Lesson based on

How to get away with murder

Prof. Melisa E. Morelli

September 2019
Name: How to get away with murder

Original network: ABC

Season: 1 Episode: 1 “Pilot”

Segment timing: extract from 2:40 to 7:19

Genre: legal drama, mystery, suspense

Topics: Domestic violence, homosexuality, multi-dimensional characters, female leads and diversity

Age: Late teens, adults

Level: upper intermediate and advanced students of English

Time: 45 minutes

Aims:

-To acquire part of the basic film terminology

-To acquire basic legal terminology

-To Foster media literacy skills

Recommended class procedure:

Before you watch: you may resort to the poster of the series and elicit what students know about it. Provide the
names of the characters if necessary. Do task A.

While watching: Do tasks B and C.

After watching: Do task D.

TASK A

Whole class oral discussion about the title of the series and the knowledge students have about the programme.
You may use a poster pasted on the blackboard. Some questions that might help fostering the discussion:

-If the students do not know the programme: What do you think the series is about?

-If they know it: Why do you think the author has chosen this title?

-In all cases: What connection can you find between the title and the scene?

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TASK B

Group activity: students read and complete the following graphic with all the information they can get from the
scene.

TASK C

Individual activity: students complete the following crossword. See answers at the end of this lesson.

2
3 4 5
6
7

8 9
10
10

11

CLUES

Down

1. A room in which the sessions of a law court are held.

2. Something said to be true or supposed to have happened.
3. The person or persons charged in a court of law with a crime, offense, etc.
4. A judicial decision, esp. one stating punishment for a convicted criminal.

3
 5. An undertaking to do an act that entails more than mere preparation but does not result in the successful
completion of the act.

Across

6. The unlawful killing of a person, esp. when done deliberately.

7. An action considered harmful to the public good and legally prohibited.
8. The whole course of the actions in an action at law.
9. The whole course of the actions in an action at law.
10. A public officer with the authority to hear and decide cases in a court of law.
11. A person whose profession is to represent clients in a court of law or to advise or act for them in other
legal matters

TASK D

a. Whole class activity: look at the following picture and think of its relation to the scene. Do you agree
with it? Give your reasons. (Explain to the class that this is the real picture of one of several similar
products for sale in an online website called Look Human).

b. Group activity: brainstorming about the main character's personality. The teacher takes notes on the
blackboard and then the students write a short description using all that information.

Answers to crossword in Task C

C
O
2 U
3 4 F 5 R
A S 6 A T T E M P T
7 C R I M E C U R
U N T R O
8 P R O C E S S 9 W I T N E S S D O
10 S E E M
10 J U D G E N R
U D C
R E
11 L A W Y E R