LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL CHOICE ASSIGNMENT: Choose one of the following
assignments (Part one is geared toward students who enjoy expressing ideas through
pictures. Part two is geared towards students who enjoy expressing ideas using words.
Option 1- Graphic Novel Section
How do you take a serious subject and make it funny? How do you take a funny
monologue or dialogue and show the horror and seriousness of the situation?
Choose one of the following two scenes from the movie, Life is Beautiful, and make a
graphic novel section. It must include:
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rough sketch to be shown to Mrs. Stobbe
6-10 panels
make sure you use a variety of symbols, facial expressions, body language, and
speech bubbles to express the humour as well as the seriousness of the situation
use as many pages as you like
make your panels as big as you like
include 1 long shot
a written explanation of why you chose to include the images you did (what
effect did you want to create?)
edit or select any of the text to fit your interpretation
Scene 1:
Guido: The game starts now. The first one to score one thousand points wins. If
you do that, you take home a tank with a big gun. Each day we will announce the
scores from that loudspeaker. The one who has the fewest points will have to wear
a sign that says "Jackass" on his back. We play the part of the real mean guys who
yell. There are three ways to lose points. One, if you cry. Two, if you ask to see
your mother. Three, if you're hungry and ask for a snack. Forget it! Just yesterday I
lost points...because I absolutely had to have a jam sandwich. Apricot jam! He
wanted strawberry. Don't ask for any lollipops. You won't get any. We eat them all!
What a stomachache. But they sure were good. You bet. Sorry if I'm going so fast,
but I'm playing hide and seek. I have to go now or they'll find me.
Scene 2:
Giosué: "No Jews or Dogs Allowed." Why do all the shops say, "No Jews Allowed"?
Guido: Oh, that. "Not Allowed" signs are the latest trend! The other day, I was in a
shop with my Chinese friend and his pet kangaroo, but their sign said, "No
Chinese or Kangaroos Allowed," and I said to my friend, "Well, what can I do?
They don't allow kangaroos."
Giosué: We let everyone in our shop, don't we?
Guido: Well, tomorrow, we'll put one up. We won't let in anything we don't like. What
don't you like?
Giosué: Spiders.
Guido: Good I don't like Visigoths. Tomorrow, we'll get a sign: "No Spiders or Visigoths
Allowed."
Option 2 – Persuasive Writing
Using the discussion questions below, create a persuasive piece of writing that argues one of the
points found in the questions below.
Your written piece must include:
 an outline (introduction, body{2 or 3 paragraphs], and a conclusion)
 a rough draft
 a good copy
Discussion Questions (choose one questions to argue)
1. Controversy surrounded Life is Beautiful when it premiered, because many critics felt that
comedy was not an appropriate medium for a depiction of the Holocaust. What do you think?
2. Several film critics and Holocaust survivors took issue with the accuracy of the scenes of life
in the concentration camp, some of which show children laughing and playing. Do you think
such inaccuracies undermine the film as historical narrative (story about the past)? Is
important to stick to the FACTS?
3. Does hiding the truth from children normally help or hinder them? Argue whether Guido’s
constant refusal to tell his son the exact truth is the right or wrong thing to do.