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Welcome to
“Radu Vlădescu”
Theoretical High
School!
6 May 2015
The Pedagogical Meeting
of the Teachers of English
on the Buzău Valley

School: '' Radu Vlădescu'' Theoretical High School, Pătârlagele
Grade: 11th Form
Level: Upper-Intermediate
No. of students: 29
Time: 50 minutes
Date: 6 May 2015
Title of the activity: “Lessons for Life” (Teaching and Learning Values in School- types of activities)
Skills covered: Integrated skills
Aims: - to develop moral character features and values such as tolerance, honesty, empathy, respect, integrity etc ;
- to provide an opportunity for pair-work, group-work and critical thinking;
-to assess the benefits of the whole - film approach.
Anticipated problems: - some students may not have the necessary knowledge or skills to complete the task(s);
- some students may not have enough experience/courage to address the topic;
Aids: PowerPoint presentation, audio and video excerpts, flipchart, posters, handouts, paper etc.

II. What do you think they did?
a. I was in the supermarket yesterday and I saw this
elderly woman walking up and down the aisles. She
didn’t have a trolley and was putting her shopping
straight into her bag. Anyway, I thought nothing
more about it and carried on doing my shopping and
when I went to queue up to pay, there she was in
front of me. I watched her put one tin of cat food on
the counter and pay for it, then she walked out with
her bag full of unpaid shopping.

b. Something awful happened to me last week. I’d
invited six people round for dinner and you know how I
hate cooking. Anyway, I spent all afternoon preparing
the meal and actually I was quite pleased with how it
turned out. I even managed to get all the vegetables
ready at the same time as the meat. So the vegetables
were on the table and I just had to get the chicken out
of the oven. I lifted it out and I don’t know how it
happened, but I dropped it on the kitchen floor and
before I could pick it up, the cat had licked it. She
regretted it afterwards, because she burnt her tongue.

c. I had a very strange experience the other day. I
was up in London for a meeting and it was lunch
time. It was a lovely day, so I bought a sandwich and
went for a walk. I was just on my way back to the
office when I noticed a scruffy, bearded man
begging in the street. I recognized him immediately.
It was someone I’d been at university with, a
brilliant mind. He’d always been a bit of a rebel, but
a very clever man. We’d been very good friends, but
I’d lost touch with him when he left university.

What quotation or proverb would you use to illustrate
your decision in each of the three situations?
• “Food comes first- morals
later.” (Bertolt Brecht)
• “Be kind whenever
possible. It is always
possible.” (Dalai Lama)
• “What you allow, you
encourage.” (Michael
Josephson)

III. Learning from Proverbs and Quotes
Re-phrase the proverbs/
quotes on the right in one
sentence and use your life
experience to explain/
illustrate them.
e.g. “Virtue is its own
reward.” This proverb
means that we should not
expect praise for acting in a
correct or moral way.
For example, a parent
should not give a material
compensation when a child
makes a good deed like
helping a neighbour or
being a friend in need.
1. There is no pillow as soft as a clear conscience. (French
proverb)
2. Two wrongs don’t make a right. (English proverb)
3. People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
(English proverb)
4. Beggars can’t be choosers. (English proverb)
5. It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.
(William Blake)
6. One does evil enough when one does nothing good.(German
proverb)
7. The evil that men do lives after them. (William Shakespeare)
8. As you make your bed, so you must lie in it. (English
proverb)
9. A man is known by the company he keeps. (Romanian
proverb)
10. It takes a village to raise a child. (African proverb)

IV. Solving moral dilemmas (group work)
1.Your history teacher made a huge mistake on your final grade. A mistake that was
very much in your favour. Should you point out the mistake to your teacher or
accept your good fortune quietly and gratefully?
2. You discover that your best friend is getting into some pretty risky behaviors,
including experimenting with dangerous drugs. You confront him/her and the
horrific truth is admitted but only after you promise to keep it a secret. What should
you do?
3. Three of your classmates have created an offensive website that attacks
teachers. The principal wants to know who did it and you are the only one who
knows. Should you lie to the principal or “betray” your classmates?
4. Your childhood friend, Bridget, is wrapped up in an online relationship with some
older guy on Myspace, a social networking website. You sense real danger, but
Bridget resents your warnings and wants you to stay out. You don’t want to
endanger your close friendship with her. What would/should you do?

V. LEARNING FROM MOVIE CHARACTERS
FLIPPED (2010), directed by Rob Reiner, written by Mr. Reiner and
Andrew Scheinman, based on the novel by Wendelin Van Draanen…
… a “ sensitive exploration of how
parents shape their children.”
(The Austin Chronicle)

The Bakers Vs. The Loskis
What family values did they teach you?

The Bakers The Loskis
Respect, Generosity, Altruism, Kindness, Courage,
Caring, Honesty, Empathy, Dignity, Integrity ?
JULLIANA “JULI” BAKER ROBERT BAKER TRINA BAKER
DAVID BAKER MATT and MIKE BAKER
BRYCE LOSKI RICK LOSKI PATSY LOSKI
LYNETTA LOSKI CHESTER “CHET” DUNCAN

VI. Re-create a scene by helping the characters
to say and do the “right” thing
Juli’s passion includes her chickens and, having too many eggs, she
offers some to Bryce’s family. The Loskis are ruled by fear and see
only the potential for salmonella. Instead of thanksgiving and joy, her
gift is received with lies and deceit. Bryce accepts the eggs but
secretly throws them away until eventually he is caught by Juli.
“Hi, Bryce. Brought you some more eggs.”
“Wow. Thanks.”
“Did your family like the first batch?”
“Do you even have to ask?”
“Great. See you at school.”
Panicked about his feelings, Bryce feels the need to talk to someone
and chooses his best friend Garrett. However, their conversation in
the school library doesn’t go as expected. What is worse, itis also
overheard by Juli.
GARRETT: These aren't real emotions.
BRYCE: They're not?
GARRETT: You feel guilty because of the
egg thing.
BRYCE: Yeah, and I insulted her yard.
GARRETT: Exactly. Of course , the place is
a dump anyways.
BRYCE: Her dad's got a retarded brother
and all their money goes to helping him.
GARRETT: A retard? Well, shoot, that ought
to tell you something.
BRYCE: About what?
GARRETT: About Juli.
BRYCE: What are you saying?
GARRETT: The apple doesn't fall far from
the tree, my friend.

Homework
Comment upon the following quotation:
“Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man
of value.” (Albert Einstein)Use between 150-180 words.

We are
the
teachers
of
English
on the
Buzau
Valley

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Lessons for Life

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Lessons for Life