Movie Review Lesson Plan for ESL Students

ELP 9-12.4

An ELL can construct grade-appropriate oral and written claims and support them with reasoning and evidence.

• Internet access
• Projector or SMART Board
• Video cameras or phones with video capabilities
• Popcorn

• Film
• Movie
• Movie genre:
  • Drama
  • Comedy
  • Thriller
  • Science-fiction/sci-fi
  • Romantic comedy/rom-com
  • Action
  • Classic film
  • Documentary
  • Mockumentary
• Movie roles:
  • Producer
  • Director
  • Actor/actress
  • Screenwriter
• Movie aspects:
  • Soundtrack
  • Dialogue
  • Special effects
  • Screenplay
• Movie story:
  • Setting
  • Plot/storyline
  • Characters
  • Resolution
  • Cliffhanger
• Movie Review Terms:
  • Hit
  • Rotten tomato
  • Flop
  • Blockbuster
  • Critic
  • Mediocre
  • Cliche' ridden
  • Boring
  • Effects-driven
  • Spoiler
  • Spoiler alert
  • Charming
  • Disappointing
  • Formulaic
  • Predictable
  • Juvenile
  • Dreadful
  • Bland
  • Low-budget
  • Big-budget
  • Oddball
  • Suspenseful

• Ask the students what movies they have seen recently and whether they enjoyed them.
• Ask them how they chose those movies - did a friend recommend them? Did they see a commercial or a preview? Perhaps they saw a movie review on television or on a website?
• Ask what it means to 'review' a movie. If the students have already discussed book reviews, relate a movie review to a book review.
• Ask the students to brainstorm things they would expect to be mentioned in a movie review. These may include:
  • The reviewer's opinion about the movie.
  • The quality of the acting.
  • The quality of the soundtrack.
  • The quality of the storyline and screenplay.
  • The audience's reaction to the movie.
• Introduce or review the other movie vocabulary terms listed in this lesson plan.
• Use a projector or SMART Board to show the students several movie reviews from online movie review sites.

1. Use a projector or SMART Board to show a short film in class. Many are available on online video sites.
2. Be sure to have popcorn!
3. Put the students in pairs. Have each pair discuss their opinion about the film overall, and their opinions about the acting, soundtrack and storyline. Encourage them to use the appropriate movie vocabulary.
4. Ask the students to use the movie vocabulary to identify each aspect of the film. They should create a written movie review that summarizes the plot and identifies the main actors and actresses and the director. Students should give their opinions about the quality of the acting, the effectiveness of the soundtrack, and the quality of the screenplay. Finally, they should include their opinion about the movie overall.
5. Have the students work in pairs to peer edit and revise their movie reviews. Each student should read his/her review aloud to a peer for comments and feedback. After they have received feedback, the reviews should be revised and edited.
6. Students should practice reading their movie review aloud until they are confident with the text.
7. After students have practiced their movie reviews, have them film each other's reviews using video cameras or phones.

Watch the filmed movie reviews in class. Provide feedback to the students regarding their use of the movie vocabulary and the content of their movie review.

Take a field trip to a movie theater to see a film. Review movie vocabulary such as ticket, concessions, popcorn, theater, preview, screen, etc. before the trip. Following the trip, have the students write a movie review about the film.

How to Use Movie Making Aps in the Classroom