Ice-Breaker Activity

Let's go the movies...

In this activity I had to write a summary about movie of my choice. I also had to share why this moview was special to me. I posted my summary (please see below) on the D2L discussion board in order to share my thoughts with my colleagues and instructor. I enjoyed working with this activity.

Theatrical release poster

Hello everybody,

This is a difficult choice; there are many good movies to just choose one. Since I have to pick one I would choose “Soul Surfer”. In this film, a young surfer in Hawaii Bethany Hamilton loses her arm while she was surfing with her friends. The scene of the shark attack is quite graphic and I can’t imagine how she was able to survive the attack (this movie is based on a true story) and to recover from this awful accident. Throughout the movie Bethany is portrayed as a competitive surfer with Christian values, she is the youngest of the siblings and the only girl. After losing her arm she goes through a very difficult time that makes her question her religious values and her dream of becoming a professional surfer.
I watched this movie with my family and we were impressed with Bethany’s character, she showed mental toughness and perseverance throughout her recovery process. In addition to that, she volunteers to go with her church group to Sumatra, Indonesia after the horrific tsunami that hit the island back in 2004.
Somehow she is able to make a connection with a little boy that was afraid to get back in the ocean (the little boy lost his entire family as the tidal waves hit the city) after the tragedy.
This film is special to me because it shows a young girl; a terrific athlete going through extremely tough situations. I was really impressed in the way that she overcame the amputation of her arm and how she became a role model for many people worldwide.
Currently, I live in McKinney, TX which is one of fastest growing cities in the country. During the school year I find myself teaching Spanish full time at a high school level and when I am not at school you will find me coaching at the tennis courts or searching for the latest technology available to use in the classroom.
I look forward to work with you all!

¡Hasta pronto!

José A Salas (McKinney, TX)

Here is a link to Bethany's web site: Bethany Hamilton

Watch the movie trailer