The overall task was to make an extract from a book into a scene from a film, with some lessons in the Finnish class and some in the English class. This ‘experiment’ was the result of joint planning for English and Finnish (mother tongue) in the same school with the same class. The Finnish lessons and the English lessons do not take place at the same time, but we both tried to support the overall plan in our own lessons. We had greater plans than we were able to carry out, as time ran out at the end of the term, so what we actually did can be seen below.

 Overall aims 

Content: . Finnish: Language and literature classes. Becoming aware of the differences between books and films in content and linguistically, analyzing them, practicing writing skills. English: the same, as well as expanding vocabulary, practising adjective comparison and general practise in listening comprehension, reading, writing and speaking, using authentic materials, not the course book.

Thinking: towards being able to see things from a different point of view. Comparing and contrasting, practising using /thinking up parameters, ENV, and making an algorithm for doing a particular type of task (Making an extract from a book into a scene from a film.)

Materials: The novel Holes by Louis Sacher, in both Finnish and English; the novel Matilda by Roald Dahl, in both Finnish and English. The film versions of both novels. 

OVERVIEW OF SERIES OF TASKS / CHALLENGES Clicking on each lesson takes you to a more detailed description of what was done in that lesson.

Background: The class had read Holes in Finnish and greatly enjoyed it and had just watched the film version in the Finnish class.

Books and films, English, lesson 1 – Using a Roald Dahl poem to introduce the idea and vocabulary for being able to talk about books and films and their similarities and differences in English. Sorting words.

Books and films, English, lesson 2 – Further sorting of words and discussing groupings. Talking about books and films, experiences of these and preferences.  Reading a page from Holes in English and eliciting the main differences between the book and film of Holes and between books and films in general.

Books and films, Finnish, lesson 3 – Discussing in Finnish the differences between the film and book, Holes. Making a mind-map of these, referring also to work done in the English class.

Books and films, Finnish, lessons 4 - 6 – Reading in Finnish, in groups of four, the first few pages of Matilda by Roald Dahl, enough to get the idea of what Matilda and her parents are like. Setting of the challenge: Write the script for the first two minutes of a film of Matilda in such a way that you show the nature of the parents and of Matilda in that time. Making an ENV of the parents and how they are portrayed in the book.

Lesson 5 FINNISH – Reflecting on the ENV and sorting which aspects of the parents’ characters are most important to get the idea across. Writing the scripts in groups.

Lesson 6 FINNISH – The groups read their scripts aloud. The whole class reflected on the scripts and if they achieved the aim of portraying the nature of the parents and Matilda. How could they be improved?

Books and films, English, lesson 7 – Watched the first two minutes of the actual film. They reflected on it in comparison with their own ideas. Watched the rest of the film.