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Session 3: Media study: The Walking Dead

Part 3. What moral dilemma does a survival series put on screen?

Objectives

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?

Documents

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

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
For the teacher: how to run it (8 to 10 minutes)
  1. Read the core dilemma: a survivor finds a stranger in danger. Ask: what should he do? Write three answers.
  2. Present should and ought to (opinion, advice), had better (strong advice with a warning).
  3. Add the past: should have + past participle, to criticise a decision. Students copy.
  4. Quick check, then exercises, then the debate and the paragraph.
On the board, to copy

Rule

should and ought to give an opinion about what is right. had better is a strong warning: something bad will happen if you don't. should have + past participle criticises a past action.

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.

Use

  • To debate the dilemma.
  • To describe a good leader: A good leader should ...
  • To judge a character's past choice.

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.
  • Rick should have told the group before leaving.

Common mistakes

  • Not He should to help., but He should help.
  • Not He ought help., but He ought to help.
  • Not You had better to hide., but You had better hide.
  • Not He should helped yesterday., but He should have helped yesterday.

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.

Going further (for students heading to language studies)Advanced. Use the passive and stronger modals of moral judgement. Rewrite and explain.

  1. Someone should have stopped him. (passive)
  2. It is essential that the group stays together. (subjunctive: ... stay)
  3. We are morally obliged to help. (be supposed to / be bound to)
Show the answers

1. He should have been stopped. 2. It is essential that the group stay together (the base form, a formal subjunctive). 3. We are bound to help (strong moral obligation) / We are supposed to help (an expectation that may not be met).

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.

CoreAnswer with words from the box: Where does Rick wake up? What is his job? What is he looking for?

Show the answers

In a hospital, from a coma. He is a sheriff's deputy. He is looking for his wife and son.

StretchExplain why a survival series is often a moral story.

Show the answers

Because the end of the world removes laws and comfort: the characters must choose between their own safety and helping others, so each episode asks what is right.

Activities

  1. First viewing without sound: what can you guess about the place and the mood?
  2. Second viewing with sound: complete the viewing table.
  3. 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.
  4. Debate in two teams, then write a short paragraph.

More activities

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

Sentence starters

Role play

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

Figures of speech in the documents

Oxymoron: The Walking Dead

Title: “The Walking Dead”

The dead cannot walk: the title puts together two words that contradict each other. That is an oxymoron. It sums up the horror of the premise in three words. Some viewers also read it another way: the survivors themselves, who keep walking but have lost part of their humanity, may be the walking dead.

EntryWhich two ideas contradict each other in the title?

Show the answers

walking (being alive and moving) and dead.

CoreGive the two possible meanings of the title.

Show the answers

The zombies, who are dead but walk; the survivors, who are alive but have lost part of their humanity.

StretchInvent a title with an oxymoron for your own survival story, and explain it.

Show the answers

For example: The Quiet Storm: the silence after the outbreak is more frightening than the noise.

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

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.

CoreA ten-line paragraph: your opinion, two arguments, one example from the trailer, a conclusion.

StretchAdd a criticism with should have, a warning with had better, and the oxymoron of the title.

Tools to use:

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.

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