1. Do these images bring any memories?

3. Dangerous Minds
When a retired U.S. Marine, LouAnne Johnson, arrives at "Parkmont High School" with poor, angry minorities from East Palo Alto, California, she finds a class of tough, street-wise kids, involved in gangs and drugs, whom Johnson quickly dubs the "rejects from hell." Her initially meek demeanour, small stature, and white skin earn her the nickname "white bread" from her students. Determined to have them trust and respect her, she quickly changes her presentation, wearing leather jackets, teaching karate to her students and cursing in the classroom. Creating her own curriculum for her "socially challenged" but otherwise extremely bright class, she starts having them read college-level texts, using Bob Dylan lyrics to teach poetry. Johnson rewards her students for hard work by giving them chocolate bars, toy prizes and trip to an amusement park. Along with helping her students with school work, she also provides emotional support to several students, including a pregnant girl, a boy who's in debt, and a teen who's caught in gang trouble. Although she intends to leave at the end of the year, the students quote the lyrics of the songs that they learned and insist that she's their "light" and refuse to let her leave. Touched, she agrees to stay.

4. Cast Michelle Pfeiffer... Louanne Johnson
George Dzundza... Hal Griffith
Courtney B. Vance... George Grandey
Beatrice Winde... Mary Benton

5. Listen to the song Gangsta' Paradise and discuss its content

6. As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I take a look at my life and realize there's nothing left Cause I've been blastin and laughing so long that Even my mama thinks that my mind is gone But I ain't never crossed a man that didn't deserve it He be treated like a punk, you know that's unheard of You better watch how you talking, and where you walking Or you and your homies might be lined in chalk I really hate to trip, but I gotta loc As they croak I see myself in the pistol smoke, fool I'm the kinda G that little homies wanna be like On my knees in the night Sayin' prayers in the street light been spending most our lives Living in a Gangster's Paradise been spending most our lives Living in a Gangster's Paradise keep spending most our lives Living in a Gangster's Paradise keep spending most our lives Living in a Gangster's Paradise
look at the situation, they got me facin I can't live a normal life, I was raised by the street So I gotta be down with the hood team Too much television watchin' got me chasin dreams I'm a educated fool, with money on my mind Got my ten in my hand and a gleam in my eye I'm a locked-out gangsta, set-trippin banger And my homies is down, so don't arouse my anger, fool Death ain't nothing but a heart beat away I'm livin life do-or-die ah, what can I say? I'm twenty-three now will I live to see twenty-fo'? The way things are goin I don't know Tell me why are we -- so blind to see That the ones we hurt -- are you and me been spending most their lives Living in the Gangster's Paradise been spending most their lives Living in the Gangster's Paradise keep spending most our lives Living in the Gangster's Paradise keep spending most our lives Living in the Gangster's Paradise

7. Power and the money, money and the power Minute after minute, hour after hour Everybody's running, but half of them ain't lookin What's goin on in the kitchen, but I don't know what's cookin They say I got ta learn, but nobody's here to teach me If they can't understand it, how can they reach me? I guess they can't -- I guess they won't I guess they frontin that's why I know my life is out of luck, fool thave been spending most their lives Living in the Gangster's Paradise thave been spending most their lives Living in the Gangster's Paradise we keep spending most our lives Living in the Gangster's Paradise we keep spending most our lives Living in the Gangster's Paradise Tell me why are we -- so blind to see That the ones we hurt -- are you and me Tell me why are we -- so blind to see That the ones we hurt -- are you and me Tell me why are we -- so blind to see That the ones we hurt -- are you and me Tell me why are we -- so blind to see That the ones we hurt -- are you and me ah ah ah ah ah ah

8. What issue is present in the song?

9. Let's watch some scenes of the movie. Enjoy!

10. Describe the kind of student who attends Parkmont High School.
How would you describe Lou Anne Johnson?
Does she change after her first class? How?
Which are the threats she has to fight against?
Does she win all of her students’ hearts and minds? How?

11. This movie brings about the question...
Is violence present in our schools?
This movie brings about the question...

12. What's violence?
Mild Extreme
I x x x x x I
Bullying Verbal Threats Fights Robbery Rape Homicide
Teasing Weapons
Violence can range from mild to extreme
Any amount of violence is unacceptable in schools

13. What are the factors?
Poor parenting: abuse and neglect and family violence
Lack of supervision
High exposure to media violence
Drug and alcohol abuse
Depression
Lack of academic success and school bonding
Bullying and teasing
Alienation
Instability of environment

14. The perpetrators: who commits the crimes?
There are two types of violence committed by perpetrators in schools:
- Violence by trespassers
- Violence by enrolled students

15. What causes a student to behave violently?
An accidental bump
To think someone is weak or a nerd
Dislike for a person
Gossip
Peer pressure
Dating violence
Feeling disrespected

16. Let's do some research on the issue
In groups read ‘The Real Victims’ by Albert Shanker and underline the phrases that you found particularly striking or simply called your attention.

17. Analize Essay Structure
Where is the introduction? What is Shanker’s statement of the problem?
What support does he provide regarding school violence? Underline support in text.
What support does the author give regarding disruption? Underline support in text.
What reason does Albert Shanker provide to claim that the problem is not solved?
Where is the rebuttal of the expert’s view?

18. Fill out the table with lexical items, such as nouns, adjectives, verbs + prepositions that refer to violence
Nouns
Adjectives
Verbs + prepositions

19. Read the following texts and make a glossary
that will help you to write an argumentative
essay on the issue

20. It's your turn now :-)
In this class you have become aware of the violence many children and adolescents are subjected to at school.
As a future EFL teacher write an individual essay arguing whether English can or can not be used to fight against violence in Mendocinian schools and support your stance.
Word limit: 1000
Font: Times New Roman 12, double space.
Deadline: April 18th