Async 7

 Async 7

Lesson plan on using a film for intercultural learning.

Short film: The Other Pair

Susan, Zara, & Helle

 

Lesson one

 

First activity:

Warm-Up: The Shoe Swap Experiment

Ask students to swap one of their shoes with a classmate’s shoe and walk around for a few

minutes.

 

Discuss:

  1. What did it feel like to wear someone else’s shoe?

  2. Why do you think we use the phrase “walking in someone else’s shoes” when talking about empathy?

  3. How might someone from a different background experience life differently?

 

Second activity:

Watching the Film: Observing Without Words

 

Instructions:

  • Before watching The Other Pair, tell students to pay close attention to facial expressions, actions, and the use of objects (like the shoes).

  • Play the film without pausing so students experience its emotional impact.

 

Third activity:

Post-Watching Discussion: Understanding the Story

 

Discussion questions:

  • What emotions did you feel while watching?

  • Why do you think the filmmaker chose to make this film without dialogue?

  • How do the boys communicate without words?

  • What cultural or social differences do you notice between the two boys?

  • How does generosity connect people from different cultures or social backgrounds?

  • Can you think of a real-life example where someone from a different background showed kindness?

 

Fourth activity:

 

Task Options:

  • Rewrite a key scene in the film by adding dialogue between the two boys.

  • Write a diary entry from the perspective of one of the boys, explaining what happened and how he felt.

  • Alternative: Write a text message exchange between the two boys, imagining they meet again years later.

Reflection Questions (Exit Ticket):

  • What does this story teach us about generosity in different cultures?

  • How does this film change the way you think about kindness and privilege?

 

Lesson two

 

First activity:

 

Instructions:

  • Introduce students to real-life cultural practices of generosity, such as:

    • The “pay-it-forward” coffee tradition in Italy

    • Langar (community meals) in Sikh temples

    • Japan’s “honesty shops” where people leave money without supervision

  • Discussion:

    • How do different cultures express generosity?

    • How is kindness connected to intercultural understanding?

    • Does generosity always require money? What other ways can people help each other?

 

Second activity:

Theoretical Analysis

 

  • Explain stories from marginalized voices help us understand diversity (Villanueva)

  • Ask students:

    • How does The Other Pair highlight inequality and privilege?

    • Does the film favor one culture over another, or does it show a universal message?

    • Why is it important to tell stories about people we don’t often hear about?

 

Third activity:

 

Storytelling Challenge: "A New Pair of Shoes"

Task:

  • In small groups, students create a new short film idea based on an act of kindness between two people from different backgrounds.

  • They must choose a setting (e.g., an airport, a sports match, a refugee camp) and invent two characters from different cultures.

  • Each group presents a storyboard or short skit to the class.

Guiding Questions:

  • What cultural differences will your characters have?

  • How will they communicate without words?

  • What small act of generosity will connect them?

 

Fourth activity:

 

Writing Prompt:

  • Each student writes a letter to a person from another culture, explaining how an act of kindness changed their perspective.

Class Discussion:

  • How did creating a new story help you understand interculturality?

  • How do acts of kindness shape relationships across cultures?

  • What lessons from The Other Pair can we apply in our own lives?

 

1. Argue for your programme – use theory from Villanueva to support your arguments.

 

Firstly, to argue for my choice of film to use in the classroom for an intercultural learning programme, Villanueva’s theory on marginalized voices and critical literacy provides a good foundation. Villanueva argues that storytelling is not merely a means of entertainment but a tool to challenge narratives and show perspectives which are often overlooked in mainstream education.We have managed to integrate his perspective into our programme by encouraging student to remain critical and show them how to do so with intercultural narratives. By doing so they develop a deeper understanding of diversity beyond the classic stereotypes. The program is designed to help students to think critically about differences, privilege, and kindness, rather than just passively learning about them.

                   One of Villanuevas’s arguments is that so-called “traditional” education often reinforces stereotypes, or the more dominant ideas about marginalized groups, so it can silence the experiences of marginalized group. The film we have chosen is about a small interaction between two boys from different social classes. The film lacks any type of verbal dialogue, which makes it accessible to people from different linguistic backgrounds and different countries. It removes language barriers and allows students to focus on emotions, body language, and visual storytelling. Villanueva argues that meaning is shaped by power structures and that by changing the way stories are told, we can give more space to different perspectives.

                   The programme also involves the students thinking about intercultural themes. Instead of just simply watching the films, we have designed tasks to engage the students. We want them to rewrite dialogue, create their own versions of the story, and make short films about similar situations. These activities can help students go beyond the basic understanding of diversity. Villanueva emphasizes that education should encourage students to challenge dominant narratives.

                   Representation is another one of Villanuevas’s theory. When certain voices are missing from stories, people can develop a misleading view of the world. The different thing about The Other Pairs is that it brings in a non-Western perspective from an Egyptian filmmaker and cast, which gives students a chance to see a different cultural viewpoint. The film also connects to a real-world example of generosity across social classes, such as the Sikh tradition of Langar or the “pay-it-forward” practice in many countries. This helps students realize that kindness and empathy exist in many cultures, even if they are expressed in different ways. Villanueva also believes that education should inspire action, not just awareness. This programme we have designed encourages students to take what they learn and apply it to real-world situations. We have different types of activities that support this, writing reflections, researching different cultural traditions of generosity, or engaging in community projects. Students are asked to think about how they can contribute to a more understanding world between social classes and interculturally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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