have left the camp.
  6. You'd better not make any noise.
Show the answers

1. O. 2. W. 3. C. 4. O. 5. C. 6. W.

CoreTransformation. Rewrite with the word in brackets.

  1. It's a good idea to help the stranger. (should)
  2. It's a mistake to leave the hospital alone. (shouldn't)
  3. Hide now, or they will find you. (had better)
  4. It was wrong not to warn the group. (should have)
  5. It is our duty to protect the children. (ought to)
  6. It was a mistake to open the gate. (shouldn't have)
  7. Don't go out at night, it's dangerous. (had better not)
Show the answers

1. We should help the stranger. 2. You shouldn't leave the hospital alone. 3. You had better hide now. 4. He should have warned the group. 5. We ought to protect the children. 6. They shouldn't have opened the gate. 7. You had better not go out at night.

StretchProduction. Write five rules for a good leader in a survival group, then two criticisms of a bad decision.

Show the answers

For example: A good leader should listen to everyone. He ought to share the risks. He shouldn't decide alone. He should explain his choices. He'd better keep calm in a crisis. The leader should have checked the stranger before letting him in. He shouldn't have left the children alone.

Words in action

To say it precisely, we need the right words

EntryMatch: premise, trailer, deputy, dilemma.

  1. an assistant to a sheriff
  2. a choice between two difficult options
  3. the starting situation of a story
  4. a short video to advertise a series
Show the answers

1. deputy. 2. dilemma. 3. premise. 4. trailer.

Tasks

Task a. First viewing without sound: what can you guess about the place and the mood?
Task b. Second viewing with sound: complete the viewing table.
Task c. The core dilemma: a survivor finds a stranger in danger. Helping may put the group at risk. What should he do? Fill in the table below.
Task d. Debate in two teams, then write a short paragraph.
Step 5

More tasks

Exercises
  1. What is the job of Rick Grimes at the start?
  2. Where does he wake up?
  3. On which channel was the series broadcast?
  4. Who created the comic book? Give one name.
  5. What is a 'trailer'?
Corrigé of the exercises
  1. Sheriff's deputy
  2. In a hospital, after a coma
  3. AMC
  4. Robert Kirkman (also Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard)
  5. A short video that advertises a film or series
Step 6

Sentence starters

  • The trailer shows...
  • The music creates...
  • A good leader should...
  • Saving a stranger is... because...
Step 7

Role play

Student A is a survivor who wants to help a stranger, Student B is the group leader who refuses. Find a compromise.

Step 8

Figures of speech in the documents

Oxymoron: The Walking Dead

Title: “The Walking Dead”

The dead cannot walk. Two opposite ideas together: this is an oxymoron.

EntryWhich two ideas contradict each other in the title?

Show the answers

walking (being alive and moving) and dead.

Gap-fill worksheet

QR code to this worksheet
Word bank: premise · coma · deputy · survivors · leader · moral · trailer · dilemma
  1. The is the starting situation.
  2. Rick wakes up from a .
  3. He is a sheriff's .
  4. He meets other .
  5. A group needs a .
  6. Each episode raises a question.
  7. We watch only the official .
  8. Helping or not is a .
Answer key
  1. premise
  2. coma
  3. deputy
  4. survivors
  5. leader
  6. moral
  7. trailer
  8. dilemma
Step 9

Expression task

Now say it

Debate in two teams: should a survivor help a stranger in danger? Then write a short paragraph.

EntryTwo sentences: your opinion with should and one reason.

Tools to use:

  • premise, survivors, leader, dilemma, moral
  • should, ought to, had better, should have
  • because, however, so

Sentence starters:

  • In my opinion, a survivor should ...
  • However, he had better ...
  • A good leader ...
Show a model answer

In my opinion, a survivor should help a stranger in danger, because helping others is what makes us human. However, he had better be careful: the stranger might be infected or dangerous. A good leader ought to check first, from a safe distance, and then decide with the group. If survivors stop helping strangers, they become the real walking dead.

Assessment grid

CriteriaLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4
Understanding of the extractRarelySometimesMostlyAlways and precisely
Argument languageMany errorsSome errorsMostly correctCorrect and varied
JustificationNo reasonOne reasonTwo reasonsDeveloped and nuanced

Homework

Write 120 words: should survivors help strangers? Use one conditional and two arguments.

Step 10

Links reminder