PENGUIN READERS Teacher’s notes LEVEL 3 Teacher Support Programme

Leaving to Change the World

John Wood He is shocked to find that the school library has very few books and that they are locked in a cupboard. The head teacher, noticing his surprise, suggests that maybe one day he will return with more books for the school. Three weeks later, John sends an email from to friends asking them to donate books or money to help these students. He then returns to Australia and his important job with Microsoft. One night, he receives an email from his father in Colorado saying that he has received over 3,000 donated books. John returns home and discusses the project with his father, who belongs to an international association called the Lions Club. John’s father contacts the branch of this club in Kathmandu and About the author a member, Dinesh Shrestha, agrees to help them. John’s dad wants to go to , and John, although reluctant John Wood obtained a degree in Science from the at first, eventually agrees. Some time later, the two men University of Colorado and then went on to get a arrive in Nepal and head for Bahundanda with eight yaks Masters in Business Administration from the Kellogg carrying books for the school. They arrive and are deeply Graduate School of Management at Northwestern moved by the gratitude of the children and their teachers. University in the United States. He started his professional career in banking before joining Microsoft in 1991. Chapters 3–4: Two days later John is back in Kathmandu He got promoted quickly due to his hard work and thinking about how he can help other children in other determination, eventually becoming Microsoft’s Director villages. He realizes that in order to follow his dreams his of Business Development for the Greater China region. life will have to change radically. He flies back to Beijing One day in 1998, however, his life changed dramatically. and tells his girlfriend Sophie about his journey and his While on holiday in Nepal, he noticed that a school was future plans. She is shocked and wonders how they will suffering from a severe lack of books and he decided he maintain their luxurious lifestyle without his salary from wanted to help. He started by sending emails asking his Microsoft. Some time later he tells his boss Mike that he friends to donate books they no longer wanted. Before is resigning from his job. Mike is also shocked and angry. long, this transformed into the widely successful non- Six weeks later, John flies out of Beijing, leaving Sophie profit organization “,” which promotes and Microsoft behind forever. In December 1999, his all over Asia and other parts of the world. The charity “Books for Nepal” is founded. John needs lots of charity now not only donates books, but builds schools, donations and it is not always easy as some people are not sets up libraries, and funds students through a scholarship interested in his project. He decides to approach DRF, a system. It is estimated to have an impact on more than fund belonging to a successful company and is interviewed three million students worldwide. Wood currently lives in by the fund director Jenny, but it doesn’t seem like they San Francisco, but spends much of his time traveling to are very interested. Two weeks later, however, he receives give talks and raise funds for the organization. For more a phone call telling him that they want to discuss his information, see www.roomtoread.org. business plan. He has an interview with Bill, the owner of the company, and he agrees to give John’s charity Summary $100,000 a year. Chapters 1–2: John Wood meets a man called Pasupathi Chapters 5–6: John wants to expand his project to while on vacation in Nepal. Pasupathi tells him about , a poor country with many children in need his difficult job of providing underequipped schools of an education. John had been there on vacation in with the things they need. Interested, John asks if he can 1996 and had been greatly impressed by a young man accompany him on a visit to a school in the remote village called Vu, who despite being from a poor agricultural of Bahundanda. The next day they set off on a difficult background, worked very hard in a hotel in order to pay three-hour walk and John is shown round the school. for his computer lessons. John tried to help Vu by paying

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Leaving Microsoft to Change the World for some classes and books for him but proud Vu refused Nepal. It is a happy day for John and Room to Read. to accept his help. Eventually John managed to give Vu Since that day, the organization has continued to expand, some money by inventing a “Microsoft” scholarship that promoting education in other Asian countries and Africa. would pay for part of his studies. In 2001 a woman called Erin contacts John and says she wants to help him move Background and themes into Vietnam. She has experience in the country and Education: Going to school and having access to books travels there to investigate the possibilities. A decision to is presented as what should be a basic human right from go ahead is made and John gives Erin four months to find which people are frequently deprived due to poverty. donors and get the project started. Erin is excellent at her Education is also seen as a means of escaping poverty and job and the organization is a success in Vietnam. It’s time finding a better way of life. to change the name from “Books for Nepal” to “Room to Materialism: At the beginning of this story John is Read.” financially very successful and he and his girlfriend lead Chapters 7–9: In 2001, John is on vacation in France a very luxurious life. He realizes however that this is not when he hears the news about the terrorist attack on the spiritually fulfilling and decides to give it all up in order to Twin Towers. He rushes home, worried that people will follow his dreams. no longer donate money to his charity. He is pleasantly Charity: The story tells how people will give money to surprised, however, to find that many Americans still others who are in need, even in difficult times such as after want to help others less fortunate than themselves. By September 11th. Some people are not only charitable with 2003, Room to Read is turning into a big international their money but also with their time, working voluntarily organization, but as it doesn’t have many full-time paid to help others. organizers, John ends up working very long hours. He has virtually no time for a personal life or to deal with Discussion activities everyday practicalities. He is also suffering financially as his savings from when he worked for Microsoft are Before reading 1 Pair work: Ask students to discuss the following running out. He temporarily regrets this situation but questions in pairs and then get feedback from the then realizes he must continue with his work. By 2003 whole class: What do you know about Microsoft? Would Room to Read is helping children in , a country you like to work for a company like this? Why or why which has suffered terribly through years of wars. John not? visits the country and opens the first new computer room 2 Discuss: Explain that the charity in this story tries to help people that are very poor. Put students in at a secondary school in the north-east of the country. groups to talk about the differences between the ways Teachers and children alike are very grateful. of life that very poor people have and their own. Get Chapters 10–11: In 2004, a big tsunami hits Asia. feedback from the class. Although John is on holiday, he rushes back to his office Chapters 1–2 to start raising money to rebuild the schools there. He Before reading emails friends and does an interview on CNN news. He 3 Pair work: Explain that John Wood, the writer of this then goes on a round-the-world trip doing interviews and book, is on vacation in Nepal. Put students in pairs to discuss the following questions: receiving donations. In Singapore, he is interviewed by a Where do you usually go on vacation? What kinds of things do you like to do reporter, Suba Sivakumaran, who offers to leave her job when you are on vacation? What has been your best and and organize Room to Read in . Erin joins her worst vacation until now? Where would you like to go in there and, despite the devastation left by the tsunami, they the future? manage to rebuild numerous schools. By November 2005, While reading (p. 8, after “… and I had a bad cough Room to Read is working in six different countries and from the unclean air.”) John returns to Kathmandu to celebrate the donation of 4 Pair work: Ask students to talk and make notes about the one millionth book. John believes that the celebrations the advantages and disadvantages of living in a big will end with the opening of a library but Dinesh finally city like Beijing and in the country. Get feedback from the whole class and have a debate/vote about reveals that 123 libraries are opening that day across which place is the best.

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Leaving Microsoft to Change the World

After reading Chapters 7–9 5 Write: Remind students that John’s father sent an Before reading email describing their project to the Lions Club in 11 Discuss: Put students in small groups to talk about Kathmandu. Get them to discuss with a partner what what they know about the terrorist attack of that email would include and then ask them to write September 11th. Ask them also to discuss how the it individually. world has changed since that date. Chapters 3–4 While reading (p. 29, after “… Americans still wanted While reading (p. 16, after “I was interviewed by to help people who were halfway around the world.”) Jenny, the fund director.” 12 Guess: Tell students that John meets a man who 6 Role play: Put students in pairs to write six questions has a problem while traveling by plane. Get them they think that Jenny asked John. Now rearrange the to brainstorm in pairs the different problems people pairs so that everybody has a different partner and tell can have when traveling by plane and to guess what one student to be Jenny and the other to be John. problem this man has. Jenny interviews John using the questions that were 13 Guess: (after Chapter 7) Explain to students that written previously. They can then switch roles. John starts to think his life is in a mess and ask them to predict in pairs why this might be. After reading 7 Write, ask and answer: On the board, write Where After reading did Sophie want to spend her next vacation? Elicit the 14 Discuss: Remind students that in Chapter 9 a female answer (Thailand). Ask students to write another teacher gives a speech about how education is not question about something in Chapters 3–4. Check always seen to be important for girls and then put their work as they do this. Now have students stand them in groups to answer the following questions: up and walk around the classroom, asking and What kind of lives do girls and women have in your answering each other’s questions. country? Do they have the same education as boys? Can 8 Discuss: Put students in small groups to discuss the they do the same jobs? Do they do the same work at following questions: How important is it for you to do home? Do you think things need to change? well in your job? Is it more important than other things 15 Pair work: Write the following words on the board: like family, friends or free time? How important is it to France, suitcase, girlfriends, policeman, house, bed. have a lot of money? Would you leave everything like Ask the students to talk and write in pairs to say how John did to follow your dreams? these words were used in Chapters 7–9. Chapters 5–6 Chapters 10–11 While reading (after Chapter 5) Before reading 9 Pair work: Remind students that Vu was a good 16 Research: Write TSUNAMI on the board and elicit student and Professor Than was a good teacher and the meaning, explaining that it is a natural disaster. then put them in pairs to make a list of qualities that Ask students to make a list of other natural disasters a good student and a good teacher should have. Get using a dictionary. Get feedback and then ask feedback back from the whole class and then ask the students to do some research using the Internet or students in pairs to talk about how good they think books about another natural disaster that has their own learning behaviour is and how they could occurred. As follow up, students can tell each other improve, particularly with regards to learning English. about what they found out in groups or they can individually do a piece of writing about it. After reading 10 Write and guess: On the board, write Vu’s parents After reading were teachers. Elicit which word is wrong from the 17 Discuss: Put students in small groups to discuss the students (farmers not teachers). Now students choose following questions: What do you think of John Wood? another sentence from Chapters 5–6 and rewrite it Did he always make the right decisions? changing one word. Students walk around the class, 18 Game: Put the students into small groups and ask reading out their sentences and the other students them to write ten questions about any part of the have to identify and correct the mistake. book. When they’ve finished, each group reads out their questions and the other groups have to write their answers on a piece of paper. The group with the most correct answers wins.

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