Hibiscus Teach · Cartoons
Rise of the Guardians
What Can You Bring to the Team?
Clarify a role, explain a useful quality and coordinate a shared task.
Ages 13+ target; exact footage must pass screening.
Created by Denis M., British English teacher.
A New Guardian
Jack meets the Guardians, who want him to join their work protecting children.
Watch for: Why is Jack uncertain about the new role?
Clip A quiz: 6 questions
Answer about this clip. Replay when you need to. Choose one answer for each question.
1–2 minGrammar in a minuteB2 · A strong inference about an earlier action
“I must have done something really bad”
Clip 1, quotation excerpt
Must have done draws a conclusion from the unusual gathering. It does not impose an obligation to do something bad, and must do would refer to a current or future requirement.
Useful English
What would my role involve?
You say: Ask what a volunteer role involves.
One possible response
What would the volunteer role involve?
I can contribute by listening carefully.
You say: Offer your skill in organising activities.
One possible response
I can contribute by organising activities.
Keep talking: 3 questions
Speak before opening the help or example. With a partner, ask a follow-up. On your own, say your answer aloud.
Which question should Jack ask before accepting?
Help me start
He should ask…
Show an example
He should ask what the role would involve.
What quality do you bring to a group?
Help me start
I contribute by…
Show an example
I contribute by noticing when someone has not spoken.
Invite a partner to join a team and explain the role.
Help me start
Your role would…
Show an example
Your role would be to welcome people and explain the first activity.
Honorary Tooth Fairies
The Guardians take over collecting children’s teeth while the tooth fairies cannot do their usual work.
Watch for: What goes wrong when helping becomes a competition?
Clip B quiz: 6 questions
Answer about this clip. Replay when you need to. Choose one answer for each question.
1–2 minGrammar in a minuteB2 · Elapsed time since the last experience
“It’s been a really long time since I’ve been out in the field.”
Clip 2, quotation excerpt
It’s been a long time since marks a gap since fieldwork. Have been out does not mean uninterrupted activity throughout that gap; have been working out in the field would foreground continuing activity.
Useful English
Who is taking care of this part?
You say: Ask who is collecting the forms.
One possible response
Who is taking care of collecting the forms?
Let’s check that nothing is missing.
You say: Suggest checking that every guest has a chair.
One possible response
Let’s check that every guest has a chair.
Keep talking: 3 questions
Speak before opening the help or example. With a partner, ask a follow-up. On your own, say your answer aloud.
Is competition helping or distracting this team?
Help me start
It helps with… but…
Show an example
It gives them energy but distracts them from the whole task.
Which small job is easy to forget at an event?
Help me start
People may forget…
Show an example
People may forget to check that everyone has the information.
Divide a two-part task with a partner.
Help me start
You take care of…; I’ll…
Show an example
You take care of the forms; I’ll check the names.
Mastery: use your English
Apply language and ideas from both clips in new situations.
Mastery: 6 questions
Use the English in a new situation. Choose one answer for each question.
Put it all together: speaking
Use English from both clips. Start with the two short questions, then take a private role each. On your own, practise both roles.
How is accepting a role different from doing it well?
Help me start
Accepting…; doing…
Show an example
Accepting names the responsibility; doing it well requires coordination.
Which responsibilities must your team share?
Help me start
We need someone to…
Show an example
We need someone to welcome guests and someone to check the list.
Can you reach a workable outcome together using the two private role cards?
Private Role A
You organise a welcome event for twelve people. Four guests have not returned their forms. You have the list of names. Ask your partner which job they can take.
Private Role B
You are good at talking to newcomers and can print four spare forms. You cannot stay for the whole event. Offer help and find out which guests need forms.
Open only your own role card. Share its information by speaking, without showing the card.
Help me start
Discover the missing information; explain your constraint; respond to your partner; agree on a practical next step. Use language from both clips.
Check your conversation
- Complete the practical goal on both role cards.
- Use at least three target items naturally, including language from each clip.
- Ask a relevant follow-up and respond to information you did not know.
- End with a clear agreement, next step or summary.
Show an example
A: What can you help with? B: I can welcome newcomers until six. Who still needs a form? A: Four people on this list. B: I can bring four spares. A: Good. You greet them; I will check the names. B: Let’s check that nobody is missed.
Try again: Two guests arrive together while the organiser is answering a call. Agree who welcomes them and who checks their forms.
1–2 minGrammar masteryB2 · A past perfect continuous statement and tag
“You guys have been leaving gifts, right?”
Clip 2, quotation excerpt
Had been leaving places an ongoing activity before a later past point. Its standard negative tag uses had: hadn’t you?