Lo Wai Yin
Teaching materials on The Queen
Copyrights owned by the author
The
Queen
by Stephen Frears
(2006) - English
Teaching Materials
(form 3)
Lo Wai Yin
Lo Wai Yin
Teaching materials of The Queen
Copyrights owned by the author
Guidelines for teachers
Stages
Pre-Watching
Steps
1.
2.
3.
Objectives
Teacher first briefly introduces the film The Queen by
By the end of the pre-watching
Stephen Frears (2006) to the class a week ahead
tasks, students will be able to
Students are assigned three tasks A-C as homework. They
1.
are asked to finished individually by searching information
Elizabeth II and British Royal
on Queen Elizabeth II online or referring to print work
Family online or referring to
Teacher goes through the three tasks briefly in class to
print work,
ensure every student understand what they are required to
4.
search information on Queen
2.
and process information
do, Task B in particular as it covers matter of language and
gained, then express in their
content
own words in English.
These three tasks are regarded as a mini project on Queen
Elizabeth that helps students understand the film
afterwards better
5.
Two lessons/one day before the film is played, teacher
checks their answer by having students demonstrate their
work to the whole class, with the help of overhead
projector
6.
Teacher needs to pay attention to Task B particularly in
terms of students’ use of language
While-watching
1.
2.
3.
4.
Teacher first introduces the basic structure of British Royal
By the end of the while-watching
Family and also British government, i.e. how these two
tasks, students will be able to
units work without interrupting each other, collision that
1.
may be encountered for these two.
plot of The Queen by
Students are assigned another three tasks D-F. They are
summarizing into their own
asked to finish these by the end of the lesson in which the
words with the help timeline
film is played
frame
Teacher goes through the three tasks quickly, informing
2.
understand in what way to
students what these three tasks are testing: making
greet the Royal Family
inferences, processing information (listening) and
appropriately by listening to a
summarizing ideas
particular scene and making
Teacher particularly needs to demonstrate one example of
inferences
Task D, clearly stating the differences between ‘False’ and
5.
understand and analyze the
3.
understand where the words
‘Note Stated’-they are confusing to students
‘People’s Princess’ came from
Students are reminded to make some notes in their words
and what it is meant to British
while watching
people and also to people
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Lo Wai Yin
Teaching materials of The Queen
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6.
Teacher goes through all the answers if time is allowed, or
over the word by listening to
Task D alone-it covers the skill of making inferences-it
the statement made by Tony
meant to be difficult for form. 3 students
Blair after the death of
Princess Diana
Post-watching
1.
2.
This task is basically in the form of group discussion among
By the end of the post-watching
5 students in a group
task, students will be able to
Students are divided into groups and given ONE specific
1.
topic to discuss, e.g. A. Inherited Power VS elected Power;
collisions that the Royal
B. Tradition VS Modernization; or C. Instincts of Privacy VS
Family encounters in the film
Media Demands
3.
4.
5.
understand in detail what
2.
objectively use appropriate
Before the discussion starts, teacher explains some terms
examples from the film to
like modernization, inherited, elected and so on by giving
support each side of their
concrete examples from the film or from Hong Kong
topic
Students are suggested to write down their ideas on the
3.
use English language to
piece of worksheet given and discuss both views and also
conduct a discussion on the
their opinions
collisions involved in the film
Teacher needs to participate in every group of the class to
among their group
help interpret and elaborate students’ ideas when needed
6.
Since this may be difficult to f.3 students especially have
not much knowledge about British culture. It is assumed
that teacher needs to spend one more extra lesson on
exploring every collision in dept without making it too
academic, so examples for the film are required as a good
demonstration
Synopsis
When the news of the death of Princess Diana is shocking people in Britain, Queen Elizabeth II decides
to take it as a private matter and not to respond to the tragedy. Tony Blair, a newly elected and young
Prime Minister understands the people’s need for a word from the Royal Family and also a
reassurance. As the collision of media demands for emotional expression and instincts of privacy
grows, Tony Blair finds the urge to reconnect The Queen to the people.
Rationale behind The Queen
The Queen by Stephen Frears (2006) was chosen and its teaching materials were set with my belief
that Hong Kong students, in general, lack a sense of global matters or literally things around them.
With the award-winning film The Queen as a language arts appreciation and also a foundation to
introduce British Royal Family and British Government, it is hoped that students will be able to explore
more about British culture in terms of its structure of the Royal family and its co-relationship with the
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Lo Wai Yin
Teaching materials of The Queen
Copyrights owned by the author
government.
All the Tasks from A-G are like a step-by-step basis to the exploration of Queen Elizabeth II and the
Royal Family. By having students search information about The Queen online or with reference to print
works ahead as pre-watching tasks (mini project), students will have a brief knowledge about Queen
Elizabeth II and the basic structure of her family, which help their understanding of the film and the
following tasks afterwards. To ensure every student is engaged in watching the film and able to follow
the plots, they are asked to make some notes that help them finish the while-watching tasks. These
while-watching tasks do not simply involve skills of listening but also making inferences and
summarizing ideas in their own words. The tasks were set with a purpose of leading students to think
and organize, instead of simply writing down words they have listened while watching. For the
post-watching task, it is meant to be the most difficult one for students at their age. Since the film
deliberately delivers the message of collisions The Queen encountered after the death of Princess
Diana, rather than sole background information on The Royal Family. Students are expected to
conduct a group discussion with their peers on different kinds of collisions they are assigned. Teacher
needs to play an important role of assistant and guidance in the task, without interrupting too much.
For this, teacher is assumed to have enough preparation, or it will not achieve what is wanted.
4
Lo Wai Yin
Teaching materials of The Queen
Copyrights owned by the author
Guidelines for students
Pre-watching tasks (A-C):
To help you better understand the film The Queen directed by Stephen Frears (2006),
you are suggested to search information about Queen Elizabeth II regarding the three
aspects of her early life, her working day and her marriage and family in the Internet,
and also asked to finish the three tasks individually. You may wish to visit the official
website of the British Monarchyhttp://www.royal.gov.uk/Home.aspx.
Format: Homework (Mini Project on Queen Elizabeth II)
While-watching tasks (D-F):
While watching the film The Queen, you are asked to finish the three tasks. These
tasks involve different skills of processing information, summarizing ideas and also
making inferences. You are suggested to read the questions at least once before
watching in order to familiarize yourself with the situation, and make some notes
while watching.
Format: Class work (Listening and short-writing)
Post-watching task (G):
After watching the film The Queen, each of you will be divided into groups of 5. You
are asked to conduct a discussion on the topic you are assigned among your group.
By doing this, you will be first given a piece of worksheet that leads you to think
about two sides of ONE collision you will be discussing, i.e. A. Inherited Power VS
elected Power; B. Tradition VS Modernization; or C. Instincts of Privacy VS Media
Demands.
Format: Class work (Group discussion on the different collisions encountered
throughout The Queen)
5
Lo Wai Yin
Teaching materials of The Queen
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Task A: Early life
The following is an incomplete profile of Queen Elizabeth II in her early life. You
may need to find some information on the Internet to help you finished this task.
Full name
Name after
(3 people)
Date of birth
Place of birth
The first child of
whom
Year
in
which
Princess Margaret
was born
Year in which her
grandfather,
King
George V died
Year in which her
father acceded to
the throne as King
Edward VIII
Place to
education
receive
Interests
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Teaching materials of The Queen
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Task B: Working day
The Queen’s work is basically divided into three parts: Morning, Afternoon and
Evening. Morning work is usually claimed to be busiest among the three. Complete
the following timeline for her morning section. Write ONE word in each space.
Note that the most suitable word may or may not appear in the article. The first
one has been done for you as an example.
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Teaching materials of The Queen
Copyrights owned by the author
Every morning, The Queen chooses a selection among approximately 300 letters from the public to
read herself and tells members of her staff how she would like them to be responded. She will then
see, separately, two of her Private Secretaries with the daily quota of official papers and
documents.
The Queen receives from government ministers, and from her representatives in the
Commonwealth and foreign countries, information in the form of policy papers, Cabinet
documents, telegrams, letters and other State papers, which are sent up to her by the Private
Secretaries in the famous 'red boxes'. All of these papers have to be read and, where necessary,
approved and signed.
The Queen’s working schedule often follows by a series of official meetings or 'audiences'. She will
see a number of important people, including overseas ambassadors and high commissioners,
newly appointed British ambassadors, senior members of the British and Commonwealth Armed
Forces on their appointment and retirement, and English bishops and judges on their appointment.
The Queen may also meet a number of people who have won prizes or awards in a variety of fields
such as literature or science, to present them individually with their prize. If there is an Investiture,
She usually meets around 100 people at each Investiture to present Orders, decorations and
medals.
The Queen will often lunch privately. Every few months, she and The Duke of Edinburgh will invite
a dozen guests from a wide variety of backgrounds to an informal lunch. On a regional visit, The
Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh lunch with a wide variety of people in places ranging from town
halls to hospitals.
A selection of letters from the public is 1). __chosen__ by The Queen to be read.
↓
The Queen tells members of her staff in what 2). _____________ she would like to
respond those letters.
↓
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Teaching materials of The Queen
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Only two of her Private Secretaries will meet The Queen regarding official papers
and 3). _________________.
↓
Information in the form of papers from government 4). _________________, her
representatives in Commonwealth and 5). _________________ countries is first
received by The Private Secretaries then given to The Queen in the
6).d____________ ‘red boxes’.
↓
The Queen has to read all of these papers, and give 7). ______________ and sign if
needed.
↓
The Queen will then see a number of important people ranging from those who
are from 8). ______________ to 9). ______________.
↓
For those who have won prizes or awards in different fields are
10).______________ their prize individually from The Queen.
↓
During lunchtime, The Queen often enjoy it 11). ______________ having the media
to join.
↓
A dozen guests with different backgrounds will be invited by The Queen and The
Duke of Edinburgh to a 12). c___________ lunch.
Task C: Marriage and Family
The following is an incomplete Windsor family tree, in which it shows some
members of the family‘s lineage from George V, Queen Elizabeth II’s paternal
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Lo Wai Yin
Teaching materials of The Queen
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grandfather, onwards. You are asked to finish it by filling their names, year of birth
and year of death if necessary.
George V
1867-1953
Queen Elizabeth II
Lady Diana
Spencer
(
-1997)
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Lo Wai Yin
Teaching materials of The Queen
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Task D: How to greet The Queen
In The Queen, Tony Blair (starred Michael Sheen), and his wife Cherie Blair
(starred Helen McCrory) are told how to greet The Queen, right after he has been
elected to be Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Finish this task by choosing
the best answer and blacken ONE circle only for each statement. The first one has
been done for you as an example.
True
a). Robin Janvrin will knock the door before
Tony Blair and his wife reach the audience
room.
b). Robin Janvrin and Tony Blair will go straight
inside the audience room without having to
wait to be called.
c). Standing by the door, they bow three times
from the neck.
d). Tony Blair has to introduce himself to The
Queen.
e). Tony Blair has to bow to The Queen again
before shaking her hand.
f). They have to turn their body back when they
leave the audience room.
g). They have to say ‘Nice to meet you Ma’am’
to The Queen before leaving.
11
False
Not stated
Lo Wai Yin
Teaching materials of The Queen
Copyrights owned by the author
Task E: Tony Blair’s Statement
Tony Blair makes his first statement to the public after the death of The Princess
Diana in a car accident in Paris. The following is an incomplete speech that he
makes, fill in the blanks with an appropriate word. Your answers must be correct in
both language and content.
…Whose own life was often, sadly, touched by 1)._____________. She touched
the lives of so many others in Britain, 2). ________________ the world with joy
and with comfort. The people everywhere not just 3). _____________ in Britain,
everywhere. They 4). ________________ faith with Princess Diana. They
5)._____________ her. They 6). _____________ her. They regarded her
7). _____________ one of the people. She was the 8). _________________
Princess. And that’s how she will 9). ______________, how she will remain in
our 10). ____________ and 11). ___________ our memories, forever.
The statement was adapted from ‘The Queen’ by Stephen Frears (2006)
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Lo Wai Yin
Teaching materials of The Queen
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Task F: The 8 Days
The director of The Queen, Stephen Frears simply divided the whole story into 8
main days, from the night Princess Diana was fatally injured in a car accident in
Paris on 30 August 1997, till her funeral back to the United kingdom on 6
September 1997. Now, you are asked to complete the table below, filling in the
date, place, people involved and sentences to summarize the incident of each day.
Date/ place People involved
Summarized incident
30 August Princess Diana,
1997
Paris
6
September
1997
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Teaching materials of The Queen
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UK
Task G: Collisions
A. Inherited Power VS Elected Power
Inherited Power
Elected Power
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Lo Wai Yin
Teaching materials of The Queen
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-
The British Royal Family
-
Tony Blair, newly elected Prime
Minister
B. Tradition VS Modernization
Tradition
Modernization
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Lo Wai Yin
Teaching materials of The Queen
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-
-
-
The Royal Family’s reaction to the death of Diana, they keep a vey
British ‘stiff upper-lip’
The burial of Dodi Al Fayhed,
according to Muslim culture he is buried soon after his death
Tony Blair, newly elected Prime
Minister
The British press (newspapers etc)
The British people-their desire for a
public
funeral
and
general
outpouring of emotion
The initial plans for Diana’s funeral
-
The changing of Diana’s funeral
arrangements by the Royal Family
C. Instincts of Privacy VS Media Demands
Instinct of Privacy Media Demands
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Teaching materials of The Queen
Copyrights owned by the author
-
The initial plans for Diana’s funeral
-
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The British press (newspapers etc)
Lo Wai Yin
Teaching materials of The Queen
Copyrights owned by the author
~The End~
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