Educational System शिक्षा प्रणाली (“Three Idiots”)

Proficiency Level: Intermediate Mid/High                              

Time: 3X75 min.college-life2

Objectives: At the end of this lesson students will be able to:

  • argue, express and defend their opinion and suggestions on the topic of education
  • compare and contrast the educational systems in India and the U.S.
  • explain some societal and psychological aspects in the life of college students in either system

Language Targets:

  • recognize and use newly acquired vocabulary and phraseology from the movie
  • use subjunctives in complex sentences after ताकि
  • use compounds for completing, unexpectedness, etc.  
  • use obligatory constructions (review)

Performance Assessment:

Interpretive: Students put in the correct order descriptions of film scenes.

Interpersonal: Students conduct a TV Talk Show “Bolo ji” and participate in a debate about the educational systems. They write up their opinion for the blogspot of the TV channel.  

Presentational: In the role of a character, they defend why they made correct decisions and undertook correct actions.

Evaluation Rubrics

Learning scenarios:

1. Students were assigned to watch the movie “Three Idiots”. When they come to class, they are given four slips of paper with a screen shot from the movie and a description of the scene in several sentences and the instructor asks them to put them in the right order. The description include the targeted linguistic structures. After the students complete this task, the teacher raises awareness about the structures.

2. Students are next assigned to compare 2 or 3 characters on a Venn Diagram including their appearance, actions, families and history. Each student assumes a role and explains to the other character why their decisions and actions were correct.

3. Students watch a talk show. They discuss and note down 3 issues which are the same and 3 issues which are different in the U.S.

4. Students read शिक्षा को १७००० फुट की ऊँचाई तक पहुंचा रही है एक अकेली महिला  and discuss education opportunities for kids in India and the U.S.: 3 similarities and 3 differences.

5. Students prepare for the talk show. Suggested topics for the show are:

  • for and against the Indian system of education
  •  for and against the American system of education
  • for and against study abroad
  • for and against introducing changes in the educational system

Students choose between two versions of the show:

1. The talk show leads a discussion of the educational issues of India and/or the U.S. The participants in the talk show are:

  • show host who will ask questions and narrate their personal opinion/experience
  • a student who has graduated from India 
  • student who has graduated from America
  • the Indian/ U.S. Minister of education

2. Different version of the talk show — the two opposite characters from the movie Chatur and Rancho who are meeting with the Director on the TV show to convince him to change the college rules. The show includes:

  • show host
  • Chatur
  • Rancho
  • college director

Every student is required to:

  • write up their turns/parts on about 500-600 words
  • highlight the new phrases from the movie they attempted to use
  • underline subjunctive, compounds, obligatory constructions
  • learn their part (only cue cards are allowed).