Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
LEVEL 3
PENGUIN READERS
Teacher Support Programme
Summary
London, May 1914. Europe is close to the First World
War. Richard Hannay, a Scotsman raised in Rhodesia
(now Zimbabwe) is living in London, and finds American
Franklin Scudder at his door. Scudder is a photographer
and free-lance spy and has information about a plot by
the German spy ring, the Black Stone, to steal the British
plans for war. Hannay later finds Scudder dead in his flat
and decides he must carry on Scudders work. With both
German spies and the police after, Hannay must solve the
riddle of the thirty-nine steps alone.
Chapter 1: Scudder is chased by German spies so he stops
at Hannays flat and asks him for help, since he needs
to a place to hide. Scudder tells Hannay that these spies
are running after him because he knows about their plot
to murder Primer Minister Karolides, who is coming to
London on June 15th. Hannay lets Scudder hide in his
flat for several days and Scudder warns him about two
dangerous German spies, Julia and an old man. Scudder
asks Hannay to continue the fight if something happens to
him. The following day, Hannay finds Scudder dead.
Chapter 2: Hannay decides to continue Scudders work,
but he needs to run away to Scotland before Scudders
enemies, the German spies catch him. So he leaves his
flat dressed up as a milkman. He then gets on a train to
Galloway taking with him Scudders little book.
Chapter 3: While Hannay travels by train to Galloway, he
reads Scudders notes and discovers that he used a special
code. The next day, on a train to Dumfries, he reads the
newspaper and finds out that the London police have
discovered Scudders body and that they were looking
for him, so he decides to get off the train. Hannay runs
towards the river and up the hills and sees a plane flying
c Pearson Education Limited 2008
Teachers notes
PENGUIN READERS
Teacher Support Programme
LEVEL 3
Discussion activities
Before reading
1 Imagine: A Spy on the Run
Put students into groups and ask them the following:
This book takes place mostly in the countryside of
Scotland. The hero of the story is escaping from his
enemies. There are rivers, valleys, a few groups of trees,
and quiet houses. Imagine you are trying to cross a big
area of countryside like this. The police are following you.
Where will you hide? Where will you sleep? When will
you travel? How will you eat?
2 Discuss: What are The Thirty-nine Steps?
After reading the Introduction, discuss with your
students what they imagine The Thirty-nine Steps are.
3 Predict:
The Thirty-nine Steps has been made into several films.
Divide the class into those who have / havent seen
any of them. Have each group retell or predict what
the story is about using the words below:
arrest code cottage detonator dynamite
lord spy politics war minister telegram
tide secret murder escape
Chapters 12
While Reading
5 Discuss: A good decision?
Have students discuss these questions in pairs after
reading the first three pages in the story: Why is
Hannay interested in Scudders story? Is Hannays
decision to hide Scudder good? What can happen to both
of them?
Teachers notes
PENGUIN READERS
Teacher Support Programme
LEVEL 3
After reading
8 Guess. Tell students to work in pairs and to imagine
they are either Hannay, Scudder, the milkman or
Karolides: Work with another student. Take turns to
describe what you are like, what you do and how you
feel. Can the other guess who you are?
9 Research: First World War
Give your students the following instructions:
In groups look up information in your library or on
theInternet about what happened in the months before
the First World War between England and Germany.
Chapters 3 4
While Reading
10 Write: The mysterious spy
Tell students to imagine they are the young innkeeper
in Chapter 3: Hannay has told you his secret and you
have seen the spies following him. Write how you would
start his story in your first mystery book.
11 Pair work: A letter asking for help
Students work in pairs on the letter in Chapter 4.
Read the letter on page 24 again and imagine you are
Sir Harry. Add more information that your uncle should
know about the mysterious Mr Hannay.
After reading
12 Discuss: A good spy?
Tell your students to discuss Hannay as a spy and to
make a list of his strong and weak points.
13 Write: A secret code
Ask students to work in pairs. They make a code with
letters, numbers or pictures standing for letters: Work
with another student. Write a message using your code
and give a key word, giving the real letters and the code
version. Give your message to another pair. Who can
understand the message first?
For more information on codes, see Secret
Codes, Penguin Active Readers level 4, at
www.penguinreaders.com.
Chapters 56
While reading
14 Discuss: A different man?
Ask students to tell you how Hannay turns himself
into Turnbull (see page 28). What does he do to his
clothes, and his hands? What does he borrow from
Turnbull? What advice does he remember from his old
friend in Rhodesia?
After reading
15 Pair work: A new Hannay
Ask students to work in pairs. They choose a person
for Hannay to turn into not somebody from the
story. Each pair tells the class about their new
Hannay: With another student, decide how Hannay
changes his face, his clothes, his hair, his voice and the
way he acts. Who does he look like? Whats his new job?
16 Predict: Hannays next steps?
Ask students to work in small groups and imagine
what will happen to Hannay from now on: Will the
spies follow him or think him dead? Where will he go?
Who will he ask for help? Where will he hide?
Chapters 78
While reading
17 Write: A terrible item of news
Tell students to re-read page 50: In pairs, imagine that
Sir Walter receives the news about Karolidess murder in
a telegram. Write down what it says.
After reading
18 Discuss: a true story or a lie?
Tell students to work in small groups and discuss the
following: In Chapter 7, Hannay visits Sir Walter and
tells him his story. How true is it? How does Hannay
change his own story? How many times has Hannay
changed his story when different people are listening to
it?
19 Group work: Get students to retell part of the story
changing the point of view: You are one or some of
the members of the Black Stone. Youve followed Hannay
everywhere. Tell what happened in Chapters 7 and 8
from your own point of view.
Chapters 910
While reading
20 Discuss: What did they do wrong?
Tell students to discuss this: What mistakes did the
Germans make? Why did Hannay discover them?
21 Write: A different ending?
Tell students to work in groups on the following:
Change the end of the story. Decide what things in
Chapters 9 and 10 need to change.
Vocabulary activities
For the Word List and vocabulary activities, go to
www.penguinreaders.com.