THE FUNERAL - ROLE PLAY ACTIVITY

Link for youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g46xJWoEXdQ

PROCEDURE

PART 1

1. BRAINSTORMING

The teacher asks ss if they’ve ever been at a funeral, what it is like, and so on. Then, the teacher explains differences between funerals in their home country and funerals in the UK. If there is any ss from other countries, they will also explain their traditions.

WE WILL EXPRESS THESE FACTS:

-The funeral and burial take place several days after death (even a week).

-It is traditional that a friend or family member of the deceased offers and eulogy (speech) at the funeral expressing his/her virtues, etc.

-After the burial or cremation, people gather together at the family house.

-Some people even have a later memorial to celebrate the missing beloved person’s life.

2. THE EULOGY

We will play the part of the funeral of the film “Four Weddings and a Funeral”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g46xJWoEXdQ

3. USEFUL SENTENCES TO EXPRESS CONDOLENCE

First, the teacher elicits answers from students, then he gives them this list.

4. CONDOLENCE LETTERS

The teacher explains briefly how to write them and shows some examples. Here you can find the materials used.

PART 2

1. INTRODUCTION

Explain this to students: Mr William Fitzpatrick has just died at the age of 68 under strange circumstances. He was a British billionaire and everybody is at his funeral: his children, other relatives, servants, employees, his partners at his innumerable companies, etc. Everybody knows that he wasn’t a good person, but nobody ever told him. He was mean, bad-tempered, rude and impolite. They liked him because he had lots of money and was an important and influent person.

2. GROUP WORK: ORGANIZATION OF CHARACTERS

a) One of the students (among the most fluent ones) is chosen as Mrs Fitzpatrick. She is going to sit apart and is going to write a short eulogy for the funeral. At the same time she is told secretly that she has poisoned her husband because he was fed up with all his dark business.

b) The rest of the students is divided into several groups:

a) Children

b) Other relatives

c) Servants

d) Employees

e) Friends

g) Partners

c) In each group they are going to decide who they are not to repeat personalities.

d) Students have to work individually now. They have to decide who they are, they’re actual relationship with the deceased and what they are going to say as farewell to the widow and to the body. They have to bear in mind that this sir was always in trouble, and that they always tried to obtain money from him in a way or another. He was also famous for having several lovers, and even some illegitimate children.

They have to know that they will have a minute to say goodbye to Mr Fitzpatrick, where none of the other people at the funeral will hear what they say. Then they’ll have to express their condolence to Mrs Fitzpatrick.

example:

3. ROLEPLAY, PART ONE:

We are at the funeral, everybody sits silently. The widow appears and she offers her eulogy to her husband.

4. ROLEPLAY, PART TWO:

All guests say goodbye to Mr Fitzpatrick and express their condolence to the widow. Everybody listens to what their classmates say.

5. ROLEPLAY, PART THREE:

Now everybody goes to the reception after the funeral. They all suspect that one of them has intentionally killed Mr Fitzpatrick. They have to find out who. They are given 10 minutes for this. They’ll have to ask questions to their classmates, but not directly, but trying to guess from what they say. The answer to this mystery is on an envelope on the teacher’s desk. At the end of the activity, they’ll share who they think has killed Mr Fizpatrick and the teacher will reveal the name of the murderer.

6. FOLLOW UP

Students now write a condolence letter to Mrs Fitzpatrick at home following the recommendations given in the first part of the lesson.