A Refugee Story Reader Assignment

The assignment should have a minimum length of 250 words. Choose ONE of the options below. In the assignment, you must show that you have read and understood the story and the vocabulary. I will value your creativity and your ability for reaching conclusions about the story. You should try not to copy directly from the book. 

Alternatively, you can choose TWO options and write two shorter texts. The total length of the two writings should be 250 words.  

Drama Activities:

1. Write a television interview with Tariq after he has settled in Germany but still doesn’t know what has happened to the rest of his family. Suggestion: act out the interview in front of the class.  One of you is Tariq and the other is a reporter. 
2. Write a conversation between Tarip and Salah when they are first reunited. You can act out the conversation for the class.  
3. After several years in Germany, the Ahmadi family is faced with the choice of remaining there or going back to their homeland. Write the conversation in which the family members discuss the advantages of both options. Act out the conversation for the class.

Writing suggestions:

1. Imagine you are Salah. Write the entry in your diary on the day you arrive in Italy. Describe the journey and your feelings now that you are out of danger. 

Challenge to think:

1. The Ahmadis went through a lot of suffering in order to survive and to remain together as a family. Do you think that the writer of the story wishes to give a positive of a negative message about human nature in general? Give examples from the story. 
2. Rima decided that her family had to run away. She didn’t want to try and change the situation in her country. Do you agree with her decision? Explain your answer. 
3. Compare how Tariq and Salah dealt with being forced to leave their country and start a new life. Do you think one of them managed better than the other? Explain your answer.  (How did being a good footballer help Tariq? How did Salah’s Writing skills help him?

A Refugee Story (pdf book)

Dear students,

We are all confined in the middle of this sanitary crisis and by now we are totally overwhelmed with whatapps and videos about covid-19. So for a change, I thought I would give you work for those of you who want to practice some English and make the most out of your time.

The first thing will be the reader, as we agreed on the last day in class, you can read our 3rd reader this course “A refugee story”. There will be an exam some day after we come back to our regular classes.  

Since some of you may not have the book at home and might not have gone to the school library last Thursday, I have scanned the book for you. It’s quite a new book and you will not find a pdf copy on the Internet. Al least, I didn’t manage to find it. So by using the app Tiny Scanner, I have scanned the book and I’m sharing it here.

It’s a touching and engaging story of a family who lives in an unnamed Arab country. I hope you will like it. It’s only about 40 pages with a lot of pictures. It's B1 level so you will not find it very difficult. Sometimes it is not quantity (of worlds) but quality that you learn by reading in English. 

To access the file, click on the link below. If you have any problems, please let me know. 

A refugee Story (pdf)

Happy reading!

By the way, I will be posting other ideas and suggestions to practice English. It is not compulsory to do it now, but you will have to do it anyway when we come back so, let's get a head start on work! ;))

Keep in touch and tell me how you are doing!! 

Reader Assignment (The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole)

The assignment should have a minimum length of 250 words.

Choose ONE of the options below.

In the assignment, you should show that you have read and understood the story and the vocabulary. Creativity and your ability for reaching conclusions about the story will be highly valued. You are strongly recommended not to copy directly from the book. (Plagiarism will be strongly penalised: The plagiarism checker). Remember to meet the dead-line set by the teacher please. 

• Interview a character from the book. Make a list of 10 questions that will reveal the character’s thoughts and feelings about his/her role in the story. Then answer them as if you were the character.

• Write a diary that one of the main characters might have kept before, during or after the book’s events. Remember that the character’s thoughts and feelings are very important in a diary.

• Write about what you have learned from the story.

• Write a different ending for the story.

• Write a different beginning for the story. 

• Alternatively, you can write about all 4 of these topics:

1. What were Adrian's main objectives in life and what did he do to achieve them?
2. What do you admire and respect about Adrian? What weaknesses do you think he's got?
3. Do you think Adrian was loved by his family? Give reasons for your answer. 
4. What kind of adult do you think Adrian will end up being?

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole

Chapters 7-9

Why did Adrian's father cancel his date with Doreen Slater?
How did Adrian get his money back from Barry Kent?
Adrian went to a party one night, what happened?
Adrian was babysitting for Maxwell, what did he do to make him stop screaming?

Chapters 10-12
What are Adrian's pyjamas like?
What did Pandora give Adrian for luck before the operation?
Why did they cut off the phone? Why was the bill so big?
What present does Adrian want for Christmas?
Do you remember some of Adrian's new year resolutions?

Fluky!

Before Reading: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole

What are some reasons for keeping a diary?
What do you think are the benefits of keeping a diary?
Why do you think that people enjoy reading diaries written by others?

Here you have the link to the authors entry in the English Wikipedia: Sue Townsend.

Book pdf in drive

Happy reading!

Reader assignment : The secret diary of Adrian Mole

The assignment should have a minimum length of 250 words.

Choose ONE of the options below. In the assignment, you must show that you have read and understood the story and the vocabulary. I will value your creativity and your ability for reaching conclusions about the story. You should try not to copy directly from the book.

Drama Activities:

1. You are a social worker going to visit Bert Baxter. Write your interview and /or act it out in front of the class.
2. Write and act out the conversation that might have taken place between Adrian’s grandmother and Barry Kent on Thursday, 21^st of May.
3. Write a phone conversation between Adrian’s mother and Mr Lucas after she returned to her family. Act it out in front of the class.

Writing suggestions:

1. Write a letter from Pandora to Adrian, telling Adrian that you and he are getting too serious and explaining why.
2. Write a diary entry from Adrian after the last one in the book.
3. Write a poem that Adrian wrote to Pandora in his Valentine’s card to her (page 55).  
4. Write your own diary for a week or more.

Challenge to think:

What were Adrian’s main objectives in life and what did he do to achieve them?

What do you admire and respect about Adrian? What weaknesses do you think he’s got?

What kind of adult do you think Adrian will end up being?

Chapters 4-6 Activities

Activity 1
1. wealthy
2. pleased
3. suspicious
4. deaf
5. charming
6. dead

Activiy 2
1. F (A headmaster works in a school)
2. T
3. F (A bill tells you how much money you will pay)
4. F (A sign is something you see)
5. T
6. F (You can teach your pets to sit and roll over)

Activity 3
1. Mr Mole
2. Mrs Mole
3. Mr Lucas
4. Adrian
5. Adrian
6. Mr Mole

Activity 4
1. Mr Lucas came for dinner and ate three pieces of Mr Mole's favourite cake. When he arrived home, he was angry. He threw the cheese sandwich on the wall and Adrian's mother started to cry.
2.  Pandora lives on Elm Tree Avenue, a wealthy street. Adrian discovered this while he was delivering newspapers on her street.
3. When he heard his father telling his grandmother in the kitchen.
4. Because he found a note from Mr Lucas.
5. Because Adrian's father hit him and he couldn't see out of his black eyes.
6. Because he was afraid his father was suicidal.

Readers 1st of Batxillerat

• The Queen and I. Burlington,  Original Reader. ISBN: 978-9963-46-910-9
• A Foreigner in Britain. Burlington.  Activity Reader.  ISBN: 978-9963-51-025-2
• The secret diary of Adrian Mole. Burlington.  Activity Reader   ISBN: 978-9963-48-877-3