This is a lesson plan to practice the 3rd conditional using clips from the film Jurassic Park. There are two different activities, one for FCE level and one for CAE/CPE.
FCE
Use the Jurassic Park powerpoint to introduce the characters from the film and the formula for the 3rd conditional and then show the t-rex attack video:
Then students come up with as many 3rd conditional sentences as they can.
If Ian hadn’t run to the toilet, the t-rex wouldn’t have eaten Gennaro.
If the kids hadn’t been so stupid, the t-rex would have left them alone.
If Alan hadn’t distracted the t-rex, it would have eaten the kids.
You can also repeat the exercise with Dennis Nedry’s death scene:
CAE/CPE
The video can also be used to practice the more advanced conditionals needed for the CAE and CPE exams. Use my prezi on advanced conditionals to go over the grammar first. Then introduce the characters and story with the powerpoint from the link above.
Use the video to practice conditionals with noun phrases:
If it hadn’t been for Alan’s bravery, the t-rex would have eaten the kids.
But for Ian’s stupidity, Gennaro wouldn’t have been eaten.
Or inverted conditionals:
Had the kids not attracted the t-rex’s attention, it might have left them alone.
Had it not been for the glass, the t-rex would have eaten the kids.
I recommend giving students the noun phrases you want them to use before watching, then let them watch the video. Afterwards, they make the sentences together in pairs.
Noun phrases:
the flashlight/torch
Alan Grant’s bravery
the kid’s stupidity
Ian Malcolm’s stupidity
the glass
Again, if you have time or if you want to recap at the end of the class or the beginning of the next lesson, show the Nedry video.
Follow up:
Composition: Review/letter of complaint about a trip to Jurassic Park. It would be a good way to practice formal phrases for complaining but in a funny context.