Vocabulary and Grammar

Activities to accompany
the movie, Elf
Preterite and Imperfect Practice

Buy them today!

Use them today!

michelle.jolley@rsd.edu
 Notes for the teacher

Whether you watch a short clip from a movie or show the whole thing, you can use
these activity sheets to keep students engaged and interacting with the target
language. Even high-schoolers love the movies they watched as children, and they
often know the story well, which helps their comprehension as they watch in a new
language.

Rather than watching a movie 25 times so you can come up with movie-specific
questions and activities (I did that years ago with Hercules, and by the end I had
detailed vocabulary lists and activity sheets for each 15-minute segment of the
movie, but it had nothing to do with what I was teaching! I think I can still quote
that movie from memory!), why not focus on your current grammar and vocabulary
instead? The video is a high-interest path to students’ ability to show their
understanding of the concepts they have been working on.

These sheets require minimal teacher preparation time, and can be used in class or at
home. They are offered in Word format so that they can be customized for your
classes’ needs.

Elf
This sheet focuses on using the preterite and imperfect, and on your current lesson
vocabulary.

In the Preterite Imperfect section, students write down ten things that happen in
the movie, using the preterite. Then they go back and add in details of the scene
using the imperfect. (What happened? and What was it like?)

A second sheet is included where the focus is the opposite. The teacher freezes the
movie and students use the imperfect to describe the scene. Then the movie starts
again and they write two actions that occur during that scene.

I’d love to hear how this activity goes for you, and if you come up with any additions
or improvements! Contact me at michelle.jolley@rsd.edu .

Also available: generic Elf activity sheet packet, so you can customize
the activity with your own grammar as well as vocabulary!

Look for my other movie activities on TeachersPayTeachers!

 Nombre ______________ Fecha ______

Part 1: Vocabulary: Look at your vocabulary list.

Choose 10 words from the list and use them in sentences about the movie. Underline your
vocabulary words.

Part 2: Grammar: Preterite and Imperfect: Use the left column to write about 10 different
actions in the movie, and the right side to describe the background details during those actions.
(30 sentences in all). Follow the model.
Papa Elf era mucho más pequeño que Buddy.
MODELO: Buddy se sentó encima de Papa Elf.
Buddy no era un duende (elf) típico.

Name __________________Date: ____

Part 1: Vocabulary: Look at your vocabulary list. Choose 10 words from the list and use them in
sentences about the movie. Underline your vocabulary words.

Part 2: Grammar: Preterite and Imperfect: Use the left column to describe 10 different scenes
in the movie, and the right side to tell what actions happened during those scenes. (30 sentences
in all). Follow the model.
MODELO: Era nochebuena. Era oscuro. No Entró una enfermera con un bebé. Lo puso en la
había nadie en el salón. Tocaba música. cuna y se fue. Entró Santa Claus.