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Round The World in Eighty Days: Teacher's Notes
Round The World in Eighty Days: Teacher's Notes
LEVEL 5
Summary
Chapter 1 A mysterious English gentleman, Mr Phileas Fogg, makes a bet with other members of the Reform Club that he can go right round the world in eighty days. He sets off, with his newly engaged French manservant, Passepartout. Chapter 2 A detective, Mr Fix, is convinced that Mr Fogg is in fact a bank robber. He catches up with Fogg in Suez, but does not have an arrest warrant. He determines to follow Fogg. Meanwhile, Passepartout refuses to alter his watch to match the new time zone. Chapter 3 In Bombay, Passepartout is beaten for breaking temple rules. Fogg and Passepartout leave on the train for Calcutta. Fix waits in Bombay he has a new plan. The train stops at a village, since the railway has not been completed. The group continue by elephant; on the way they come across a strange procession. Chapter 4 An Indian girl is about to be burned alive with her dead husband. Mr Fogg has some time spare and decides to save her. Chapter 5 Passepartout carries out a brilliant plan and saves the woman, who is then taken with them. Chapter 6 The party arrives in Calcutta with a few hours to spare, but they are taken into custody by the police. Passepartout is accused of unseemly behaviour in the temple. This accusation has been organized by Fix, hoping to keep Fogg in town until an arrest warrant arrives. They are sentenced to several days in prison, but are allowed to leave after paying 2000 bail. Chapter 7 They leave on a ship to Hong Kong, with Fix still following. Passepartout assumes Fix has been sent by
Teachers notes
LEVEL 5
Teachers notes
LEVEL 5
Discussion activities
Before reading
1 Discuss: Seeing the world Put the students into pairs. Ask each pair to think of the six places they would most like to see in the world. When they have agreed on a list of six, they should work in groups of four and discuss together to come up with a list of just four priorities. Then the whole class should share their ideas to find the two most important places to see in the world. Research and discuss: The seven wonders of the modern world Ask students to find out at home what are said to be the seven wonders of the modern world. Do they agree with the list? They should then work in pairs to think of other possible candidates for the list, and decide which ones on the list should be dropped to make way for the new candidates. Finally some of the pairs report back to the class. Discuss: Ask your students, in groups, to discuss Foggs trip Round the world. Guide them with the following questions. What forms of transport existed in the 1870s? What forms of transport did not yet exist, which we have today?
Chapters 34
9 Role play: Fix in the police station In Bombay, Mr Fix tries to enlist the help of the local police to arrest Phileas Fogg. Put your students in pairs. One of them prepares and then plays the role of Fix; the other prepares then plays the role of the head of the police in Bombay. Fix explains the situation and asks for the warrant from London, or a local authorization to arrest Fogg. The police chief explains why he cannot help Fix in this matter. 10 Role play: Buying an elephant Get your students to role play the negotiation between the elephants owner and Mr Fogg. They should discuss the price of the elephant and eventually reach a conclusion.
Round the World in Eighty Days - Teachers notes of 5
Teachers notes
LEVEL 5
Chapters 5 7
13 Role play: Ask your students to re-read the first part of Chapter 6. Then in pairs, one of them should play Aouda and the other Sir Francis. Aouda has come round from her drugged stupor and explains the last things she remembers. Sir Francis explains in detail how she was saved, and tries to comfort her and calm her down. 14 Research and write: Travel advice Ask students to imagine that today they are making a similar journey. They are like Passepartout, and they like to see the sights wherever they go. They have just one day in Calcutta and one day in Hong Kong. Split the class into two groups. One group will research on the internet at home what can be done as a tourist in Calcutta in one day; the other will do the same for Hong Kong. In the next class ask them to write a guide How best to spend a day in the city and explain to the class why they chose the places and activities they chose.
Chapters 1215
22 Role play: The scene at the bridge Divide your students into groups of four. Ask them to read Chapter 14 again, and then to act out the scene. The driver announces the problem with the bridge, passengers complain, and finally discuss the new suggestion of crossing the bridge at full speed, before getting back into the train. 23 Write: A letter of complaint Ask your students to imagine they are one of the other passengers in the train which stops because the track runs out. They were not informed that the rail track did not go all the way to Allahabad. Get them to write a letter of complaint to the railway company, explaining the situation and asking for compensation. The letter should be indignant but formal. They should begin like this: Dear Sir, Im writing to you to complain about the train service run by your company between Bombay and Calcutta 24 Write a letter: During her travels with Fogg, Aouda has been writing letters to her cousin Tehmina, the daughter of her uncle in Holland. When she is in New York, she writes to tell her cousin what has happened to them in the United States. She explains what an emotional time she has had and her changing feelings towards Fogg. Ask your students to write this letter. They should begin as follows: Dear Tehmina, You remember I told you I was on a voyage round the world with the two gentlemen who saved me in India? Well, when we arrived in America I was sure the adventure would calm down. Not in the least
Chapters 8 9
15 Role play: Ask your students, in pairs, to play the roles of Fix and Passepartout in the conversation in Chapter 8 where Fix asks the Frenchman for help. Then ask some of the pairs to act the scene out in front of the whole class. 16 Write: Passepartouts diary Ask students to remember what they know about Passepartouts personality his emotiveness and his curiosity about the world. Ask them to re-read Chapters 8 and 9 and write an entry in Passepartouts personal diary recounting how he experienced these events. 17 Map work: Update your map. Add Benares, Calcutta, Singapore and Hong Kong. Write the dates on which the travellers arrive in Calcutta and Hong Kong. Make notes on what happens in each place.
Chapters 10 11
18 Role play: The British consul In Chapter 11 Phileas Fogg pays a visit to the British consul in the hope of getting help in his attempt to
c Pearson Education Limited 2008
Teachers notes
LEVEL 5
Chapters 16 18
26 Role play: Passepartout and Aouda are waiting in the hotel room, when Fogg arrives in a great hurry, having found space for them on the Henrietta. Ask your students to divide into groups of three and to act out the scene. Passepartout and Aouda discuss the situation, when Fogg arrives and announces what they are to do next, in a great hurry. 27 Map work: Mark on your map Omaha, Chicago, New York, Queenstown, Dublin and Liverpool. Make notes on this part of the journey. When did the travellers arrive in and leave New York, and arrive in Queenstown and Liverpool? How much time has Fogg got left?
After reading
34 Write: Ask your students to imagine that Fogg and Aouda have now been married five years. Split them into two groups. They will all write a letter from Aouda to an old friend back in India. One half should write a very positive letter marriage has changed Fogg and he is easier to live with. The other half should write a rather negative letter living with Fogg, who is so precise and unemotional, is a nightmare. 35 Write a cinema trailer: Explain to students how a typical cinema trailer is made several very short dramatic excerpts from the story, and a melodramatic commentary. Ask them to work in groups of four to write and then act out or record on audio tape a cinema trailer. Ask them to pay particular attention to intonation and the expression of emotion. 36 Write an advertisement: A few years after Phileas Foggs adventure, he has become quite famous. A travel agency in London is now offering to its clients a special tour Follow in the footsteps of Phileas Fogg. Ask your students to write a short advertising brochure trying to persuade clients to buy a place on this round-the-world tour. 37 Research and present: Jules Verne is famous for several other books: From the Earth to the Moon, Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and Five Weeks in a Balloon, to name but four. Ask your students in pairs to do research at home about one of these books, or another book by Jules Verne. They should then present the book to the whole class. The class can vote on which work they find the most interesting. 38 Artwork: Design a book cover. Ask the students to choose a book by Verne, apart from Round the World in Eighty Days, which they find the most intriguing. They should design a book cover for this work. They may either draw paint or make a collage.
After reading
29 Role play: The police station in Liverpool Ask your students to play in small groups the roles of Fix, Fogg and the head of the police station in Liverpool. The two men arrive, Fix explains the arrest, and the police chief interrogates Fogg, asking all the details about his justification for his rather strange trip. 30 Role play: Passepartout goes to the Reverend Wilsons house to arrange for the celebration of Foggs wedding the following day. Ask your students, in pairs, to role play the conversation. Passepartout explains what is required. The Reverend explains the problem of which day it is, and Passepartout leaves in a hurry. 31 Write and speak: Passepartout is to be best man at the wedding of Fogg and Aouda. There will be many guests who know little of how Fogg met her and how they courted. Ask students to write a short speech which Passepartout will give as best man at the wedding meal. Students could first of all discuss what kind of speech one gives at weddings. 32 Role play: A TV presenters speech Ask your students to imagine that the adventure is taking place today. Ten minutes before the deadline, in front of the Reform club, a TV presenter is explaining live to viewers the situation. Ask students
Vocabulary activities
For the Word List and vocabulary activities, go to www.penguinreaders.com.
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