UNITS 1&2 Make a soap opera

STEP-BY-STEP PROJECTS

This page has been downloaded from www.macmillangobeyond.com© Macmillan Publishers Limited 2015. This sheet may be photocopied and used within the class.

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Step 2 Plan the scene ■ What’s the story about – problems with friends, tests at school,

online bullying … ?■ What are the characters doing at the beginning of the scene –

watching TV, doing chores, talking on the phone … ?■ What happens next? Does something exciting happen? What’s

the cliffhanger?

1 Work in pairs. Answer the questions. Then read the Introduction to check your answers.1 Why do people watch soap operas?2 What do all soap operas have in common?3 What is the main requirement of a soap opera?

Introduction

People like TV soap operas because they’re about families and relationships. The main requirement of a soap opera is characters of different ages. The characters usually live or work in the same location – a street or area of a town. They usually have problems that the audience can relate to, and exciting things happen. The final scene always ends with a cliffhanger – something to discover in the next episode.

Step 1 Choose the locations and characters for your scene ■ What’s the soap opera’s location – a street, a school,

a shopping mall … ?■ Where does your scene take place – in an

apartment, a classroom, a café, a store… ? Draw a plan of the scene’s location.

■ Who are the people in the scene – friends, family members, coworkers… ?

■ Make a list of the characters and some notes about their personalities.

A: The scene takes place in the living room of an apartment.

B: Who are the people?D: The main characters are a brother and sister.C: Her name’s Amy and his name’s Jon.B: What are they like?D: She’s friendly and funny. Maybe he’s shy.

A: The story’s about a problem between Amy and Jon. B: At the beginning of the scene Jon’s talking on the

phone.C: Where is he?A: He’s sitting on the sofa.B: What happens next?E: Amy walks into the room. She’s unhappy.D: Why?B: Because Jon’s using her phone. C: Why is he using her phone? What happens next?

Jon’s talking on the phone ...

2 Work in groups. Follow the steps to create a scene for your own soap opera. Take turns making notes.

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Amy and Jon’s living room

UNITS 1&2 Make a soap opera

STEP-BY-STEP PROJECTS

This page has been downloaded from www.macmillangobeyond.com© Macmillan Publishers Limited 2015. This sheet may be photocopied and used within the class.

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Step 4 Practice ■ Decide on jobs for everyone in the group. You need

actors, a director, people to find and make the things for the scene, and people to help the actors learn their lines. You also need a copy of the script for everyone in the group.

■ Practice the scene and try to remember the lines without looking at the script.

I can …… find the chairs.

… make the sound effects.

The location for our scene is a living room. The main

characters are Amy and Jon. They’re brother and sister.

We hope you enjoy the scene!

Can you …… speak slowly / look angry?

… help the actors learn their words?

Step 5 Perform your soap opera scene ■ Present your scene to the rest of the class.■ Watch the other groups’ scenes.■ Discuss all the scenes in the class. Which did you

like the best? Why?

Step 3 Write the scene ■ What do the characters say? Write the script.■ What do the characters do? How do they feel? Write

the instructions.■ How does the scene end? Think of a cliffhanger.

Jon’s talking on the phone. Amy walks into the room. She’s angry.Amy: What are you doing?Jon: (surprised) Um… nothing. I’m,

uh, talking to a friend.Amy: Why are you using my phone?

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