Mad lib theatre with Benedict Cumberbatch - or let's have some fun before Christmas
Mad libs might be the most popular word game ever... (in America...), but I have to admit that the first time I heard about the whole concept was when I saw this video for the first time.
Without any further ado... please, enjoy:
Now the good news is that you can do the same fun activity in your lesson as well!
Mad libs can be used in lots of different ways, but in what follows, I'm going to share with you what I did with 3 groups of mine before Christmas.
Time: 15-20 mins
Level: if you want to use the video - B2 on; otherwise B1 on depending on your mad libs template.
Materials: this video, a mad libs template
Procedure:
1. Show your students the video from 0:00 to 3:25. (Jimmy explains the activity, Benedict plays along. I think it is extremely useful, because Benedict demonstrates the activity very well and sets a great example - they should be creative.) You can teach them some words e.g. flibbertigibbet (a stupid person), gyrate (to dance in a mostly sexual way), mind-bending (difficult to understand, ~ mind-blowing)
2. Show students the list of words they have to produce, based on the mad libs template you've chosen. They can put down these words after each other in their notebook.
Here's mine:
•1. adjective
•2. noun
•3. noun – body part
•4. colour
•5. pattern
•6. adjective
•7. adjective
•8. noun
9. noun
10. noun
11. noun
12. noun
13. noun – sg you would call sb
14. adjective
15. food
16. noun
17. noun – time period
for this template: https://hu.pinterest.com/pin/493144227918708775/
3. Show them the rest of the video - it will demonstrate the rest of the activity.
4. Give them the template and ask them to fill it in. Enjoy it as they are laughing.... :) then ask some students to read it out.
5. You can of course do it as a mad lib theatre. There are some scenarios on the Internet, but I'm going to post the template of this one as well. If you decide to do so, use cue cards and a teleprompter, too!
Comments:
If you just type "mab libs template" into google you'll find loads of them to choose from.
I think this activity is extremely enjoyable and educational as well - students have to come up with random words in different word categories - ideally stretching their vocabulary as well.
If you'd like to reproduce this scene, here are the materials:
Categories:
1. male name
2. name of your favourite teacher
3. exclamation
4. number
5. plural objects
6. store name
7. body part
8. silly word
9. name of a holiday
10. movie title
11. verb ending in -ing
12. amount of distance
13. country
14. animal
15. famous movie quote
16. body part (2)
17. children song
18. adjective
The scene:
B: Hello! I’m Detective ________________(male name). And you are?
J: _________________________ (name of your favourite teacher)
B: You’re here today on suspicion of second degree robbery.
J: _________________________ (exclamation)
B: That’s right. ______________________(number) ______________________ (plural object) were stolen from __________________________(store name), and the crime scene is your ____________ (body part) written all over …
J: It’s _______________________ (silly word)
B. Where were you on the night of _________________ (holiday)
J: We were watching __________________ (film)
B: Then why did the security camera show you _________________ (verb ending in –ing) _________________ (distance) away from the crime scene? I’m through with playing games. Where are you from?
J. ________________________(country)
B. Yeah. Just as I suspected. You know, one of the best parts about being a detective is that I get to lock up criminals like you and go home to my children and my pet _______________(animal) and say: ________________________(movie quote)
J. Fine, I did it. I committed the robbery. But I only didi t because I needed the money to buy myself little ________________(body part) implants.
B. I knew it all along. And every time I solve a crime I like to sing my favourite song: _____________________(children song) – singing
J: You have a ___________________(adjective) voice!
(scene)