Teacher’s Notes Pearson EnglishTeacher’s Kids Readers Notes Pearson English Kids Readers Level 4 Suitable for: young learners who have completed up to 200 hours of study in English Type of English: American Headwords: 800 Key words: 15 (see pages 2 and 5 of these Teacher’s Notes) Key grammar: past simple including common irregular verbs, could for past ability and possibility, going to for prediction and intention, superlative adjectives, relative pronouns Summary of the story The Incredibles work together to defeat Syndrome and save the city. And finally, when Syndrome Mr. Incredible is the world’s best superhero. He tries to kidnap Jack-Jack, they save their baby and marries another superhero, Elastigirl, and they Syndrome is killed in the process. have a very exciting life. One day this all changes – no one wants the Background information superheroes anymore. Mr. Incredible (Bob Parr) and The Incredibles is a Disney-Pixar animated movie. Elastigirl (Helen Parr) become normal people and It was released in 2004 and was Pixar’s sixth full- have three children: Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack. length movie production. Bob finds a normal job. It is boring and one day The movie was written and directed by Brad Bird. he pushes the boss and loses his job. The same It was inspired by the spy movies, comic books, evening, however, he receives an invitation from and TV shows of Brad Bird’s childhood. The movie a woman named Mirage to find and destroy a also explored personal frustrations about family, dangerous robot – the Omnidroid – on the island work, and our expectations of life. An important of Nomanisan. theme also relates to the special gifts we have, but don’t always appreciate or use. Bob accepts the invitation and destroys the Omnidroid. Mirage then has a new job for Mr. The movie was nominated for four Academy Incredible. On Nomanisan, he is attacked by a new Awards® and won the Oscars® for Best Animated Omnidroid. He discovers that the Omnidroid has Feature and for Achievement in Sound Editing. been sent by Syndrome – a former fan who wants to destroy Mr. Incredible and become a superhero. Did you know … ? Helen discovers the truth about Bob’s new job and The director, Brad Bird, provided the voice flies to Nomanisan to find him. Violet and Dash for Edna Mode in the movie. secretly stow away on the plane. The plane crash The movie is set in the future as it was lands in the ocean but the family use their powers imagined in the 1960’s. Inspiration for this to reach the island and rescue Bob. came from, for example, the early James They discover that Syndrome is planning to send Bond films and Disney’s Tomorrowland. his most powerful Omnidroid robot to attack the city. Syndrome can then pretend to be a superhero and defeat the robot, using gadgets he invented. 1 www.pearsonenglishkidsreaders.com THE INCREDIBLES LEVEL 4 Teacher’s Notes Pearson English Kids Readers The characters Key words Mr. Incredible is very strong. He was the world’s (see page 5 of these Teacher’s Notes for the Key best superhero, but now he has to live a normal life words in context) as Bob Parr. attack (v) normal (adj) Elastigirl is a female superhero who can change beat (v) pretend (v) the shape of her body. She is married to Bob Parr and has a normal life as Helen Parr. boss (n) remote control (n) Violet is the daughter of Bob and Helen Parr. She escape (v) robot (n) can become invisible and make force fields. fan (n) soon (adv) Dash is the son of Bob and Helen Parr. He can run force field (n) suit (n) super fast. invent (v) / invention (n) super (adj) / superhero (n) Jack-Jack is the baby of the Parr family. He invisible (adj) doesn’t have any powers – or does he? Buddy was Mr. Incredible’s biggest fan. Inventions Syndrome was an inventor since Syndrome is the inventor of the Omnidroid – a childhood (he invented rocket boots when he was a very dangerous robot – and is who Buddy becomes boy). Talk with the students about his inventions. when he grows up. Can the students name any important inventors from history? What were their inventions? How did Mirage works for Syndrome on the island of their inventions change the world? Nomanisan. Edna Mode makes suits for superheroes. Revenge Why does Syndrome want to take revenge on Mr. Incredible? (When he was a boy, Topics and themes Buddy, Mr. Incredible didn’t want his help.) How does Family The Incredibles are a family of he try to take his revenge? (By trying to defeat him superheroes, but in many ways they are a normal using the Omnidroid.) Discuss with the students if family. Ask the students to tell you more about it is ever a good idea to take revenge on someone. this. How is the family similar to students’ own What should we do instead? families. How is the Incredibles’ family different? Power Syndrome is jealous of superheroes Superheroes The Incredibles are superheroes because they have special powers. He would like to with different powers. What superheroes from be a powerful superhero who is admired by people. movies, TV, or comic books do the students know Discuss these issues with the class. Is it good to about? Who is their favorite superhero? Why? want power at any cost? What powers does this superhero have? What is Robots The Omnidroid is a robot. Can the his / her super suit like? What super power would students name any other famous robots from the students most like to have? (See also Activity 1 stories, TV shows, or movies? The students could on page 3 of these Teacher’s Notes.) design their own robot and write a short text Secrets Mr. Incredible doesn’t tell his family about about it. his new superhero work. Can the students tell you Flight There are various modes of flight mentioned why he does this? Can he keep this work secret in the story (rocket boots, a plane, a rocket). Can in the end? Is it ever good to have / keep secrets? the students name any other modes? Have the Why / Why not? students ever flown? What type of flight is their Volcanoes Syndrome’s headquarters is inside a favorite? volcano on Nomanisan island. What do students Work Bob Parr gets a job in an office but he finds already know about volcanoes? Can they name the work very boring and frustrating. What work any famous volcanoes? (See also Activity 3 on would the students like to do in the future? page 3 of these Teacher’s Notes.) What work would they not like to do? 2 www.pearsonenglishkidsreaders.com THE INCREDIBLES LEVEL 4 Teacher’s Notes Pearson English Kids Readers Class Activities (After Reading) onto a sheet of lined paper and complete the information. Here are some activities to do with your class after reading The Incredibles. • The students draw their superhero on a blank sheet of paper and color in their drawing. 1. Superhero chain game • The students stick their sheet of paper onto a • Brainstorm some superhero powers with the sheet of colored construction paper to make a students. Write some of the vocabulary on the poster. board as required. • They could decorate their posters with more • Divide the class into small groups of four to six drawings, a title, and other information, if students. desired. • The students take turns to say the sentence I • When the posters are finished, the students take am a superhero and I can (run super fast). (The turns to present their superhero to their group students should complete the sentence with or to the whole class. a different power each time.) Encourage the • As follow-up work, the students could write a class to be as imaginative as possible using the short story about their superhero, or create a language that they know. cartoon-strip about him / her. • As an additional challenge the students could 3. Project: Volcanoes mime or act out the power as they say it. The students could also repeat all the previously Materials: internet access and / or reference mentioned powers in a chain that gets longer books about volcanoes each time. • Ask the students if they know anything about • Continue until the groups run out of ideas. You volcanoes. Have any students seen a volcano? could then mix up the groups and play the game What happens when a volcano erupts? again. • Tell the students that they are going to do a project about volcanoes. 2. Invent a superhero Materials: sheets of colored construction paper; • Write on the board some key points for students sheets of lined paper for writing; sheets of blank to find out, such as: What is the biggest volcano drawing paper; colored pens and pencils; scissors; on Earth? Where are most of the volcanoes on glue Earth? What is an active volcano? What is an extinct volcano? Why do volcanoes erupt? • Tell the students that they are going to invent What happens when a volcano erupts? What is their own superhero and make a poster about magma? What is lava? him / her. • Students do their research in pairs. They make • Write the following on the board: notes and find or draw pictures to illustrate the Superhero name: main points. Normal name: Powers: • Students then write out their information Enemy: or type it using a computer and paste in the Costume: pictures. (This activity could also be done as homework.) • In pairs or small groups, the students brainstorm some ideas for their own superheroes.