Lesson to go with Video Clip from the Brazilian Film
“Central Station”

NCSS Standard
1. Culture and cultural diversity
Explore and Describe similarities and differences in the ways groups, societies and cultures address similar human needs and concerns.

1. Explore the tradition of letter writing
2. Explore the problem of illiteracy
3. Explore the letter writer and groups that use this service.

Women of Letters Doing Write for the
Illiterate www.smh.comau/articles/2003/06/11/1055
220661012.html
Business Booms for Ancient Afghan Letter
Writing Art http://www.dawn.com/news/824352/busine ss-booms-for-ancient-afghan-letter-writingart

New Technology poses challenge to
Mexico City’s traditional scribes http://www.dallasnews.com/news/nationwo rld/mexico/20121007-new-technologyposes-challenge-to-capitals-traditionalscribes.ece

Directed by Walter Salles (1998)
Two 1998 Academy Award Nominations
Central Station on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Station
_%28film%29 http://www.imbd.com/title/tt0140888/ www.tc.umn.edu

1. Letter writers play an important social role in a country where the illiteracy rate is high.
2. Brazil’s social life is characterized by a vast internal migration so letter writers connect to individuals and families.
3. Letter writers provide the people with a sense of individuality and identity.

Ask the students to brainstorm ways that they think an illiterate person could get a letter written to a friend or family member.
Discuss
Why do you think that people get paid to write letters in some countries?
Discuss

Begin the film clip.
Start at 00.00- stop at 2:10
Start 2:31stop at 2:47
Start 8:39stop at 11:14

Discussion questions
What do you think the tools of the trade of letter writing include?
How would new technologies possibly change the traditional letter writers?
What do you think this quote means?
Letters as Prayers “We should treat with respect the beautiful custom of letter writing” Edward
Hays from Secular Sanctity

Students will compare and contrast letter writing and letter dictation.
Students will pair up. One student will write the letter and the other student will dictate the letter. Stationary or ruled paper may be used.
Themes for the letter will be taken from clips of the film.
Themes to choose from:
Point of view as an observer taken from scenes in the movie. Tell a friend or family member what you saw, heard, ate, or how you traveled.
Students will write their letters using the correct format of a friendly letter.
Students will use correct format, sentence structure, capitalization, punctuation.
Students will change roles.
Using sticky notes
Students will list three adjectives describing the role of letter writing,
Students will list three adjectives describing the role of dictation.

3:30-5:15 people climbing through the windows of the train and the train ride home
11:20-12:30 Orphaned
12:45-15:00 No Money No Letter
16:20- 18:22 Offer of a Sandwich
16:20- 18:22 Penalty for Stealing
37:35-38:35 Bus Ride

46:57-47:35 Hungry
49:22-52:00 Stealing
1:10:50-1:15:45 Religious Ceremony

<a href='http://www.rcampus.com/rubricshow c.cfm?code=NXW488X&sp=yes'>Rubric:
Friendly Letter Writing Rubric</a>

1. Students are to make a video of their partner reading their letter.