Where the Wild Things Are

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

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• mature
• act out
• throw a fit
• sympathetic

• wild thing
• adaptation
• in touch with
• make a face

• big screen
• literal

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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We all have a wild thing inside of us. But from the time we’re children, we’re taught to behave. Most of the time, the wild thing stays locked up in its cage.

One of the most beloved children’s books of all time, Where the Wild Things Are tells the story of Max, a mischievous little boy who gets sent to bed with no dinner for being a little too wild. From his bedroom, he enters into a magical kingdom filled with monsters, who make Max their leader.

Both Marni and Mason love the book version of Where the Wild Things Are. But now it has been adapted into a movie, which Marni and Mason recently saw. Find out if the movie put them in touch with their inner wild thing.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Mason

Marni

Mason:  I saw Where the Wild Things Are this weekend.

Marni:  As did I.

Mason:  You’re making a face.

Marni:  Well, it’s one of my absolute favorite books. Maurice Sendak. I grew up on that book. I read it to my kids at school. And I was so excited for the film to come out, and I have to say, I was kind of disappointed.

Mason:  How could you possibly be disappointed? I mean, you couldn’t have been expecting a literal interpretation. I mean, it would have been five minutes long.

Marni:  Exactly. They had to create a lot of stories for the characters, for the wild things. But that’s where I was disappointed, I felt like they went with this really destructive, dark element.

Mason:  Very much a mature film. I mean, I wouldn’t recommend that children go see it. I’ve told my friends with kids, “Your child should not see this movie.”

Marni:  Although I have to say, I think there is something that kids can really relate to, because he is this kid who really acts out, he throws a fit, and he gets to go and have this magical adventure, and it just gets to be this experience he has that all kids would love to have and can relate to.

Mason:  I think to me, it ended up feeling like kids don’t need this movie to be told how to be kids. It’s more like to remind adults of what it’s like to be kids and be more sympathetic with their situation. I think that’s kinda what I took away.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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