1. STAGE 3 This ungraded summary is for the teacher’s use only and should not be given to students.The storyJohn Duncan is a biologist. At the beginning of thestory he gets a job with a paint company. His job isto ensure that the chemicals used in the company aresafe. Background to the story nd John is a widower, and he lives with his two The story has two central themes. Firstly, it looks atchildren, thirteen-year-old Andrew, and sixteen-year-old the problems of pollution and of the responsibility ofChristine. For two years he has been unemployed, and the businesses that cause it. Secondly, it looks at thegetting this job makes a big difference to both him and position of an individual, where personal morality is inhis children. The family move into a house by the river, conflict with personal security. John has been withoutnear the paint factory. They can go out in their boat work for several years at the beginning of the story,and look at the seals on the sandbank near the mouth and he is delighted to find a job; particularly becauseof the river. this now means his children can have a better life. As But John discovers that some of the chemicals from he starts to discover the dangers of the pollution, hethe factory are polluting the river. These chemicals are is put in a terrible dilemma – and chooses to ignoreparticularly dangerous – they can cause deformities in the dangers in order to preserve his own, and hisbaby rats, and perhaps in people. He points this out to children’s, way of life. But just keeping quiet is notthe company, but it would be very expensive to stop enough, he is forced to start telling lies – until the daythe pollution – too expensive. John has a choice: either when his house of cards collapses, and he is left withhe tells the newspapers about his discovery – and nothing.loses his job, or he keeps quiet, and keeps his job. Hechooses to keep quiet. Before reading But after some years the pollution does start to Here are some ways to help your students approachcause problems, and these problems are published the story:in articles in the local newspaper, written by Simon, a 1 Give students the title of the book and show themjournalist who is engaged to John’s daughter Christine. the picture on the cover. Ask them to try and guessIt is not enough for John to keep quiet: now he has what kind of the story it is.to start telling lies, to say that there is no pollution 2 Give students a copy of the text on the backproblem. cover of the book, and of the story introduction Christine and Simon become involved in a campaign on the first page. When they have read the texts,against the factory, and one day, demonstrating from a ask them a few questions about the story, or usesmall boat in the river, Christine, who is pregnant, falls the Before Reading Activities in the back of eachin, and is nearly drowned. At a Public Inquiry into the Bookworm.pollution, John is forced to admit that there is a serious 3 Use the pre-reading activity in this worksheet.problem – and that his daughter’s baby is at risk. 4 If there is a recording of this title, play the first few At the end of the story, John has lost his job – and pages and stop at an interesting point.Christine will no longer speak to him. And neither he,nor we, know whether her baby is healthy or not.PHOTOCOPIABLE © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 28
2. STAGE Chemical Secret 3 Pre-reading activity Match the words with the pictures1 3 5 72 4 6 8a ‘It’s a group of seal families. The mothers e ‘We’re going to be rich . . .!’ come here every year to have their babies.’ f For two hours John had sat by theb Only five metres to go now. telephone, afraid to ring the hospital again.c ‘Where do you think we can find two g ‘These waste products are dangerous! We’ve million pounds?’ got to stop putting them in the river!’d It was a big, comfortable house, and its h ‘I’m eighteen! I want to get married!’ said gardens went down to the river. Christine.To the teacherAim: To familiarize students with the story and its pictures into the order they might appear in the story.setting It is not important for them to get the order correct.Time: 10–15 minutes The important thing is to suggest an order whichOrganization: Give one copy of the worksheet to makes sense of the pictures. Some students mayeach student or each group of students. Ask them notice that one character, John, appears in most ofto match the words with the appropriate picture. the pictures, but gets progressively older.When the students have completed this task, check Key: 1d, 2g, 3e, 4f, 5b, 6a, 7h, 8c.the answers with them. Then, ask them to put the 29 © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PHOTOCOPIABLE
3. STAGE Chemical Secret 3 While reading activity What will happen next?Which of these things do you think will happen in the story? WiLL MAY WON’T YOur OWN COMMENTS HAPPEN HAPPEN HAPPEN John will leave the paint factory. John will tell the newspapers about the chemicals. John will find a way to stop the chemicals going into the river. Some baby seals in the river will be born with no eyes and ears. The factory will close. The factory will spend two million pounds on machines to clean up the waste products. Mary will leave the factory. Mary will tell the newspapers about the chemicals. John will stay at the factory and get a lot more money. Mary will stay at the factory and get a lot more money. David Wilson will leave the factory and Mary will get his job. David Wilson will leave the factory and John will get his job. The factory will get bigger, and more waste products will go into the river. John will marry Mary. (Your suggestion)To the teacherWhere: At the end of Chapter 6 discuss in groups and decide, without looking beyondAim: To encourage students to predict the the end of Chapter 6, what will happen as the storydevelopment of the story unfolds. It is not important whether their predictionsTime: 10–15 minutes are correct, although it may be interesting forOrganization: Give each student, or group of students to keep their worksheets and see whetherstudents, a copy of the worksheet. Ask them to or not they were right.PHOTOCOPIABLE © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 30
4. STAGE Chemical Secret 3 After reading activity Character crosswordsLook at the character crossword for John. NEEDS A J OB A BI O LOGIST H URTS HIS LEG NEEDS MO N EYMake similar ‘crosswords’ for some of the other characters. M A W R I Y L S C O H N R I S S I T M I O A N NTo the teacherAim: To revise characters Organization: Give each student, or group ofTime: 20–30 minutes students, a copy of the worksheet and ask them to make character crosswords as in the example. 31 © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PHOTOCOPIABLE