Teacher’s notes
PENGUIN READERS Teacher Support Programme
LEVEL 1
Surfer! Danger: Surfing is dangerous. Nick’s parents don’t want Danger: Surfing him to be a surfer because they are afraid he will get hurt. However,, Nick doesn’t However doesn’t see surfing as dangerous – he sees it as exciting.
Paul Harvey
Discussion activities Pages 1−13 Before reading 1 Discuss: Discuss: Ask Ask students to look at the picture on the see? What is the boy cover of the book. What can you see? What doing? What do you think the story is about? 2 Pair work: work: Get Get students to work in pairs and ask each other the following questions: What do people need to go surfing? Where do people go surfing? What are surfers usually like? Why is surfing dangerous?
Summary Surfer! is about a sixteen-year-old boy named Nick, who wants to go to Australia to compete in a surfing competition before he starts college in England. However However,, his parents want him to go to college first.
After reading 3 Research: Get students to research Australia on the Internet. When they have finished, they should share their information with the class. 4 Role play: Get students to work in pairs and role play the scene on page 10.
One day in July, July, Nick goes surfing. He catches a big wave. An Australian girl named Janelle Janelle watches him surfing on the big wave, and she is very impressed. However, However, her boyfriend, Brian, isn’t isn’t impressed at all.
Pages 14−26 Before reading
Janelle encourages Nick Nick to enter a local surfing competition, which has a first prize of £1,000. Nick gets sponsored by a surf shop, which gives him a new surfboard to use for a week.
5 Guess: Guess: Ask Ask students to predict what will happen to Nick. Will he win the competition? Will he be friends with Brian? Will he go to Australia?
After reading
During the competition, Brian hits Nick with his surfboard. Nick falls off his surfboard and hurts his arm. He believes he has lost the competition – but then a judge tells him that he has won because Brian has been disqualified!
6 Write: Why doesn’t Brian like Nick? Get students to write a short paragraph to answer this question. 7 Discuss: What will happen to Nick in Australia? Get students to work in groups and think of answers to this question.
Vocabulary activities
After the competition, Nick’ Nick’s father appears on the beach and congratulates him on winning first prize. He gives Nick permission to go to Australia for three months. He even agrees to pay for Nick’s Nick’s plane ticket. Nick is very happy!
For the Word Word List and vocabulary activities, go to www.penguinreaders.com. www .penguinreaders.com.
Background and themes Dreams: Nick has a dream, and he pursues it. It isn’t easy, Dreams: Nick but he works hard, and eventually his dream comes true. Jealousy: Brian is jealous of Nick. His jealousy leads Jealousy: Brian him to knock Nick off his surfboard, and in the end, it causes him to lose the competition – and perhaps even his friends.
c
Pearson Education Limited 2008
Surfer! - Teacher’s notes
1 of 1
