S1E12 - The Cage

Objective & content

Golden Bay, Module 3, episode 12 (level A2+). A painted golden house with barred windows and a small blue figure appears over the school's Wall of Excellence. Neil runs an alibi board in the courtyard: Theo is cleared, Mika says only that she was "out", and Mason and Tiago answer too. Stella tells Tiago she wishes she were brave enough to say something true so publicly. The grammar focus is alibi questions and answers with was/were ("Where were you?", "I was ...") next to the past simple for finished actions. Vocabulary covers detective language, art and feelings.

Pedagogical guide

The 50-minute plan turns the alibi board into a game: learners ask and answer "Where were you?" in fixed frames and decide whether an alibi clears a suspect. It contrasts a state or place (was/were) with a finished action (past simple). The plan includes [S] support frames and [A] extension tasks.

Suggested procedure

1. (5 min) Warm-up activating prior knowledge.
2. (5 min) Preview key words such as alibi, suspect and suspicious.
3. (4 min) First listen, no pauses: global comprehension.
4. (11 min) Second listen with three pauses (the painting, Neil's alibi board, Stella and Tiago at the wall) and short questions.
5. (5 min) Comprehension check: five questions, oral or written.
6. (5 min) Vocabulary practice: matching game or the student sheet.
7. (5 min) Grammar focus: "Where were you?" and "Where was everyone?", then the answer frame "I was ..." and a past simple contrast.
8. (5 min) Pair speaking: "Who took the classroom marker?" One learner is the detective, the other gives an alibi; each pair decides cleared or suspicious.
9. (5 min, optional) Write four sentences for a suspect board.

Materials & prerequisites

The episode audio or the Academy app, a board or projector, the student sheet and the teacher sheet (PDF and HTML versions), and slips of paper for the alibi game. Learners should know the present of "to be" and basic past simple forms.

Curriculum alignment

4ème (cycle 4), axes "School and society" and "Languages and communication".