Lessons On Movies.com
  Free Handout + MP3 + 8 Online Quizzes on It's A Wonderful Life

  GAMES:

  • Fill-in-the-blank
  • Matching
  • Hangman
  • Flash cards
  • Sentence jumble
  • Missing words
  • No letters
  • Crossword puzzle

It's a Wonderful Life is an American Christmas drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra. It was based on the short story "The Greatest Gift", written by Philip Van Doren Stern. The movie was released in 1946 and stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man whose imminent suicide on Christmas Eve brings about the intervention of his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers). Clarence shows George all the lives he has touched and how different life in his community would be had he never been born. It's a Wonderful Life was nominated for five Oscars without winning any. The American Film Institute placed it number one on its list of the most inspirational American films of all time.

It's a Wonderful Life was initially considered a box office flop due to high production costs and stiff competition. However, the film has come to be regarded as a classic and is a staple of Christmas television around the world. Time magazine said, "It's a Wonderful Life is a pretty wonderful movie….Director Capra's inventiveness, humor and affection for human beings keep it glowing with life and excitement." In 1990, the movie was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in their National Film Registry. In 2002, Britain's Channel 4 ranked It's a Wonderful Life as the seventh greatest film ever made.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_a_Wonderful_Life

  TRAILER AND POSTER

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE POSTER

1. SIX WORDS: Look at the poster and write down six words (more if you like) that you think of as you look at it. Share the words with your partner(s). Why did you choose them?

2. STORY: Talk about what you think the story of the movie is – the start, beginning, end, etc. Change partners and share stories.

3. CREDITS: Look at the credits on the poster (the actors, director, producer…) and talk about them with your partner(s).

4. MUST-SEE: Talk with your partner(s) about whether the poster and movie title are good and make you want to see the movie.

5. STARRING YOU: Imagine you are one of the stars of the movie. Talk about your role with your movie star partner(s).

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE TRAILER

1. RETELL: Watch the trailer and retell what you saw to your partner(s).

2. CHUNKS: Watch 10-to-15 second chunks of the trailer and retell what you saw to your partner(s).

3. QUIZ: Watch the trailer and write down some quiz questions for your partner(s). Watch a second time to find the answers to the questions.

4. VOCABULARY: Make a note of words in the trailer that you see or hear. Talk about them with your partner(s).

5. GOOD / BAD: Watch the trailer and write down why you think the film might be good or bad. Share your ideas with your partner(s).

  MATCHING

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	released	a.	involvement
2	imminent	b.	masterpiece
3.	intervention	c.	motivational
4.	touched	d.	regarded as
5.	inspirational	e.	brought out
6.	considered	f.	affected
7.	flop	g.	important
8.	classic	h.	fast approaching
9.	significant	i.	rated
10.	ranked	j.	failure

PHRASE MATCH

1.	It was based	a.	for five Oscars
2	guardian	b.	flop
3.	all the lives	c.	inspirational
4.	nominated	d.	production costs
5.	the most	e.	angel
6.	initially considered a box office	f.	for human beings
7.	high	g.	on the short story
8.	stiff	h.	significant
9.	affection	i.	he has touched
10.	aesthetically	j.	competition

  LISTENING / READING GAP FILL

It's a Wonderful Life is an American Christmas drama film (1) ________________________ Frank Capra. It was based on the short story "The Greatest Gift", written by Philip Van Doren Stern. (2) ________________________ 1946 and stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a (3) ________________________ on Christmas Eve brings about the intervention of his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers). Clarence shows George all (4) ________________________ and how different life in his community would be (5) ________________________. It's a Wonderful Life was nominated for five Oscars without winning any. The American Film Institute (6) _______________________ its list of the most inspirational American films of all time.

It's a Wonderful Life was initially (7) _______________________ due to high production costs and stiff competition. However, the film has (8) ________________________ a classic and is a staple of Christmas television around the world. Time magazine said, "It's a Wonderful Life (9) ________________________ ….Director Capra's inventiveness, humor and affection for human (10) ________________________ life and excitement." In 1990, the movie was deemed "(11) ____________________________ significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for (12) ________________________ Film Registry. In 2002, Britain's Channel 4 ranked It's a Wonderful Life as the seventh greatest film ever made.

  CORRECT THE SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	produced and rddeeict by Frank Capra
2.	The movie was dseelera in 1946
3.	his nurgiaad angel
4.	life in his ycnmomiut
5.	tnmnoieda for five Oscars
6.	the most itinsnralipoa American films
Paragraph 2
7.	iialyltni considered a box office flop
8.	stiff imoopecttin
9.	a ltsape of Christmas television
10.	nocietaff for human beings
11.	aesthetically gninitafisc
12.	etlecesd for preservation

  PUNCTUATE & PUT CAPITALS IN THE TEXT

it's a wonderful life is an american christmas drama film produced and directed by frank capra it was based on the short story "the greatest gift" written by philip van doren stern the movie was released in 1946 and stars james stewart as george bailey a man whose imminent suicide on christmas eve brings about the intervention of his guardian angel clarence odbody (henry travers) clarence shows george all the lives he has touched and how different life in his community would be had he never been born it's a wonderful life was nominated for five oscars without winning any the american film institute placed it number one on its list of the most inspirational american films of all time

it's a wonderful life was initially considered a box office flop due to high production costs and stiff competition however the film has come to be regarded as a classic and is a staple of christmas television around the world time magazine said "it's a wonderful life is a pretty wonderful movie…director capra's inventiveness humor and affection for human beings keep it glowing with life and excitement" in 1990 the movie was deemed "culturally historically or aesthetically significant" by the united states library of congress and selected for preservation in their national film registry in 2002 britain's channel 4 ranked it's a wonderful life as the seventh greatest film ever made

  INSERT THE VOWELS

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_t's _ W_nd_rf_l L_f_ w_s _n_t__lly c_ns_d_r_d _ b_x _ff_c_ fl_p d__ t_ h_gh pr_d_ct__n c_sts _nd st_ff c_mp_t_t__n. H_w_v_r, th_ f_lm h_s c_m_ t_ b_ r_g_rd_d _s _ cl_ss_c _nd _s _ st_pl_ _f Chr_stm_s t_l_v_s__n _r__nd th_ w_rld. T_m_ m_g_z_n_ s__d, "_t's _ W_nd_rf_l L_f_ _s _ pr_tty w_nd_rf_l m_v__….D_r_ct_r C_pr_'s _nv_nt_v_n_ss, h_m_r _nd _ff_ct__n f_r h_m_n b__ngs k__p _t gl_w_ng w_th l_f_ _nd _xc_t_m_nt." _n 1990, th_ m_v__ w_s d__m_d "c_lt_r_lly, h_st_r_c_lly, _r __sth_t_c_lly s_gn_f_c_nt" by th_ _n_t_d St_t_s L_br_ry _f C_ngr_ss _nd s_l_ct_d f_r pr_s_rv_t__n _n th__r N_t__n_l F_lm R_g_stry. _n 2002, Br_t__n's Ch_nn_l 4 r_nk_d _t's _ W_nd_rf_l L_f_ _s th_ s_v_nth gr__t_st f_lm _v_r m_d_.

  MARK THE SPACES

It'saWonderfulLifeisanAmericanChristmasdramafilmproducedanddi
rectedbyFrankCapra.Itwasbasedontheshortstory"TheGreatestGift"
,writtenbyPhilipVanDorenStern.Themoviewasreleasedin1946andst
arsJamesStewartasGeorgeBailey,amanwhoseimminentsuicideonC
hristmasEvebringsabouttheinterventionofhisguardianangel,Claren
ceOdbody(HenryTravers).ClarenceshowsGeorgealltheliveshehasto
uchedandhowdifferentlifeinhiscommunitywouldbehadheneverbeen
born.It'saWonderfulLifewasnominatedforfiveOscarswithoutwinning
any.TheAmericanFilmInstituteplaceditnumberoneonitslistofthemos
tinspirationalAmericanfilmsofalltime.It'saWonderfulLifewasinitially
consideredaboxofficeflopduetohighproductioncostsandstiffcompeti
tion.However,thefilmhascometoberegardedasaclassicandisastaple
ofChristmastelevisionaroundtheworld.Timemagazinesaid,"It'saWo
nderfulLifeisaprettywonderfulmovie….DirectorCapra'sinventivenes
s,humorandaffectionforhumanbeingskeepitglowingwithlifeandexcit
ement."In1990,themoviewasdeemed"culturally,historically,oraest
heticallysignificant"bytheUnitedStatesLibraryofCongressandselect
edforpreservationintheirNationalFilmRegistry.In2002,Britain'sCha
nnel4rankedIt'saWonderfulLifeastheseventhgreatestfilmevermade.

  DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	__________________________________________________________________
2.	__________________________________________________________________
3.	__________________________________________________________________
4.	__________________________________________________________________
5.	__________________________________________________________________
6.	__________________________________________________________________

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	__________________________________________________________________
2.	__________________________________________________________________
3.	__________________________________________________________________
4.	__________________________________________________________________
5.	__________________________________________________________________
6.	__________________________________________________________________

  IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about It's A Wonderful Life in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	Student 1 __________	Student 2 __________	Student 3 __________
Q1.
Q2.
Q3.
Q4.
Q5.

• Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

  WRITING

Write your own movie review. Show your partner your letter. Correct each other's work.

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

  HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET INFO: Search the Internet and find more information about "It's A Wonderful Life". Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about "It's A Wonderful Life". What are (did) critics and moviegoers saying (say) about it? How good were the actors' performances? What was good and bad about the movie? Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. "IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE" POSTER: Make a poster about "It's A Wonderful Life". Make sure you put tag lines, audience and critics' reviews, why people should see it, etc.  Show it to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your posters.

5. MY PREQUEL / SEQUEL: Make your own prequel or sequel for  "It's A Wonderful Life". Make sure there is a good mix of things to do. Find some good online activities. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback.

6. CHARACTER STORY: Choose one of the characters from the movie. Imagine you are that character. Write your story about what you did in the movie. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback.

7. ONLINE SHARING: Use your blog, wiki, Facebook page, Twitter stream, or any other social media tool to get opinions on "It's A Wonderful Life". Share your findings with the class.

  ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	released	a.	brought out
2	imminent	b.	fast approaching
3.	intervention	c.	involvement
4.	touched	d.	affected
5.	inspirational	e.	motivational
6.	considered	f.	regarded as
7.	flop	g.	failure
8.	classic	h.	masterpiece
9.	significant	i.	important
10.	ranked	j.	rated

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Please check for yourself by looking at the movie review article at the top of the page.
(It's good for your English ;-)