Ideal for years 3 and 4. A great way to get boys interested in writing by using film clips from Shrek to get them involved.
UPDATED for 2025, completely unique idea.
This lesson involves following a short section of the film Shrek and its script that I have typed out. Children then go on to write a short section of the script by converting a piece of text into a playscript.
Children have always loved this lesson and it always provides some funny voices too from the class. I have used it in observation lessons several times with great results.
Includes
Edited video clips from Shrek to watch and follow along
Required script section to follow movie clip
Lesson plan
Required worksheet to convert text into playscript form
Here are some notes from the lesson plan.
Whole class work: Allow children to watch the ‘extended’ Shrek video clip. Tell the children that although the characters are animated using a computer the voices are done by actors.
Give children the handout of a section of a partial script according to the clip they have seen. Play ‘Shrek movie clip to follow’ and have children follow the dialogue as it happens on their handout. After playing get some of the children to act this out (they will have great fun putting the voices on.) Tick off with the children the features of the playscript that are contained in this handout.
Activity: Give children the handout ‘writing playscripts worksheet’ get them to convert this into a playscript style into their books. This has part of the previous script that hasn’t been converted (so remove their copy of the previous handout.)
Play the clip several times and get them to annotate who is saying what in two different colours (Shrek or Donkey)
Get children to then continue the playscript in the style of the movie.
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