Lessons On Movies.com
  Free Handout + MP3 + 8 Online Quizzes on The Croods

  GAMES:

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

The Croods is a 2013 American 3D computer-animated adventure comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation. It features the voices of Nicolas Cage and Emma Stone. The film is set in a prehistoric era known as The Croodaceous, a period which contains fantastical creatures. The official DreamWorks website says: "The Croods…follows the world's first modern cave family as they embark on a journey of a lifetime when the cave that has always been their home is destroyed. Travelling across a spectacular landscape, the Croods are rocked by generational clashes and seismic shifts as they discover an incredible world filled with fantastic creatures - and their outlook is changed forever."

The Croods has received generally favourable reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 68% based on 123 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads: "While it may not be as…evolved as the best modern animated fare, The Croods will prove solidly entertaining for families seeking a fast-paced, funny cartoon adventure." Peter Howell of the 'Toronto Star' gave the film a low score, saying: "The filmmakers may have misjudged their audience. They aim low enough so that tots won't be terrified, but adults, teens and older children may well be bored by the blandness." Claudia Puig of 'USA Today' said the film "is hampered by lackluster humor and a meandering story."

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Croods
http://www.thecroodsmovie.com/
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the-croods/

  TRAILER AND POSTER

THE CROODS POSTER (Find a nice one from the Internet Movie Database (imbd.com).

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).

THE CROODS 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.	features	a.	point of view
2	set	b.	viewers
3.	era	c.	stars
4.	embark	d.	common view
5.	outlook	e.	horrified
6.	generally	f.	situated
7.	consensus	g.	boring
8.	audience	h.	period
9.	terrified	i.	overall
10.	lackluster	j.	start

PHRASE MATCH

1.	3D computer-	a.	favourable reviews
2	The film is set in a	b.	by the blandness
3.	they embark on a journey	c.	animated adventure
4.	a spectacular	d.	entertaining
5.	their outlook is	e.	prehistoric era
6.	received generally	f.	story
7.	solidly	g.	landscape
8.	They aim low enough so that tots	h.	changed forever
9.	bored	i.	of a lifetime
10.	a meandering	j.	won't be terrified

  LISTENING / READING GAP FILL

The Croods is a 2013 American (1) ________________________ comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation. It features the voices of Nicolas Cage and Emma Stone. The film is set in a     (2) ________________________ The Croodaceous, a period which contains fantastical creatures. The official DreamWorks website says: "The Croods…(3) ________________________ cave family as they embark on (4) ________________________ when the cave that has always been their home is destroyed. Travelling (5) ________________________, the Croods are rocked by generational clashes and seismic shifts as they discover an incredible world (6) ________________________ - and their outlook is changed forever."

The Croods has (7) ________________________ reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 68% based on 123 reviews. The (8) ________________________: "While it may not be as…evolved as the best modern animated fare, The Croods will (9) ________________________ families seeking a fast-paced, funny cartoon adventure." Peter Howell of the 'Toronto Star' gave the film a low score, saying: "The filmmakers may (10) ________________________. They aim low enough so that tots won't be terrified, but adults, teens and older children may well (11) ________________________." Claudia Puig of 'USA Today' said the film "is (12) ________________________ and a meandering story."

  CORRECT THE SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	computer-aitnmade
2.	set in a oprithreics era
3.	a period which contains fantastical ruseatrce
4.	embark on a yjruone of a lifetime
5.	a cepclstruaa landscape
6.	their uloootk is changed forever
Paragraph 2
7.	critical ssoescnun
8.	The Croods will prove ylsdloi entertaining
9.	misjudged their eiaeundc
10.	bored by the enbdslnsa
11.	pdemearh by lackluster humor
12.	a nreeaidngm story

  PUNCTUATE THE TEXT & PUT IN CAPITALS

the croods is a 2013 american 3d computer-animated adventure comedy film produced by dreamworks animation it features the voices of nicolas cage and emma stone the film is set in a prehistoric era known as the croodaceous a period which contains fantastical creatures the official dreamworks website says "the croods…follows the world's first modern cave family as they embark on a journey of a lifetime when the cave that has always been their home is destroyed travelling across a spectacular landscape the croods are rocked by generational clashes and seismic shifts as they discover an incredible world filled with fantastic creatures - and their outlook is changed forever"

the croods has received generally favourable reviews from critics rotten tomatoes gives the film a score of 68% based on 123 reviews the site's critical consensus reads "while it may not be as…evolved as the best modern animated fare the croods will prove solidly entertaining for families seeking a fast-paced funny cartoon adventure" peter howell of the 'toronto star' gave the film a low score saying "the filmmakers may have misjudged their audience they aim low enough so that tots won't be terrified but adults teens and older children may well be bored by the blandness" claudia puig of 'usa today' said the film "is hampered by lackluster humor and a meandering story"

  INSERT THE VOWELS

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Th_ Cr__ds h_s r_c__v_d g_n_r_lly f_v__r_bl_ r_v__ws fr_m cr_t_cs. R_tt_n T_m_t__s g_v_s th_ f_lm _ sc_r_ _f 68% b_s_d _n 123 r_v__ws. Th_ s_t_'s cr_t_c_l c_ns_ns_s r__ds: "Wh_l_ _t m_y n_t b_ _s…_v_lv_d _s th_ b_st m_d_rn _n_m_t_d f_r_, Th_ Cr__ds w_ll pr_v_ s_l_dly _nt_rt__n_ng f_r f_m_l__s s__k_ng _ f_st-p_c_d, f_nny c_rt__n _dv_nt_r_." P_t_r H_w_ll _f th_ 'T_r_nt_ St_r' g_v_ th_ f_lm _ l_w sc_r_, s_y_ng: "Th_ f_lmm_k_rs m_y h_v_ m_sj_dg_d th__r __d__nc_. Th_y __m l_w _n__gh s_ th_t t_ts w_n't b_ t_rr_f__d, b_t _d_lts, t__ns _nd _ld_r ch_ldr_n m_y w_ll b_ b_r_d by th_ bl_ndn_ss." Cl__d__ P__g _f '_S_ T_d_y' s__d th_ f_lm "_s h_mp_r_d by l_ckl_st_r h_m_r _nd _ m__nd_r_ng st_ry."

  MARK THE SPACES

TheCroodsisa2013American3Dcomputeranimatedadventurecomed
yfilmproducedbyDreamWorksAnimation.ItfeaturesthevoicesofNicol
asCageandEmmaStone.ThefilmissetinaprehistoriceraknownasTheC
roodaceous,aperiodwhichcontainsfantasticalcreatures.TheofficialD
reamWorkswebsitesays:"TheCroods…followstheworld'sfirstmodern
cavefamilyastheyembarkonajourneyofalifetimewhenthecavethatha
salwaysbeentheirhomeisdestroyed.Travellingacrossaspectacularla
ndscape,theCroodsarerockedbygenerationalclashesandseismicshift
sastheydiscoveranincredibleworldfilledwithfantasticcreatures-
andtheiroutlookischangedforever."TheCroodshasreceivedgenerally
favourablereviewsfromcritics.RottenTomatoesgivesthefilmascoreof
68%basedon123reviews.Thesite'scriticalconsensusreads:"Whileit
maynotbeas…evolvedasthebestmodernanimatedfare,TheCroodswil
lprovesolidlyentertainingforfamiliesseekingafastpaced,funnycartoo
nadventure."PeterHowellofthe'TorontoStar'gavethefilmalowscore,s
aying:"Thefilmmakersmayhavemisjudgedtheiraudience.Theyaimlo
wenoughsothattotswon'tbeterrified,butadults,teensandolderchildre
nmaywellbeboredbytheblandness."ClaudiaPuigof'USAToday'saidth
efilm"ishamperedbylacklusterhumorandameanderingstory."

  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.	__________________________________________________________________

  THE CROODS SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about The Croods 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 "The Croods". Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about "The Croods". 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. "THE CROODS" POSTER: Make a poster about "The Croods". 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  "The Croods". 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 "The Croods". Share your findings with the class.

  ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	features	a.	stars
2	set	b.	situated
3.	era	c.	period
4.	embark	d.	start
5.	outlook	e.	point of view
6.	generally	f.	overall
7.	consensus	g.	common view
8.	audience	h.	viewers
9.	terrified	i.	horrified
10.	lackluster	j.	boring

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 ;-)