Well, This Is Awkward Lesson

This multi-faceted ELL lesson draws upon the hilarious short film “Awkward” by San Francisco-based animation artist Nata Metlukh. Students work together to identify awkward social situations, write about their own awkward encounters and ultimately share with each other and the class.

Language Level: Intermediate
Time: 50 minutes

I. INTRO and PREDICTION RACE (10 min.)

1. Seat students in pairs. Introduce topic with PPT INTRO through “Awkward Situations” Slide.
2. Place about 15-20 numbered printouts of still frames from the film face down on a desk in the front of the room, and tell students we will have a race. Set a screen timer for 5-6 minutes.
3. Hand each pair “Handout 1 – Guessing Images”. Tell them when you start the timer, one student from each pair will come to the front of the class and take one image back to their desk. With their partner, they should examine the image and guess what awkward situation is depicted. After they write their guess, they should return the image and exchange it for another. Their goal is to try to view and guess the situation for as many images as they can before the time runs out.

II. WATCH FILM and CHECK GUESSES (10 min.)

1. Tell students the images they saw are not just illustrations – they are from a short film, which we will watch now. As we watch they should check to see if their guesses were correct.
2. After showing the film, review the still frames (in the PPT), asking students to explain the situations and clarifying any confusing parts (It’s not necessary to review EVERY still frame).

III. PERSONAL AWKWARD SITUATIONS (6-8 min.)

1. Tell students now that they have seen other people in awkward social situations, it’s time to think about their own personal experiences.
2. Give each student “Handout 2 – Personal Awkward Situations” and set a timer for about 6-8 minutes to complete as much as they can, individually.

IV. SHARING WITH CLASSMATES (10-12 min.)

1. Now students will have a chance to share, chat about, and compare their awkward situations with those of their classmates.
2. Give students “Handout 3 – Classmate Answers” and set a timer for about 10 minutes. Ask everyone to stand up and mingle and chat with classmates to complete their chart.

V. PLENARY (10 min.)

1. With students back at their seats, ask them to share some of the most interesting or surprising responses they heard from their classmates during the mingle activity.
2. Wrap up by sharing a funny awkward social situation you experienced.