Proficiency Level: Intermediate High/Advanced Low

Time: 4X75 min

Performance Assessment: Students write an email to their College Dean in the role of a documentary film maker, pitching their film and recommending it to be included in the core curriculum for free.

Objectives: Students will be able to:

• summarize the main stages in the historical development of yoga
• explain a few benefits from yoga practice
• make a recommendation and formulate reasons why a documentary film is  important

Language Targets:

• use of subjunctive (including passive forms in subjunctive)
• conditional sentences (sources: 1, 2)

Episode 1. In a google doc, instructor provides useful vocabulary in an alphabetical order, which the students arrange in three categories they come up with. 

Episode 2. In break out rooms and in pairs, students view the documentary film and first list on the google doc 15+ useful expressions and phrases, then orally in a different break out room and in new pairs they summarize the main points and ask each other or the instructor questions for clarification.

Homework: In the role of the documentary film creator, individually, present their film in a short ppt with audio using 10+ useful phrases:

• who they are,
• what it is about
• why they created the film (significance)

Episode 3. Instructor:

• reviews subjunctives and passive ones with ताकि … वह संदेश हर व्यक्ति तक पहुँचाया जाए 
• shows samples of authentic emails to raise awareness of high register vs colloquial register and highlight the structure of the email 

Episode 4. Students, in the role of the film creator, write first draft of the email to the their College Dean to recommend their film to be integrated to the core curriculum. They integrate and send the email to the class thread:

• an appropriate beginning and end to the email
• 3+ facts about  their (imaginary) self to give the film validity
• 3+ reasons why you this film is important 
• summarize briefly the film
• 5+ yoga principles relevant to student life
• 20+ vocabulary and expressions from the film (highlight in yellow)
• 5+ subjunctives — 3 of them passive ones (all highlighted in blue)

Students use rubrics (below).

Episode 5. Students read assigned excerpts and tell each other the gist of their section:

• Higher level — assigned segments from source 
• Lower level — assigned segments from source

Episode 6. Instructor reviews conditional sentences (1, 2) for students to use while re-working the email project.

Episode 7. Students work on the final project individually. At the end, they are assigned to politely reject or accept the proposal in the role of the Dean in 4-5 sentences.

Note: Higher level students watch a second documentary, summarize it in 20+ sentences orally (in an audiofile) and make a list of 4+ similarities and 4+ differences between the two films.

Instructions to students:

1. Review your list of 15 useful expressions and phrases from the film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJMq6M1fDfI
2. In your role as the film creator, write to the Dean of your college why your film needs to be included in the current core curriculum.
3. Please include in your email:

• 3 facts about your(imaginary)self to give your project validity
• 3 reasons why you created the film
• summarize briefly the film
• 5 yoga principles relevant to student life

Use:

• 3+ subjunctive forms
• 3+ conditional agar … to … (to review use sources: 1, 2)

Write the email consulting the following the rubrics (): 

Excellent: 2 points	Good: 1 point	Needs work: 0 points
Content of email is clear and tone is appropriate.	Content of email is generally clear, and tone is mostly appropriate.	Email is unclear, too brief, overly general, and/or tone is inappropriate.
Writing is free from grammatical and mechanical errors.	Writing has some grammatical and mechanical errors.	Writing includes many distracting grammatical and mechanical errors.
Email includes an appropriate subject line.	Subject line is slightly unclear.	Email is missing a subject line.
Email includes an appropriate greeting.	Greeting is slightly inappropriate.	Email is missing a greeting or greeting is not appropriate.
Email includes an appropriate closing.	Closing is slightly inappropriate.	Email is missing a closing or closing is not appropriate.

4. Submit an audio-file reading (separate each section):

• Higher level — assigned segments from source  
• Lower level — assigned segments source 

5. Make a list of useful expressions 15+ in the google doc and modify your email to the Dean.

6. Send the letter to the class email thread.

7. You will be assigned to politely reject or accept the proposal in 4-5 sentences in the role of the Dean.