How to reflect on emotions after the film screening

After the film is screened, students share their feelings using one word evoked by the film. Write the words on the board and give everyone enough space to speak.

LENGTH: 5-15 min.

PROCEDURE:

• Invite students to take turns saying the one word that best illustrates their feeling, impression, or mood evoked by the film.
• Students answer one by one and preferably in order, so that it is clear who has already spoken.
• Write the words on the board, but do not comment in any way. You can repeat each word as you write it down to make it clear for everyone.
• In case someone is not willing to answer, go back to this student at the end.
• The words can be repeated. If more students mention the same word, write commas next to the word as a repetition symbol. However, encourage them to rephrase or name another strong feeling that the film evoked in them.
• After everyone has answered, you can challenge the students to comment on the words listed. You can also directly ask about the words that caught your attention and that are good to expand on.

TIPS:

• Everyone is usually able to name their feeling using one word. In some exceptions, it happens that students shake their head or say that they do not know at all. If this happens, don't pressure them and respect their mood. It is possible to return to those students once everyone has already spoken, to give them additional space to express themselves. Most of the time they are more relaxed and thus able to respond.
• If students struggle with expressing their feelings (especially at the beginning of working with the film or, when working with film in English class, with lower level students), use the WORKSHEET What do I feel?, where different emotions are listed. Let the students choose or add what they think is missing. It is also possible to leave a space for an explanation in the worksheet. Students will thus better understand why they chose a particular emotion.
• If putting their feelings into words is too difficult for students, use the Reflecting Feelings WORKSHEET, where feelings are depicted using graphics.
• Do not insist on one word. Leave room for some additional interpretation and explanation.
• If the students are shy, or do not know each other yet, instead of saying one word, it is possible to have the students write the word on a piece of paper, put it in a hat and read it anonymously. This way, you guarantee some anonymity, and at the same time, you can demonstrate that no answer is wrong.
• Do not force students to speak. In the case of an emotionally powerful film, they can respond with silence.
• If you are pressed for time and want to come back to the film and follow up in the next class, taking a photo of the reflection on the board has proven useful.
• For reflection, you can also use sticky notes.
• If the students are more experienced, instead of a feeling or emotion, you can have them express a colour/animal/thing/symbol that the film evoked in them. Then let them explain why.
• In the case of online teaching, you can use chatbox, or better, Mentimeter.

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The method is mainly used when working with text, but it can also be used well for reflection. It consists of using four signs (+, -, !, ?) in order to conduct a structured discussion. It is a good follow-up activity after the One word method.

LENGTH: 15-30 min. (depends on chosen procedure, as well as number and experience of students)

PROCEDURE:

1. If you do this method for the first time with the students, distribute the WORKSHEET. When repeating the method, they will no longer need it. They can record their answers on paper or orally.
2. As for the plus (+) sign, the students state what they perceive as positive in the film (it can refer to the context of the film, for example - an idea, a message, a scene, or the form of the film).
3. The minus (-) sign, on the other hand, indicates what they perceive as negative.
4. There are several options for the exclamation mark (!). Choose ideally according to the message of the film. Students can talk about what was new for them in the film, what they consider its strongest part, etc.
5. The question mark (?) allows students to ask questions. The answers can then be given in different ways: by searching together, by assigning homework for the next class, or by a direct answer.
6. Afterwards, let students share what they have written down for each sign. Let them discuss and ask each other questions. Discuss the positive moments first, then the negative, etc.
7. Do not write down any conclusions or comments. Focus on guiding the discussion.

TIPS:

• It is not necessary to let the students record all the answers in a written form (it can be time-consuming and reduce energy). In the case that the students are already used to this method, we choose the answer orally (we do not insist on writing it down).
• We don't necessarily have to use all the signs, you can work with just a few or one sign.
• It has also proven useful to work with this method in groups.
• It is also advisable to use the I.N.S.E.R.T. when a guest is invited to the lesson. Thanks to the method, the questions for the guest are already prepared and you do not have to be afraid that no one will ask.

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Through the letter, the students express their emotions after watching the film and share their feelings. They write on different topics, for different addressees, with different intentions and in different forms.

LENGTH: 20 min.

PROCEDURE:

1. Each student him/herself chooses the following details of the letter:
   R (role) – Who exactly is writing the letter? It can be a character from the film or anyone outside, but students can also write as him/herself.
   A (addressee) – Who will the letter be addressed to? It does not need to be the main protagonist, but any character from the film.
   F (form) – What form will the student use? It can be a letter, email, invitation, request, etc.
   T (topic) – What does the student want to tell the character? Does he want to persuade, inspire, or even criticize?
2. Subsequently, students can read the letters to each other in pairs or in small groups. Some letters can be read in front of the whole class. However, we do not force anyone to read, it is a voluntary activity.
3. We can ask the students some additional questions, such as why they have chosen the given character – what has caught their attention, etc.

TIPS:

• We can place the letters on the notice board or around the class. This way, the reflection can be performed in the form of a silent gallery, when the students read the letters of their classmates.
• If you decide to assign the whole letter as homework, you can give them more time to process it.

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After the screening, students prepare at least three questions about the film in small groups. In the following lessons, or as a homework assignment, they search for the answers together.

LENGTH: 20 min.

MATERIALS: piece of paper and writing utensils for each student, blackboard or flipchart

PROCEDURE:

1. After the screening, divide the students into groups of 4 to 5.  Their task is to prepare at least three questions related to the film to which they would like to know the answer.
2. Next, a presentation part follows, during which a representative of each group in the circle presents the prepared questions and argues why the group chose these topics.
3. Write the questions on the board. This way, you will create a stack of questions, thanks to which you can find out what the students are most interested in and what you should focus on in the next lessons. It is possible that the questions of the groups will repeat.
4. Finally, summarize the selection of the questions and briefly discuss why the students chose these topics.

NOTE:

This activity can be used after any screening. It can be followed by a discussion with an expert on the given topic. You can send the questions to the guest in advance, or let students ask during the discussion. If you cannot invite a guest, students can choose one from the "stack" of questions to work on for homework. They can then prepare a short paper or a presentation, in which they will introduce their answers to their classmates.

You can provide the students with support in the form of a selection of suitable literature. You can also provide them with additional materials for self-study, or informational texts on the topic, which you can find below each AV lesson as „Questions and Answers“.

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This activity allows students to anonymously express their emotions after watching the film using the free-writing method and get to know the feelings of their classmates.

LENGTH: 15 min.

MATERIALS: paper card and writing utensils for each student, box/hat

PROCEDURE

1. After the film screening, hand out paper cards to the students and invite them to describe their immediate impressions. Use the free writing method, meaning that students have a limited time to describe their feelings, thoughts, and opinions in sentences, words, or just in bullet points. They should write regardless of spelling, stylistics, etc. However, there should only be a certain amount of time (approx. 1 minute) for the writing. Then ask the students to drop their thought paper cards into the prepared box/hat.
2. Go around the students with the box, let everyone draw one ticket, and read the thought of one of their classmates. If someone draws their own thought, they return it and pick another one.
3. Invite the students to read the ideas they find interesting. Take the opportunity to recognize, based on their reactions, what they found interesting about the film.
4. Discuss the content of the cards.

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This method represents a way to make students express their emotions after the film in a form of free verse.

LENGTH: 10-30 min. 

PROCEDURE:

1. Give out the WORKSHEET to each student and explain the instructions.
2. The first word (noun) can be chosen by the teacher, or the students themselves. The rest of the words are chosen by the students.
3. As a final step, students can read their poems aloud.

For teachers and students, it is often surprising that everyone can actually write a poem using this method. In addition, most students are willing to share their work with the whole class.

• Poems can be displayed in the classroom in the form of a "silent gallery". They can also be part of the student's personal portfolio.
• The five-leaf clover can also be used before the film as an evocation activity for the chosen topic.

It has proven useful to always perform the "One word" method as a first activity after the screening. It is a good starting point for discussion and the sharing of feelings. This method is irreplaceable if the film is very emotional and the students are speechless. It is appropriate to use "One word" even when there is not enough time left after the film - it only takes a few minutes to complete.

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