TedEd: Why We Dream (Passive or Active Voice?)

Task description & scene summary

Task description:

There are 10 tricky grammar exercises focusing on the differences of active and passive voice. Active and passive voice sentences are mixed, featuring 13 higher level verbs. All the sentences are derived from the content of the video. The wrong sentences are either grammatically incorrect or are grammatical but don't make sense (don't add up logically). Therefore, to make the right choice, students not only have to filter out ungrammatical options, but also interpret what has been said in the video, while getting right the usage of the advanced verbs in the exercise. This triple cognitive task is what makes this exercise challenging for B1-B2 level students.

Although the scientific theories are explained in plain language in the video, I would not recommend it below high school level. As for the language proficiency level, this lesson is most suitable for B2-C1 level.

Scene summary:

A TedEd original lesson about the theories that try to explain the reasons why people sleep.

Video source: Why do we dream? - Amy Adkins

Video length: 5 minutes 38 seconds

Video genre: Edu or explainer video (e.g. TedEd, TED conference, home-made explainer)

Lesson type: Grammar practice

Level:

Student types:

Dialect:

American English

Tags:

passive or active voice
dreams
science
psychology

Vocabulary:

Science

Grammar:

Passive voice or active voice

Copyright license: Creative Commons Attribution License

First published: 2017-08-09, 19:25:11 (GMT+1)

About the author

Kisdobos

I am one of the co-founders of iSLCollective.com. I had taught English in many contexts, as a private tutor, then in companies, and in high schools. I am active in creating video quizzes on our video quiz platform.

KIERAN DONAGHY ABOUT ISLCOLLECTIVE VIDEO QUIZZES:

"iSLCollective Interactive Video Quizzes are highly engaging and motivating multimodal texts for English language students to learn vocabulary and improve their listening skills. They are the perfect complement to the creative and innovative lesson plans on Film English."

Kieran Donaghy,
Creator of FilmEnglish.com, a site with hundreds of high quality, free ESL/EFL lesson plans created around short films

Video quiz questions (printable)

1) According to Freud, ... [TWO RIGHT ANSWERS!]

our deepest desires are symbolized by our dreams.
our deepest desires symbolize our dreams.
the images of our dreams symbolize our deepest desires.
the images of our dreams are symbolized by our deepest desires.

2) Freud proposed that through the analysis of dreams ...

psychological problems can resolve.
psychological problems can be resolved.
psychological problems can resolved.
we can resolve by psychological problems.

3) In 2010, ... that those who dreamed about a task ... those who did not during the completion of the task.

a study found; were outperformed by
a study found; outperformed
a study was found; outperformed
it was found; were outperformed by

4) During REM sleep, ... [TWO RIGHT ANSWERS!]

the dumping of useless neural connections are resulted in our dreams.
the dumping of useless neural connections result in our dreams.
our dreams are resulted from the dumping of useless neural connections.
our dreams result from the dumping of useless neural connections.

5) Which one is correct?

Dreams are resulted from the brain's need to constantly create long-term memories.
Dreams result in the brain's need to constantly create long-term memories.
The brain's need to constantly create long-term memories results in dreams.
The brain's need to constantly create long-term memories results from dreams.

6) Dreams may ...

serve the purpose of preventing the brain from completely shutting down.
be served the purpose of preventing the brain from completely shutting down.
serve the purpose of being prevented from the brain completely shutting down.
serve the purpose of the brain preventing from completely shutting down.

7) In our dreams ...

the opportunity grants to us to practice our fight and flight skills.
the opportunity is granted to us practicing our fight and flight skills.
we granted the opportunity to practice our fight and flight skills.
we are granted the opportunity to practice our fight and flight skills.

8) Due to these findings some researchers ... that dreams ... psychological healing during traumatic experiences.

are led to believe; allow for
led to believe; are allowed for
are led to believe; are allowed for
led to believe; allow for

9) In some cases, ... [TWO RIGHT ANSWERS!]

illnesses may be attributed to lack of dreaming.
illnesses may be contributed to lack of dreaming.
lack of dreaming may be attributed to illnesses.
lack of dreaming may contribute to illnesses.

10) Dreams ... reality or the rules of conventional logic.

are not constraining
do not constrain
are not constrained by
are not unconstrained by

Lesson plan

Pre-tasks

1. Depending on the proficiency level of your students, you may want to pre-teach the advanced verbs contained in the exercise sentences (see below), or some of the vocabulary items featured in the video.

Follow-up tasks

1. Either as a warmer or follow-up activity, you can have the students act out a role play in pairs. One student is the psychologist and the other is the patient. Together they try to interpret the latest dream of the patient. The patient is given a dream scene and is asked to make up the rest of the dream using their imagination. You can use these images: https://en.islcollective.com/resources/printables/worksheets_doc_docx/warmer_interpreting_dreams/past-simple-/7526 or https://en.islcollective.com/resources/printables/worksheets_doc_docx/interpreting_dreams_2/intermediate-b1/97026

Discussion questions

1. Do you tend to remember your dreams?

2. Can you recall a dream you had recently?

3. Do you ever have nightmares?

4. Do you have a recurring dream?

5. What was your nicest dream that you can remember?

6. Do you think that dreams can foretell the future?

7. What may these dream symbols mean? Being chased, falling, flying?

8. Have you ever dreamt in a language other than your mother tongue?

9. Do you dream in black and white or in color?

10. Have you heard the expression "daydreaming"? How's it different from real dreaming?

11. When you get woken up during a dream, do you tend to continue dreaming that dream after you fall back asleep?

12. Why do people dream? Which theory presented in the video seems most plausible (=believable) to you?

13. Do you agree with Freud that working with a psychologist on deciphiring the symbols in your dreams can help you resolve psychological problems?

14. Does it sound plausible to you that dreams help people cope with emotional trauma? Explain your answer.

Vocabulary list

propose v.: put forward (a plan or suggestion) for consideration by others
resolve v.: settle or find a solution to (a problem or contentious matter)
outperform v.: perform better than
dump v.: deposit or dispose of (rubbish, waste, or unwanted material)
result from v.: occur or follow as the consequence of something
result in v.: have (a specified outcome)
serve a purpose: be useful, meet some needs or requirements
prevent (sg from happening) v.: keep (something) from happening
grant v.: agree to give or allow (something requested)
be led to believe: have reason to believe
attribute (something to a cause) v.: regard something as being caused by
contribute (to sg) v.: help to cause or bring about something
constrain v.: restrict the scope, extent, or activity of something

About the author

Kisdobos

KIERAN DONAGHY ABOUT ISLCOLLECTIVE VIDEO QUIZZES:

Kieran Donaghy,
Creator of FilmEnglish.com, a site with hundreds of high quality, free ESL/EFL lesson plans created around short films

Comments

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verejan

2017-08-11 10:51:28

Thanks

mosarratt

2017-08-12 15:36:32

Thanks

HELENICE

2017-08-13 20:09:04

Thanks

Adamanka

2017-10-30 20:53:54

Thanks

Yanio

2017-11-11 20:21:05

Thanks

luatvd

2018-10-27 12:48:42

Thank you.

cinquinisilvia

2018-11-29 14:51:55

Thank you so much

Nia008

2019-05-17 08:06:50

THANK YOU!

Nia008

2019-05-17 08:06:50

THANK YOU!

Felicia35

2020-01-31 18:43:40

That was very interesting. Thank you!

jd67

2020-03-22 10:25:01

Excellent work thanks for your preperation

MsCMay

2020-04-14 02:14:11

Thanks a lot for making and sharing this.It's perfect for my class!

SimonMartit

2020-04-17 07:49:54

You must concentrate on the content, so the language is only a tool, therefore it grabs your full attention. There are mostly grammatical questions, but they are able to accentuate the most important knowledge of the text. It’s kind of a challenge even for highschool students and self-learners too.

CESARTAZ

2020-05-26 18:12:38

Thank you. Very useful

MsNavarro

2020-08-09 20:00:55

Thanks!!

JGS1972

2020-10-04 12:17:32

Thanks for the video and the activities. I am teaching a group of teenageers with a high command of English and the video has enabled me to revise the reasons for opting between the active and the passive voice. Regards, Jaime

Jdavis77

2020-10-20 20:36:54

Thanks a bunch. These are some good questions.

Desiree0111

2020-10-28 03:33:46

Thanks for preparing such a good material :)

sevilabro

2020-12-03 21:04:18

Thank you! Very good exercise for advanced level passive voice

TanyaYef

2020-12-23 11:12:19

Thank you!

teddy_en

2021-01-09 05:09:58

Million thanks for this lovely lesson!

Ned1

2021-01-21 01:45:29

Thank you for your time! :)

Giakmasci

2021-01-21 06:25:24

Thank you Cosi a caso

gasparka76

2021-04-26 14:15:46

I liked it very much. :)

MartinaBernardi

2021-05-21 09:49:38

EXCELLENT! THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!

DavidMHA

2021-05-26 21:13:19

Wonderful job! Thanks

ekimakyildiz

2021-06-04 07:03:45

Thank you very much!

khatokhato87

2021-11-24 12:46:55

Thanks a ton!