l3 space island teacher notes american english · 2018. 1. 15. · 1 space island adventure level 3...

SPACE ISLAND ADVENTURE LEVEL 31

Teacher’s NotesPearson English Kids Readers

www.pearsonenglishkidsreaders.com

Level 3Suitable for: young learners who have

completed up to 150 hours of study in English

Type of English: American

Headwords: 600

Key words: 15 (see pages 2 and 8 of these Teacher’s Notes)

Key grammar: present simple, present continuous, have to for obligation, adverbs (+ ly),interrogatives (What? Who?Where?), prepositions of place (on top of, at the bottom of ), quantifiers

Summary of the storyPeter and Pepper, and their friends are in a spaceship on their way to the moon for a stay at summer camp.

On the journey, the pilot, Captain Cloud sees aliens on another planet trying to attract his attention. Suddenly, he loses control of the spaceship and the aliens force him to land on Space Island. There is a big meteor heading straight for Space Island and the aliens want the children to help save their planet. The aliens give the children a map which they must follow. The aliens cannot read the map because it is in English, and so Peter and Pepper come to the rescue.

The children must find out the code for the laser that will divert the meteor and save Space Island. The map leads them to various places on the island and the children have to draw pictures of what they see on the map. The pictures provide the clues to a six-letter code. When they arrive at the laser, the children need to type in the code which reads RESCUE. The laser diverts the meteor and the children are the heroes of Space Island.

Background information – The world of Poptropica EnglishPoptropica English has six islands, where the students can follow stories to explore and discover

English and other topics across the curriculum. The islands are Family Island, Tropical Island, Space Island, Movie Studio Island, Ice Island and Future Island. There is an online educational game for the students using Poptropica English, with an adventure on each Island.

Space Island Adventure is written by Nicola Schofield, an author and teacher of French, Spanish and English.

Did you know … ?

The moon is 239,000 miles away from Earth. If you had to travel there by car, it would take 153 days of driving non-stop at a speed of 65 miles per hour!

The moon is much smaller than Earth. It could fit into our planet almost four times!

The American astronaut, Neil Armstrong, was the first man to walk on the moon on July 21st, 1969. When he landed he spoke the famous words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

There is no air, water, or life on the moon. Nothing can survive there. And the footsteps left by the astronauts who have walked there will always remain because there is no wind to blow them away!





The charactersPeter is a shy young boy who is going to summer camp on the moon.

Pepper is an adventurous young girl who is going to summer camp on the moon.

Captain Cloud is a pilot for Galactic Airways and flies spaceships to the moon.

The aliens are small green creatures who live on Space Island.

Topics and themesSpace Ask the students if they would like to travel into space, like the children in the story. What do they think it would be like? Would they feel scared or excited? What do the students know about space? Discuss the moon and the other planets in our solar system. Why do people need to wear special suits if they go into space? Why do we float? Do the students know what gravity is? Ask them to imagine what it would be like to walk on the moon. Do they think that people will live in space one day? (See also Activity 3 on page 5 of these Teacher’s Notes.)

Summer camps In the story, the children are going to summer camp on the moon. Ask the students if they have ever been to summer camp. Where did they go? What kind of summer camp was it? What do they think a summer camp on the moon would be like? (See also Activity 2 on pages 4 and 5 of these Teacher’s Notes.)

Transport The children are traveling to the moon in a spaceship. Ask the students to describe the Galactic Airways spaceship. How is it different to an airplane? Why does it need to be different? What other spacecraft do the children know? (rockets, space shuttles, etc.) (See also Activity 4 on pages 5 and 6 of these Teacher’s Notes.)

Aliens The children encounter aliens on Space Island. Ask the students to describe the aliens. How are they different to humans? Do they think

Key words(see page 8 of these Teacher’s Notes for the Key words in context)

adventure (n) meteor (n)alien (n) need (v)camp (n) rescue (v)code (n) rocket (n)control (v) save (v)friendly (adj) spaceship (n)laser (n) telescope (n)map (n)

there really are aliens in space? The aliens in the story are friendly. Do the students think all aliens are friendly? Why? / Why not? What would the students do if they met an alien? How would they feel? (See also Activity 1 on page 4 of these Teacher’s Notes.)

Codes In the story, the children have to break a code to activate the laser that will destroy the meteor. Ask the students if they have ever needed to break a code? In what circumstances would they need to do this? Have they played a game that requires code breaking? Tell the students that it can be fun to create a secret message using code. They can draw their own set of pictures to represent the first letters of a code word and ask other students to try and break their code.

Geography Ask the students to describe Space Island. Does it look like Earth or is it different? How is the moon different to Earth? The children use a map on Space Island. Why do they need this? What do we use maps for? What else can we use to help us find our way? (compass, GPS system, etc.)

Helping others The aliens on Space Island need help. The children help them. Do the students think it is important to help others? Why? How do they think Peter and Pepper feel after helping the aliens and saving Space Island? Ask the students what kinds of things they do to help others.




Danger A meteor is traveling toward Space Island. What do the students think will happen if it hits the island? Ask the students if they know what a meteor is. Are they dangerous? What other dangers do the students think there are in space? (See also Activity 5 on page 6 of these Teacher’s Notes.)

Reality v fantasy Elicit from the students which elements of the story could be real now or in the future, and which elements are pure fantasy. Do they like imaginary stories? Why? What elements in the story do they find exciting? Do they prefer stories about things that can really happen, or events that are very unlikely to happen in real life?




Class Activities (After Reading)

Here are some activities to do with your class after reading Space Island Adventure.

1. Make an alien maskMaterials: white card; pencils; black pens / markers; coloring pens / paints; safety scissors; string or elastic

• If possible before the session, make the mask following the instructions to show the students.

• Talk about the aliens in the story and tell the students that they are going to make alien masks.

• Draw the template of the alien mask on the board, as shown on page 7 of these Teacher’s Notes. Then hand out the materials.

• First, the students draw the alien mask shape on a piece of card as per the template on the board.

• They cut out the mask shape and the eye holes. Next, they color their masks.

• Go around the class and help out where necessary.

• To make the mask ready to wear, the students hold it up and look through the eyes. Help the students make pencil marks on the sides of their mask where the holes for the string will go. Then they can make small holes where the pencil marks are by pushing a pencil through or using scissors, and then threading the string or elastic through the holes, tying knots near the holes so that the string or elastic stays securely in place.

• The students are now ready to wear their masks.

• Divide the class into groups of four to act out scenes from the story. Choose two children to be Peter and Pepper, and two to be the aliens. Select a suitable passage from the story and read it out, allowing the students to do the actions. Select more passages and have the students act out more scenes. The students can

then swap roles so that the other two have the chance to play the role of the aliens.

• Ask for volunteers to perform their dialogue for the rest of the class wearing their masks.

2. My Space Summer Camp posterMaterials: large sheets of white paper or card; colored pens / pencils / paints

• Discuss what it would be like to live on the moon. Do the students think it is possible? Talk about the important elements that we would need in order to survive on the moon, and write them on the board, e.g. water, oxygen, food, shelter.

• In the story, the children are going to summer camp on the moon. Brainstorm with the students what a summer camp on the moon would need to be like. Discuss ideas for what it might look like, what important features it would need to have, etc.

• Explain to the students that they are going to design a poster advertising a summer camp on the moon. Discuss what kinds of things you can do at summer camp, such as sports and activities, arts and crafts, etc.

• Divide the class into pairs and hand out the materials. Allow the students time in their pairs to talk about what they want their summer camp to look like and what it should include.

• The students draw and color their summer camp on the moon, taking into consideration the need for oxygen, water and other important elements for survival. They should also give their summer camp a fun name.

• Go around the class and monitor the students’ work, helping out where necessary. Encourage them to be as creative as possible with their designs.

• When the students have finished their pictures, invite them to add some information about the summer camp, e.g. when it is happening, who it is for, how children will travel there. They should




write this information below the picture on the poster in an appealing way, to attract interest in their summer camp.

• Invite volunteers to talk about why a visit to their summer camp would be fun.

• You could also take a class vote on the most interesting summer camp poster.

• Display the posters around the classroom.

3. Project: The moonMaterials: internet access and / or reference books; pictures of the moon (from the internet or reference books); large sheets of paper; colored pens / pencils / paints; colored modeling clay

(optional)

• Ask the students what they know about the moon. Has anyone from Earth ever been there? Who? How did they travel there? How far away from Earth do they think the moon is? What is it like there? Is it hot or cold? Is it bigger or smaller than Earth? Does anything live there? Would the students like to visit the moon? etc.

• Show the students pictures of the moon in a book or downloaded from the internet. Explain that a moon is a celestial body or natural satellite in space that orbits a planet, and not a sun. Other planets in our solar system have moons, too.

• Tell the students that they are going to do a project on the moon. They can use the internet or reference books to do their research and make notes. (This research can be done as homework.) They should find out information about the moon, such as its size, its distance from Earth, what it is made of, what the surface looks like, spacecrafts that have landed there and astronauts who have walked on its surface, and any other relevant information.

• Hand out a large sheet of paper to each student. They can draw or paint pictures of the moon and moon landings, and then write out the information they have gathered neatly onto the paper, too.

• Ask volunteers to come to the front of the class to present their projects.

• Display the projects around the classroom.

• Variation: the students could also make a model of Earth and the moon and their comparative sizes using modeling clay.

4. Make a spaceship Materials: colored pens / markers / paints; different colored tissue paper; modeling clay; household items (empty cardboard boxes, milk cartons, tin foil, etc.); sticky tape or glue; safety scissors

• Before the session, ask the students to bring bits and pieces from home that could be used for the spaceship, e.g. shiny material, cardboard boxes, string.

• Talk about what a spaceship looks like. Ask the students why they think it has a pointy shape. Draw a typical spaceship on the board and point out its main features, such as the pointy nose and rocket boosters.

• Divide the class into groups and tell the students that they are going to make their own spaceship.

• Allow each group time to think about their spaceship before making it and to draw a sketch of what they want it to look like. They should also give their spaceship a special feature that allows it to do something that no other spaceship can do!

• Hand out the materials, with each group having a share of the cardboard boxes, tissue paper, tin foil, modeling clay, etc. to design their creation.

• Encourage the students to be as imaginative as possible with their designs, e.g. using yellow, orange and red tissue paper for flames from the rocket boosters.

• Allow the groups time to build their spaceships. Go around the class and help out where necessary.

• When they have finished, display the spaceship




models around the classroom and ask each group to talk about the special feature their spaceship has to make it perform better.

• Take a class vote on the best spaceship.

5. Track a meteorMaterials: internet access

• In the story, the children have an important mission – they must stop a meteor from destroying Space Island. Ask the students if they know what a meteor is. Explain that a meteor, also known as a “shooting star”, is debris from space that enters the Earth’s atmosphere, but most meteors burn in the atmosphere and do not collide with Earth.

• Inform the students that at certain times of the year it is possible to observe meteor showers. These occur in a period when Earth passes through the orbit of a comet and the debris left behind can enter our atmosphere.

• Check out the following link http://www.amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-shower-calendar/ to find out when the next meteor shower activity is likely in your part of the world. If there is activity happening, tell the students to take a look at the night sky on the prescribed dates and times to see if they can be witness to a spectacular night-time show.

8 SPACE ISLAND ADVENTURE LEVEL 3PHOTOCOPIABLE Text copyright © Pearson Education


Key words

adventure ....... Peter and Pepper start their adventure. (p. 12)

alien ................ He looks out the window and he sees three green aliens. (p. 4)

camp ............... They are going to summer camp with their friends. (p. 3)

code ................. Peter puts the code into the computer. (p. 19)

control ............ Suddenly, Captain Cloud cannot control the spaceship! (p. 5)

friendly ........... Their friends are also scared but the aliens are friendly. (p. 8)

laser ................ Then they have to find the laser and put in the code. (p. 10)

map ................. The aliens give Captain Cloud a map. (p. 10)

meteor ............ There is a big meteor and it is coming to Space Island. (p.9)

need ................. The aliens need their help. (p.9)

rescue ............. Peter and Pepper close their eyes and hold hands. They are rescuing Space Island! (p. 20)

rocket .............. “Look! There’s a big red rocket!” (p. 12)

save ................. The children have to save Space Island! (p. 9)

spaceship ....... The spaceship starts to make a terrible noise. (p. 5)

telescope ........ Suddenly they see a telescope on top of the mountain! (p. 16)



While-Reading activities

Activity 1 (pages 3–5)Match. Draw lines.

1 He flies Galactic Airways.

2 They are going to summer camp.

3 They are jumping and shouting. a the aliens

4 It is going to the moon. b Peter and Pepper

5 He cannot control the spaceship. c Captain Cloud

6 They are afraid. d the spaceship

7 It is very loud and noisy.

8 They are green.

Activity 2 (pages 6–9)

Circle the correct words.

1 The spaceship arrives on the moon / Space Island / Earth.

2 Peter is scared / happy / excited.

3 The aliens are red / blue / green and they have three / four /

two eyes.

4 The aliens are afraid / surprised / friendly.

5 The children have to stop a meteor / spaceship / moon from

coming to Space Island.



Activity 3 (pages 10–13)

Check ✔ the correct answers.

1 What do the aliens give Captain Cloud?

a a code

b a laser

c a map

2 What can’t the aliens do?

a find the laser

b read English

c draw in the spaces

3 How do Peter and Pepper feel about helping the aliens?

a scared

b bored

c excited

4 What is the first thing the children see on their adventure?

a a rocket

b a spaceship

c a laser

5 Where do the children arrive when they follow the map south?

a a space village

b a forest

c a school



Activity 4 (pages 14–17)Order the sentences.

a They see a café where people are eating Astro cake.

b They have to go the to laser before the meteor comes.

c They see aliens in a school.

d They climb to the top of a mountain.

e Peter and Pepper arrive in Space Town.

Activity 5 (pages 18–19)Write the code words.

elephant school rocket Earth cake

1 Space VillageYou are hereX

3 Space Town

4 Astronaut Café

2 Forest

5 Telescope

CODE:U

LASER

aX

t

1 3

4

2

5



Activity 6 (pages 20–22)Write T (True) or F (False).

1 The big light from the laser hits the meteor.

2 The meteor hits Space Island.

3 The aliens climb to the top of the mountain.

4 Everyone is happy and excited.

5 Captain Cloud and the children fly to the moon.

6 The aliens go to summer camp with the children.

GA

LA

CT

IC

AIR

WA

YS

GA

LA

CT

IC

AIR

WA

YS

AIR

WA

YS



After-Reading activities

Activity 1Who says it? Write the names.

You are hereX

2 ForestCODE:

U

LASER

arX

Pepper Peter Captain Cloud the aliens

1 “Look! There’s the moon!”

2 “Who are they?”

3 “Welcome to Space Island!”

4 “What’s happening?”

5 “There’s a big red rocket!”

6 “We can’t read English!”



Activity 2Write the correct words under the pictures.

onom teerom

doce lepetscoe

sorfet nostratua

GA

LAC

TICA

IRW

AY

S

1 2

Last letter please!

R E S C U E

3 4

5 6



Activity 3Write the words in the puzzle. What’s the secret word?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

1 Peter and Pepper have to Space Island from the

meteor.

2 The aliens give Captain Cloud a .

3 The children have to find the and put in the code.

4 In the space village, the children see a big red .

5 The children look through a telescope and see .

6 All the letters of the code spell the word .

7 In Space Town, the children see a with young

aliens inside.

8 The s are green and they have four eyes and four

long arms.

9 Captain Cloud and the children visit Island.

The secret word is: .



Activity 4Choose a word from the story and draw your own code for each letter of the word. Ask a partner to break the code.




Answer Key

In the back of the Reader

Before You Read1 1 e laser 2 b rocket 3 f telescope

4 c map 5 a laser 6 d meteor

2 c

After You Read1 a No b No c Yes d Yes e Yes

2 1 c 2 e 3 d 4 a 5 b

3 Students’ own answers.

In these Teacher’s Notes

While-Reading activities

Activity 11 c 2 b 3 a 4 d 5 c 6 b 7 d 8 a

Activity 21 Space Island 2 scared 3 green, four 4 friendly 5 meteor

Activity 31 c 2 b 3 c 4 a 5 b

Activity 4The correct order is: e, c, a, d, b

Activity 51 rocket 2 elephant 3 school 4 cake 5 Earth

Activity 61 T 2 F 3 F 4 T 5 T 6 F

After-Reading activities

Activity 11 Peter 2 Captain Cloud 3 the aliens 4 Pepper 5 Peter 6 the aliens

Activity 21 moon 2 meteor 3 code 4 telescope 5 forest 6 astronaut

Activity 3

1 s a v e

2 m a p

3 l a s e r

4 r o c k e t

5 E a r t h

6 r e s c u e

7 s c h o o l

8 a l i e n

9 S p a c e

The secret word is: spaceship.

Activity 4Students’ own answers.

l3 space island teacher notes american english · 2018. 1. 15. · 1 space island adventure level 3...

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