SCHOLASTIC READERS A FREE RESOURCE FOR TEACHERS! –EXTRA Level 4 This level is suitable for students who have been learning English for at least four years and up to five years. It corresponds with the Common European Framework level B2. Suitable for users of CLUB magazine. SYNOPSIS THE BACK STORY In 1969, two young Australian men living in London, Anthony Ace and John arrived in Kenya with Christian on 23rd August, (Ace) Bourke and John Rendall, bought a young lion cub from 1970. He had been living with them in the UK for eight months Harrods, a well-known London department store. They called the and the three of them had grown to love and trust one another. lion Christian, and took him home to live with them in their small The young men stayed with Christian at George Adamson’s lion flat above an antiques shop in the Kings Road in Chelsea. camp for a further few weeks before returning home to London. As their cub grew bigger, it became too difficult to look after In July 1971, Ace and John returned to Kenya to visit Christian. him properly, so Ace and John looked for alternatives. They didn’t It had been almost a year since they had last seen him, but want to send him to a zoo or a circus, but there didn’t seem to Christian, seeing them from a long way off, had run up to them, be many other possibilities. Then one day, Bill Travers and Virginia jumped up and hugged them. This amazing moment was McKenna came into the shop. Bill and Virginia were actors who captured on camera but it was not widely broadcast. had starred in two films about lions based on real stories, Born In 2006, a Californian student came across the clip and posted Free and Living Free . They had become very interested in the it on YouTube. Millions of people saw it, Christian became an welfare of lions, and were delighted to meet Christian. They international phenomenon overnight and there was a huge introduced Ace and John to the director of Born Free , James Hill. revival of interest in the story. They also got in touch with George Adamson, a conservationist in Kenya, the real-life hero of the lion films, who was famous for MEDIA LINKS releasing lions back into the wild. The plan was to take Christian DVD: The TV special of A Lion Called Christian and the original to George in Kenya and return him to the wild. To fund all this, film Christian: The Lion at World’s End are both available on DVD they would make a film about Christian’s story in collaboration and video. with James Hill. In 1970, Christian and his ‘team’ flew to Kenya. Over the course CD: A recording of A Lion Called Christian is available to of several months, George Adamson worked with Christian and accompany the Scholastic Reader. other lions so that they could successfully form a pride and live Internet: www.alioncalledchristian.com a natural, independent life in the wild. Christian eventually Book: A Lion Called Christian by Anthony Bourke and John returned to the wild around the end of 1972. Rendall, published by Random House (revised 2009). HOW TO USE YOUR SCHOLASTIC READER Choosing and motivating Glossary Is this the right story for your class? Have they seen the film? Go to ‘New Words’ at the back of the reader. Translate the words Motivate them with background information (see The Back Story with the class or get students to find meanings at home. The above) and by reading aloud the first page of the story with Vocabulary Builder on page 4 of this resource sheet practises the dramatic atmosphere. new words in a different context. Organising Fact Files Plan a class reading schedule. Decide how many pages to set for These provide background information and can be set these as reading each week. Select exercises from the Self-Study section self-study or use for whole class work. Fact File 1 describes the at the back of the reader and extra activities from this resource birth of YouTube and how it has made stars of people – and sheet to go with each chunk of reading. (All answers on page 5 lions! – overnight. Fact File 2 discusses the pros and cons of of this resource sheet.) keeping animals in circuses, safari parks and zoos. Fact File 3 describes the plight of some endangered species. Fact File 4 is Using the CD about London in the late sixties and early seventies. Students can listen and follow in their books. They can listen and then read. They can read and then listen. All these activities will What did they think? improve their reading speeds and skills. Get everyone to do a written or spoken review of A Lion Called Christian . Compare opinions. Will they watch the film? Did you Using the DVD like it? Let us know at [email protected] . Select the English language option on the DVD. The programme is 45 minutes. You could show it in chunks of, say, 15 minutes, COMPETITIONS AND UPDATES in parallel with the class reading schedule. Alternatively, show it Check www.scholasticeltreaders.com for competitions and when the class have finished the book, as a reward. other activities related to the Scholastic Readers. ©Scholastic Ltd 1 Teacher’s notes SCHOLASTIC READERS RESOURCE SHEET STUDENT ACTIVITIES 2 In what ways was Christian a) an unusual lion? In what ways was he b) like other lions? Make two lists. a) …1.…H…e …wa…s…a…ff…ec…tio…na…te…a…n…d …ge…nt…le…. …………… b) …1.…H…e …ex…er…cis…ed……hi…s …cla…w…s. ………………………… 3 Ace and John were only scared of Christian once. What –EXTRA happened? How did Ace and John behave and why? 4 Have you ever been scared by the way an animal behaved? What happened? Talk to a partner. Chapters 4 –5 ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS IN YOUR NOTEBOOK 1 Answer the questions. Prologue and Chapter 1 a) How did magazines and newspapers want Christian to appear 1 Describe in your own words what happens in the to their readers? Why? What did Ace and John do to try to YouTube video of Ace and John’s reunion with Christian change this? in 1971. …Th…ey…w…a…nt…ed…h…im……to…a…pp…ea…r …wi…ld…a…nd …………… Two young men with long hair are standing …………………………………………………………… …fr…igh…te…ni…ng…b…ec…au…se……...……………………………… on a big rock .. …………………………………………………………… b) Why did Ace and John let Christian appear in some advertisements? 2 In the Introduction to their 2009 book, Ace and John ask themselves why the YouTube video has been so popular. List c) Describe one good experience and one ‘problem’ experience. the possible reasons they mention. d) What was Christian’s relationship like with Margot, the puma? …1. …A…w…ild……an…im…al…i…s …sh…ow…in…g …it…s …fe…el…ing…s.……… Why? e) What were Ace and John’s worries about Christian as he grew 3 Why do you think the YouTube video has been so bigger and bigger? popular? What do you like about it? Talk to a partner. 2 Write Ace and John’s reply to the letter from an angry 4 The manager of Harrods zoo department wanted to be woman in the USA (see page 7). sure Ace and John would be good lion owners. What questions do you think he asked them? Make a list. 3 Make a list of all the things you learn about Bill Travers …1.…W…ha…t…e…xp…eri…en…ce…o…f…li…on…s …do…y…ou…h…a…ve…? …… and Virginia McKenna (see People and Places and Chapter 5). …1.…T…he…y …we…re…a…c…tor…s…..….…………………………… 5 Act out the interview in groups of three, taking it in turns to be the manager and ask ‘Ace’ and ‘John’ your questions. 4 Imagine and script the conversation when Bill and Virginia met Ace and John in ‘Sophistocat’ in April, 1970. How did the conversation start? What did Ace and John say Chapters 2–3 when they told them their worries about Christian? How did 1 Only one of these sentences is true (T). Which one? the conversation end? Act it out in groups of four. Correct the false (F) sentences. a) Christian took a long time to get used to living in Chelsea. Chapters 6 –7 …F.…H…e …qu…ic…kl…y …go…t u…s…ed…t…o …hi…s …ne…w…h…om…e.……… 1 Answer the questions. b) He was a slow learner. a) What was Bill Travers’ plan for Christian’s future? c) He was the only wild animal in that part of London. …He…w…a…nte…d…t…o …fly……him……ou…t …to…A…fr…ic…a,…s…o …Ge…or… ge d) He was mainly a vegetarian in the early days. …Ad…a…ms…on…c…ou…ld…r…et…ur…n …hi…m…to…t…he……wi…ld…. ……… e) He played with lots of different toys but he liked bins best. b) Why did Bill think the Kenyan government would say yes? f) Christian walked to the church garden with Ace and John c) The Kenyan government said Christian could come if a every afternoon. suitable place could be found. What they mean by ‘suitable place ’? g) He wasn’t frightened of cars, crowds or spaces. d) Who was James Hill and what was his role in the story? h) Ace and John liked Christian to chase them in the garden.