Jason and the Argonauts - Black Cat

Green Apple Step 1
Jason and
the Argonauts
Summary-based Activities
by Kenneth Brodey

S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
Jason and the Argonauts Chapters 1-2
1
Scrambled word cloze
Read the summary of Chapters 1-2 below.
Choose one of the words from the box to write in each space. The first
one has been done as an example.
was took must left who his
will the when careful sent
When Jason (0)…..............…….. was eighteen, the Centaur Chiron said to
him, ‘Your father was king of Iolkos, but his brother Pelias
(1)…..............…….. the kingdom from him. You (2)…..............…….. travel
to Iolkos and take your father’s kingdom back.’ Jason (3)…..............……..
Mount Pelion for Iolkos. Soon he came to a river. He saw an old
woman (4)…..............…….. needed help crossing. Jason carried her
across, but he lost one of (5)…..............…….. sandals. The old woman
said, ‘If you go to Iolkos with one sandal you (6)…..............…….. become
a hero.’ Then he saw that (7)…..............…….. old woman was Hera. She
said, ‘I will help you against your uncle.’ (8)…..............…….. the king saw
Jason he remembered an oracle that said, ‘Be (9)…..............…….. of a
man wearing one sandal.’ So, Pelias (10)…..............…….. Jason to the
kingdom of Colchis to get the Golden Fleece. Jason sailed on a ship
called Argo with a crew of forty nine heroes.
2
Scrambled word cloze with distractors (i)
Read the summary of Chapters 1-2 below.
Choose one of the words from the box to write in each space. There
are five words you do not need to use. The first one has been done as
an example.
left going his the his will was took must have
who went the careful pushed when sent
When Jason (0)…..............…….. was eighteen, the Centaur Chiron said to
him, ‘Your father was king of Iolkos, but his brother Pelias
(1)…..............…….. the kingdom from him. You (2)…..............…….. travel
to Iolkos and take your father’s kingdom back.’ Jason (3)…..............……..
Mount Pelion for Iolkos. Soon he came to a river. He saw an old
woman (4)…..............…….. needed help crossing. Jason carried her
across, but he lost one of (5)…..............…….. sandals. The old woman
said, ‘If you go to Iolkos with one sandal you (6)…..............…….. become
a hero.’ Then he saw that (7)…..............…….. old woman was Hera. She
said, ‘I will help you against your uncle.’ (8)…..............…….. the king saw
Jason he remembered an oracle that said, ‘Be (9)…..............…….. of a
man wearing one sandal.’ So, Pelias (10)…..............…….. Jason to the
kingdom of Colchis to get the Golden Fleece. Jason sailed on a ship
called Argo with a crew of forty nine heroes.
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
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S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
3
Scrambled word cloze with distractors (ii)
4
Multiple choice cloze
Read the summary of Chapters 1-2 below.
Choose one of the words from the box to write in each space. There
are ten words you do not need to use. The first one has been done as
an example.
his he when then careful sent the attention
going pushed went who where this carried
will must left was have took
When Jason (0)…..............…….. was eighteen, the Centaur Chiron said to
him, ‘Your father was king of Iolkos, but his brother Pelias
(1)…..............…….. the kingdom from him. You (2)…..............…….. travel
to Iolkos and take your father’s kingdom back.’ Jason (3)…..............……..
Mount Pelion for Iolkos. Soon he came to a river. He saw an old
woman (4)…..............…….. needed help crossing. Jason carried her
across, but he lost one of (5)…..............…….. sandals. The old woman
said, ‘If you go to Iolkos with one sandal you (6)…..............…….. become
a hero.’ Then he saw that (7)…..............…….. old woman was Hera. She
said, ‘I will help you against your uncle.’ (8)…..............…….. the king saw
Jason he remembered an oracle that said, ‘Be (9)…..............…….. of a
man wearing one sandal.’ So, Pelias (10)…..............…….. Jason to the
kingdom of Colchis to get the Golden Fleece. Jason sailed on a ship
called Argo with a crew of forty nine heroes.
Read the summary of Chapters 1-2 below.
Choose the best word (A, B or C) for each space. The first one has been
done as an example.
When Jason (0)…..............…….. A eighteen, the Centaur Chiron said to
him, ‘Your father was king of Iolkos, but his brother Pelias
(1)…..............…….. the kingdom from him. You (2)…..............…….. travel
to Iolkos and take your father’s kingdom back.’ Jason (3)…..............……..
Mount Pelion for Iolkos. Soon he came to a river. He saw an old
woman (4)…..............…….. needed help crossing. Jason carried her
across, but he lost one of (5)…..............…….. sandals. The old woman
said, ‘If you go to Iolkos with one sandal you (6)…..............…….. become
a hero.’ Then he saw that (7)…..............…….. old woman was Hera. She
said, ‘I will help you against your uncle.’ (8)…..............…….. the king saw
Jason he remembered an oracle that said, ‘Be (9)…..............…….. of a
man wearing one sandal.’ So, Pelias (10)…..............…….. Jason to the
kingdom of Colchis to get the Golden Fleece. Jason sailed on a ship
called Argo with a crew of forty nine heroes.
0 Awas B had C got
1 Acarried B brought C took
2 Ahave B got C must
3 Aleft B went C travelled
4 A where B who C and
5 Ahis B the C those
6 Amust B will C going
7 Ahis B very C the
8 Awhen B then C so
9 Aattention B certain C areful
10 A pushed B sent C moved
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
4
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S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
5
Open cloze
Complete the summary of Chapters 1-2 below.
Write ONE word for each space. The first one has been done as an
example.
E
F
G
H
I
When the king saw Jason he remembered an oracle that said,
‘Be careful of a man wearing one sandal.’
ason carried her across, but he lost one of his sandals.
Jason left Mount Pelion for Iolkos.
When Jason (0)…..............…….. was eighteen, the Centaur Chiron said to
him, ‘Your father was king of Iolkos, but his brother Pelias
(1)…..............…….. the kingdom from him. You (2)…..............…….. travel
to Iolkos and take your father’s kingdom back.’ Jason (3)…..............……..
Mount Pelion for Iolkos. Soon he came to a river. He saw an old
woman (4)…..............…….. needed help crossing. Jason carried her
across, but he lost one of (5)…..............…….. sandals. The old woman
said, ‘If you go to Iolkos with one sandal you (6)…..............…….. become
a hero.’ Then he saw that (7)…..............…….. old woman was Hera. She
said, ‘I will help you against your uncle.’ (8)…..............…….. the king saw
Jason he remembered an oracle that said, ‘Be (9)…..............…….. of a
man wearing one sandal.’ So, Pelias (10)…..............…….. Jason to the
kingdom of Colchis to get the Golden Fleece. Jason sailed on a ship
called Argo with a crew of forty nine heroes.
7
J
Then he saw that the old woman was Hera.
The old woman said, ‘If you go to Iolkos with one sandal you
will become a hero.’
So, Pelias sent Jason to the kingdom of Colchis to get the
Golden Fleece.
Correct the mistakes!
This is an oral activity, so do not give the students any photocopies.
Tell them you are going to read a summary, but with some mistakes.
When they hear a mistake they should correct it.
In the summary below there are 10 mistakes to read out, all written
in italics. As a quick reminder to you, the correct version is given in
brackets.
6
Put the sentences in order
The sentences A-J of the summary of Chapters 1-2 are in the wrong
order. Put them in the right order and number them 1-10.
A
B
C
D
Jason sailed on a ship called Argo with a crew of forty nine
heroes.
When Jason was eighteen, the Centaur Chiron said to him,
‘Your father was king of Iolkos, but his brother Pelias took the
kingdom from him. You must travel to Iolkos and take your
father’s kingdom back.’
She said, ‘I will help you against your uncle.’
Soon he came to a river where he saw an old woman who
needed help crossing.
When Jason was twenty-five (eighteen), the Centaur Chiron said to
him, ‘Your father was king of Iolkos, but his uncle (brother) Pelias took
the kingdom from him. You must travel to Athens (Iolkos) and take
your father’s kingdom back.’ Jason left Mount Pelion for Iolkos. Soon
he came to a sea (river) where he saw an old woman who needed help
crossing. Jason carried her across, but he lost one of his rings
(sandals). The old woman said, ‘If you go to Iolkos with one sandal you
will become a god (hero).’ Then he saw that the old woman was Hera.
She said, ‘I will help you against your uncle.’ When the king saw Jason
he remembered a poem (an oracle) that said, ‘Be careful of a woman
(man) wearing one sandal.’ So, Pelias sent Jason to the kingdom of
Colchis to get the Golden Shirt (Fleece). Jason sailed on a ship called
Argo with a crew of forty nine children (heroes).
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
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S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
8
Rub out
11
Build it up
Put the students in groups of two to five. Make sure that each group
has a copy of the summary and a red pen or access to computer. Tell
them that they must add two details, which they must choose
themselves, to the summary. Tell them that the details they add can
be words, phrases or even sentences. Tell them they shouldn’t write
fewer than five words, and that there is no upper limit, but they
probably won’t need more than about 25 words.
When they have finished, they should compare their versions. They
should decide which are the most interesting added details, and why.
On the board / the interactive whiteboard, copy a short paragraph
from the summary.
Gradually, rub out individual words and even two- and three-word
phrases. Begin by rubbing out some of the important content words.
After each time you rub out some words get the whole class to read
out the text, supplying the missing words from their memory.
Eventually, when all the words on the board have been rubbed out, the
class will – amazingly! – remember all the text.
9 Dictogloss
Sit the students in groups of two to five. Tell them that you are going
to read out a summary of Chapters 1-2 of Jason and the Argonauts
twice, and that they may note down key words or short phrases. Read
the text once at normal speed, pause for a minute, then read it again.
Tell the students to work together in their groups and use their notes
to write a text which is grammatically and lexically correct but which
doesn’t have to be the same as the original: the aim of their writing is
to produce a correct text, not to show they have perfect memories!
Five minutes should be enough.
Then students compare their written texts. Groups should try to point
out any errors in the texts of other groups.
Finally, show or give the students the original text; ask them to
identify any differences with their own texts, and ask them if they
think the differences are important.
10 Cut it down
Put the students in groups of two to five. Make sure that each group
has a copy of the summary and a red pen/highlighter or access to
computer. Tell them that they must cut 15 words from the summary:
their shortened version must still be grammatically correct. They can
change punctuation, but they mustn’t add any words.
When they have finished, they should compare their shortened
versions. They should decide which are the best cuts, and why.
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
12
Rewrite it
Tell the students to rewrite the summary changing some of the
information. They should use their imagination to add details – which
can be words, phrases or sentences – and change some of the words
and phrases that are already there.
SUMMARY
When Jason was eighteen, the Centaur Chiron said to him, ‘Your father
was king of Iolkos, but his brother Pelias took the kingdom from him. You
must travel to Iolkos and take your father’s kingdom back.’ Jason left
Mount Pelion for Iolkos. Soon he came to a river. He saw an old woman
who needed help crossing. Jason carried her across, but he lost one of his
sandals. The old woman said, ‘If you go to Iolkos with one sandal you will
become a hero.’ Then he saw that the old woman was Hera. She said, ‘I
will help you against your uncle.’ When the king saw Jason he
remembered an oracle that said, ‘Be careful of a man wearing one
sandal.’ So, Pelias sent Jason to the kingdom of Colchis to get the Golden
Fleece. Jason sailed on a ship called Argo with a crew of forty nine heroes.
KEY
1, 2, 3, 5: 1 took; 2 must; 3 left; 4 who; 5 his; 6 will; 7 the; 8 when;
9 careful; 10 sent
4: 1 C; 2 C; 3 A; 4 B; 5 A; 6 B; 7 C; 8 A; 9 C; 10 B;
6: 1 B; 2 G; 3 D; 4 F; 5 I; 6 H; 7 C; 8 E; 9 J; 10 A;
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
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S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
Jason and the Argonauts Chapters 3-4
1
Scrambled word cloze
Read the summary of Chapters 3-4 below.
Choose one of the words from the box to write in each space. The first
one has been done as an example.
wedding stayed when but for entered
at found get was mistake
(0)…..............…….. When the Argo arrived at Lemnos, they found women
warriors. The crew (1)…..............…….. with them for weeks. Some of
them even married. Finally, they left. They went up the Hellespont
(2)…..............…….. night and escaped the king of Troy. They
(3)…..............…….. the Sea of Marmara, and rowed to Arcton. Here
Jason went to the (4)…..............…….. of Cyzicus and Cleite. The next
morning Jason and his crew left. The weather became bad. When it
was dark, they (5)…..............…….. a beach. Suddenly they were
attacked. They fought. The next morning in the light they saw dead
bodies. One of them was Cyzicus. Jason was very sad about this
(6)…..............…….. . They then travelled and came to an island. Hylas,
Hercules’s servant, went to (7)…..............…….. water. When he
(8)…..............…….. filling his jug, a nymph pulled Hylas down into the
pool. Hercules went to look (9)…..............…….. him. The next morning,
the ship was ready to sail, (10)…..............…….. . Hercules was still away.
Jason decided to sail without him.
2
Scrambled word cloze with distractors (i)
Read the summary of Chapters 3-4 below.
Choose one of the words from the box to write in each space. There
are five words you do not need to use. The first one has been done as
an example.
went get entered mistake found but wedding when
marriage was for waited when stayed at in
(0)…..............…….. When the Argo arrived at Lemnos, they found women
warriors. The crew (1)…..............…….. with them for weeks. Some of
them even married. Finally, they left. They went up the Hellespont
(2)…..............…….. night and escaped the king of Troy. They
(3)…..............…….. the Sea of Marmara, and rowed to Arcton. Here
Jason went to the (4)…..............…….. of Cyzicus and Cleite. The next
morning Jason and his crew left. The weather became bad. When it
was dark, they (5)…..............…….. a beach. Suddenly they were
attacked. They fought. The next morning in the light they saw dead
bodies. One of them was Cyzicus. Jason was very sad about this
(6)…..............…….. . They then travelled and came to an island. Hylas,
Hercules’s servant, went to (7)…..............…….. water. When he
(8)…..............…….. filling his jug, a nymph pulled Hylas down into the
pool. Hercules went to look (9)…..............…….. him. The next morning,
the ship was ready to sail, (10)…..............…….. . Hercules was still away.
Jason decided to sail without him.
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
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S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
3
Scrambled word cloze with distractors (ii)
4
Multiple choice cloze
Read the summary of Chapters 3-4 below.
Choose one of the words from the box to write in each space. There
are ten words you do not need to use. The first one has been done as
an example.
found mistake have was is for at when get
at in entered but marriage went wedding
had when wrong stayed waited
(0)…..............…….. When the Argo arrived at Lemnos, they found women
warriors. The crew (1)…..............…….. with them for weeks. Some of
them even married. Finally, they left. They went up the Hellespont
(2)…..............…….. night and escaped the king of Troy. They
(3)…..............…….. the Sea of Marmara, and rowed to Arcton. Here
Jason went to the (4)…..............…….. of Cyzicus and Cleite. The next
morning Jason and his crew left. The weather became bad. When it
was dark, they (5)…..............…….. a beach. Suddenly they were
attacked. They fought. The next morning in the light they saw dead
bodies. One of them was Cyzicus. Jason was very sad about this
(6)…..............…….. . They then travelled and came to an island. Hylas,
Hercules’s servant, went to (7)…..............…….. water. When he
(8)…..............…….. filling his jug, a nymph pulled Hylas down into the
pool. Hercules went to look (9)…..............…….. him. The next morning,
the ship was ready to sail, (10)…..............…….. . Hercules was still away.
Jason decided to sail without him.
Read the summary of Chapters 3-4 below.
Choose the best word (A, B or C) for each space. The first one has been
done as an example.
(0)…..............…….. B the Argo arrived at Lemnos, they found women
warriors. The crew (1)…..............…….. with them for weeks. Some of
them even married. Finally, they left. They went up the Hellespont
(2)…..............…….. night and escaped the king of Troy. They
(3)…..............…….. the Sea of Marmara, and rowed to Arcton. Here
Jason went to the (4)…..............…….. of Cyzicus and Cleite. The next
morning Jason and his crew left. The weather became bad. When it
was dark, they (5)…..............…….. a beach. Suddenly they were
attacked. They fought. The next morning in the light they saw dead
bodies. One of them was Cyzicus. Jason was very sad about this
(6)…..............…….. . They then travelled and came to an island. Hylas,
Hercules’s servant, went to (7)…..............…….. water. When he
(8)…..............…….. filling his jug, a nymph pulled Hylas down into the
pool. Hercules went to look (9)…..............…….. him. The next morning,
the ship was ready to sail, (10)…..............…….. . Hercules was still away.
Jason decided to sail without him.
0 Abecause B when C then
1 Awaited B continued C stayed
2 Ain B on C at
3 Aentered B went C arrived
4 Awedding B marriage C marry
5 Ahad B found C came
6 Awrong B incorrect C mistake
7 Ahave B get C carry
8 Awas B is C have
9 Afor B at C to
10 A then B and C but
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
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S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
5
6
Open cloze
Complete the summary of Chapters 3-4 below. Write ONE word for
each space. The first one has been done as an example.
(0)…..............…….. When the Argo arrived at Lemnos, they found women
warriors. The crew (1)…..............…….. with them for weeks. Some of
them even married. Finally, they left. They went up the Hellespont
(2)…..............…….. night and escaped the king of Troy. They
(3)…..............…….. the Sea of Marmara, and rowed to Arcton. Here
Jason went to the (4)…..............…….. of Cyzicus and Cleite. The next
morning Jason and his crew left. The weather became bad. When it
was dark, they (5)…..............…….. a beach. Suddenly they were
attacked. They fought. The next morning in the light they saw dead
bodies. One of them was Cyzicus. Jason was very sad about this
(6)…..............…….. . They then travelled and came to an island. Hylas,
Hercules’s servant, went to (7)…..............…….. water. When he
(8)…..............…….. filling his jug, a nymph pulled Hylas down into the
pool. Hercules went to look (9)…..............…….. him. The next morning,
the ship was ready to sail, (10)…..............…….. . Hercules was still away.
Jason decided to sail without him.
Put the sentences in order
The sentences A-J of the summary of Chapters 3-4 are in the wrong
order. Put them in the right order and number them 1-10.
A
B
C
D
Hercules went to look for him. The next morning, the ship was
ready to sail, but Hercules was still away.
They entered the Sea of Marmara, and rowed to Arcton. Here
Jason went to the wedding of Cyzicus and Cleite.
The next morning Jason and his crew left. The weather became
bad.
They then travelled and came to an island. Hylas, Hercules’s
servant, went to get water.
7
G
H
I
J
When the Argo arrived at Lemnos, they found women warriors.
The crew stayed with them for weeks. Some of them even
married.
Finally, they left. They went up the Hellespont at night and
escaped the king of Troy.
The next morning in the light they saw dead bodies. One of
them was Cyzicus. Jason was very sad about this mistake.
When it was dark, they found a beach. Suddenly they were
attacked. They fought.
Correct the mistakes!
This is an oral activity, so do not give the students any photocopies.
Tell them you are going to read a summary, but with some mistakes.
When they hear a mistake they should correct it.
In the summary below there are 10 mistakes to read out, all written
in italics. As a quick reminder to you, the correct version is given in
brackets.
When the Argo arrived at Lemnos, they found children (women) warriors.
The crew stayed with them for weeks. Some of them even married.
Finally, they left. They went up the Hellespont at night and escaped the
king of Troy. They entered the Sea of Marmara, and rowed to Arcton.
Here Jason went to the birthday party (wedding) of Cyzicus and Cleite.
The next morning Jason and his crew left. The weather became bad.
When it was dark, they found a house (beach). Suddenly they were
attacked. They ran (fought). The next morning in the light they saw dead
birds (bodies). One of them was Hercules (Cyzicus). Jason was very sad
about this mistake. They then travelled and came to an island. Hylas,
Hercules’s father (servant), went to get water. When he was filling his jug,
a monster (nymph) pulled Hylas down into the pool. Jason (Hercules)
went to look for him. The next morning, the ship was ready to sail, but
Hercules was still away. Jason decided to eat (sail) without him.
E
F
Jason decided to sail without him.
When he was filling his jug, a nymph pulled Hylas down into the pool.
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
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S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
8
Rub out
11
Build it up
On the board / the interactive whiteboard, copy a short paragraph
from the summary.
Gradually, rub out individual words and even two- and three-word
phrases. Begin by rubbing out some of the important content words.
After each time you rub out some words get the whole class to read
out the text, supplying the missing words from their memory.
Eventually, when all the words on the board have been rubbed out, the
class will – amazingly! – remember all the text.
Put the students in groups of two to five. Make sure that each group
has a copy of the summary and a red pen or access to computer. Tell
them that they must add two details, which they must choose
themselves, to the summary. Tell them that the details they add can
be words, phrases or even sentences. Tell them they shouldn’t write
fewer than five words, and that there is no upper limit. When they
have finished, they should compare their versions. They should decide
which are the most interesting added details, and why.
9 Dictogloss
Sit the students in groups of two to five. Tell them that you are going
to read out a summary of Chapters 3-4 of Jason and the Argonauts
twice, and that they may note down key words or short phrases. Read
the text once at normal speed, pause for a minute, then read it again.
Tell the students to work together in their groups and use their notes
to write a text which is grammatically and lexically correct but which
doesn’t have to be the same as the original: the aim of their writing is
to produce a correct text, not to show they have perfect memories!
Five minutes should be enough.
Then students compare their written texts. Groups should try to point
out any errors in the texts of other groups.
Finally, show or give the students the original text; ask them to
identify any differences with their own texts, and ask them if they
think the differences are important.
10 Cut it down
Put the students in groups of two to five. Make sure that each group
has a copy of the summary and a red pen/highlighter or access to
computer. Tell them that they must cut 15 words from the summary:
their shortened version must still be grammatically correct. They can
change punctuation, but they mustn’t add any words.
When they have finished, they should compare their shortened
versions. They should decide which are the best cuts, and why.
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
12
Rewrite it
Tell the students to rewrite the summary changing some of the
information. They should use their imagination to add details – which
can be words, phrases or sentences – and change some of the words
and phrases that are already there.
SUMMARY
When the Argo arrived at Lemnos, they found women warriors. The
crew stayed with them for weeks. Some of them even married. Finally,
they left. They went up the Hellespont at night and escaped the king
of Troy. They entered the Sea of Marmara, and rowed to Arcton. Here
Jason went to the wedding of Cyzicus and Cleite. The next morning
Jason and his crew left. The weather became bad. When it was dark,
they found a beach. Suddenly they were attacked. They fought. The
next morning in the light they saw dead bodies. One of them was
Cyzicus. Jason was very sad about this mistake They then travelled
and came to an island. Hylas, Hercules’s servant, went to get water.
When he was filling his jug, a nymph pulled Hylas down into the pool.
Hercules went to look for him. The next morning, the ship was ready
to sail, but Hercules was still away. Jason decided to sail without him.
KEY
1, 2, 3, 5: 1 stayed; 2 at; 3 entered; 4 wedding; 5 found; 6 mistake; 7 get; 8 was;
9 for; 10 but
4: 1 C; 2 C; 3 A; 4 A; 5 B; 6 C; 7 B; 8 A; 9 A; 10 C
6: 1 G; 2 H; 3 B; 4 C; 5 J; 6 I; 7 D; 8 F; 9 A; 10 E
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
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S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
Jason and the Argonauts Chapters 5-6
1
Scrambled word cloze
Read the summary of Chapters 5-6 below.
Choose one of the words from the box to write in each space. The first
one has been done as an example.
next crew met had ground all
safely could arrived here will through
At Bebrycos, Polydeuces, one of Jason’s (0)…..............…….., crew fought the
king. Their (1)…..............…….. stop was Salmydessus. Here King Phineus
had a problem with harpies that ate (2)…..............…….. his food. Two of
the Argonauts chased the harpies away. Phineus told Jason the way to
Colchis. He also told him how to sail though the rocks called
Symplegades. So, the Argonauts left. They sailed (3)…..............……..
through the rocks and into the Black Sea, and finally they
(4)…..............…….. at the city of Aea in Colchis. Jason (5)…..............……..
King Aeëtes and his daughter, Medea, a sorceress. Before Jason
(6)…..............…….. have the Golden Fleece, Jason (7)…..............…….. to
plough with two bronze bulls, and plant dragon’s teeth in the
(8)…..............…….. . When these dragon teeth became warriors, he had
to kill them. Medea came to help him. ‘(9)…..............…….. is a potion to
protect you and a stone. Throw it among the warriors. They
(10)…..............…….. forget you and start killing each other.’ The next
day Jason used the potion and the stone, and had no problems.
2
Scrambled word cloze with distractors (i)
Read the summary of Chapters 5-6 below.
Choose one of the words from the box to write in each space. There
are five words you do not need to use. The first one has been done as
an example.
floor there arrived could crew all safely may
next well met knew ground here had will
At Bebrycos, Polydeuces, one of Jason’s (0)…..............…….., crew fought the
king. Their (1)…..............…….. stop was Salmydessus. Here King Phineus
had a problem with harpies that ate (2)…..............…….. his food. Two of
the Argonauts chased the harpies away. Phineus told Jason the way to
Colchis. He also told him how to sail though the rocks called
Symplegades. So, the Argonauts left. They sailed (3)…..............……..
through the rocks and into the Black Sea, and finally they
(4)…..............…….. at the city of Aea in Colchis. Jason (5)…..............……..
King Aeëtes and his daughter, Medea, a sorceress. Before Jason
(6)…..............…….. have the Golden Fleece, Jason (7)…..............…….. to
plough with two bronze bulls, and plant dragon’s teeth in the
(8)…..............…….. . When these dragon teeth became warriors, he had
to kill them. Medea came to help him. ‘(9)…..............…….. is a potion to
protect you and a stone. Throw it among the warriors. They
(10)…..............…….. forget you and start killing each other.’ The next
day Jason used the potion and the stone, and had no problems.
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
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S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
3
Scrambled word cloze with distractors (ii)
4
Multiple choice cloze
Read the summary of Chapters 5-6 below.
Choose the best word (A, B or C) for each space. The first one has been
done as an example.
Read the summary of Chapters 5-6 below.
Choose one of the words from the box to write in each space. There
are ten words you do not need to use. The first one has been done as
an example.
may after ground all well any safely crew
there next will knew arrived had must floor
can came met could here
At Bebrycos, Polydeuces, one of Jason’s (0 )…..............…….., crew fought the
king. Their (1) …..............…….. stop was Salmydessus. Here King
Phineus had a problem with harpies that ate (2) …..............…….. his
food. Two of the Argonauts chased the harpies away. Phineus told
Jason the way to Colchis. He also told him how to sail though the rocks
called Symplegades. So, the Argonauts left. They sailed
(3) …..............…….. through the rocks and into the Black Sea, and finally
they (4 )…..............…….. at the city of Aea in Colchis. Jason (5)
…..............…….. King Aeëtes and his daughter, Medea, a sorceress.
Before Jason (6) …..............…….. have the Golden Fleece, Jason
(7 )…..............…….. to plough with two bronze bulls, and plant dragon’s
teeth in the (8 )…..............…….. . When these dragon teeth became
warriors, he had to kill them. Medea came to help him.
‘(9) …..............…….. is a potion to protect you and a stone. Throw it
among the warriors. They (10) …..............…….. forget you and start
killing each other.’ The next day Jason used the potion and the stone,
and had no problems.
At Bebrycos, Polydeuces, one of Jason’s (0) …..............…….., C fought the
king. Their (1) …..............…….. stop was Salmydessus. Here King
Phineus had a problem with harpies that ate (2) …..............…….. his
food. Two of the Argonauts chased the harpies away. Phineus told
Jason the way to Colchis. He also told him how to sail though the rocks
called Symplegades. So, the Argonauts left. They sailed
(3) …..............…….. through the rocks and into the Black Sea, and finally
they (4) …..............…….. at the city of Aea in Colchis. Jason
(5) …..............…….. King Aeëtes and his daughter, Medea, a sorceress.
Before Jason (6) …..............…….. have the Golden Fleece, Jason
(7) …..............…….. to plough with two bronze bulls, and plant dragon’s
teeth in the (8) …..............…….. . When these dragon teeth became
warriors, he had to kill them. Medea came to help him.
‘(9) …..............…….. is a potion to protect you and a stone. Throw it
among the warriors. They (10) …..............…….. forget you and start
killing each other.’ The next day Jason used the potion and the stone,
and had no problems.
0 Agang B team C crew
1 Aafter B next C then
2 Aall B whole C any
3 Awell B perfectly C safely
4 Acame B got C arrived
5 Amet B knew C recognized
6 Acould B can C able
7 Amust B have C had
8 Afloor B ground C land
9 Athere B here C it
10 A will B may C going
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
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S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
5
Open cloze
Complete the summary of Chapters 5-6 below.
Write ONE word for each space. The first one has been done as an
example.
F
G
Before Jason could have the Golden Fleece, Jason had to plough
with two bronze bulls, and plant dragon’s teeth in the ground.
When these dragon teeth became warriors, he had to kill them.
Medea came to help him.
At Bebrycos, Polydeuces, one of Jason’s (0) …..............…….., crew fought the
king. Their (1) …..............…….. stop was Salmydessus. Here King
Phineus had a problem with harpies that ate (2) …..............…….. his
food. Two of the Argonauts chased the harpies away. Phineus told
Jason the way to Colchis. He also told him how to sail though the rocks
called Symplegades. So, the Argonauts left. They sailed
(3) …..............…….. through the rocks and into the Black Sea, and finally
they (4) …..............…….. at the city of Aea in Colchis. Jason
(5) …..............…….. King Aeëtes and his daughter, Medea, a sorceress.
Before Jason (6) …..............…….. have the Golden Fleece, Jason
(7) …..............…….. to plough with two bronze bulls, and plant dragon’s
teeth in the (8) …..............…….. . When these dragon teeth became
warriors, he had to kill them. Medea came to help him.
‘(9) …..............…….. is a potion to protect you and a stone. Throw it
among the warriors. They (10) …..............…….. forget you and start
killing each other.’ The next day Jason used the potion and the stone,
and had no problems.
7
H
I
J
At Bebrycos, Polydeuces, one of Jason’s crew, fought the king.
Their next stop was Salmydessus.
Here King Phineus had a problem with harpies that ate all his
food.
‘Here is a potion to protect you and a stone. Throw it among
the warriors. They will forget you and start killing each other.’
Correct the mistakes!
This is an oral activity, so do not give the students any photocopies.
Tell them the following instructions (or similar): “I am going to tell
you a summary of Chapters 5-6 of Jason and the Argonauts, but I am
going to make some mistakes in the summary. When you hear a
mistake please call out the right word or words.”
As an example, in the version of the summary below there are 10
mistakes to read out, all written in italics. As a quick reminder to you,
the correct version is given immediately afterwards in brackets.
6
Put the sentences in order
The sentences A-J of the summary of Chapters 5-6 are in the wrong
order. Put them in the right order and number them 1-10.
A
B
C
D
E
Two of the Argonauts chased the harpies away.
Jason met King Aeëtes and his daughter, Medea, a sorceress.
Phineus told Jason the way to Colchis. He also told him how to
sail through the rocks called Symplegades.
The next day Jason used the potion and the stone, and had no
problems.
So, the Argonauts left. They sailed safely through the rocks and into
the Black Sea, and finally they arrived at the city of Aea in Colchis.
At Bebrycos, Polydeuces, one of Jason’s sisters (crew), fought the king.
Their next stop was Salmydessus. Here King Phineus had problem
with lions (harpies) that ate all his food. Two of the Argonauts chased
the harpies away. Phineus told Jason the way to Colchis. He also told
him how to sail through the statues (rocks) called Symplegades. So,
the Argonauts left. They sailed safely through the rocks and into the
Orange (Black) Sea, and finally they arrived at the city of Aea in
Colchis. Jason met King Aeëtes and his friend (daughter), Medea, a
sorceress. Before Jason could have the Golden Fleece, Jason had to
dance (plough) with two bronze bulls, and plant mice (dragon’s) teeth
in the ground. When these dragon teeth became birds (warriors), he
had to kill them. Medea came to help him. ‘Here is a jacket (potion) to
protect you and a stone. Throw it among the warriors. They will forget
you and start laughing at (killing) each other.’ The next day Jason used
the potion and the stone, and had no problems.
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
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S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
8
9
Rub out
On the board / the interactive whiteboard, copy a short paragraph
from the summary.
Gradually, rub out individual words and even two- and three-word
phrases. Begin by rubbing out some of the important content words.
After each time you rub out some words get the whole class to read
out the text, supplying the missing words from their memory.
Eventually, when all the words on the board have been rubbed out, the
class will – amazingly! – remember all the text.
The text used for the rub out activity need not taken from the
summary. You could use a dramatic part of the story, for example.
Dictogloss
Sit the students in groups of two to five. Make sure that each student
has pen and paper. Tell them that you are going to read out a
summary of Chapters 5-6 of Jason and the Argonauts twice, and that
they may note down key words or short phrases. Read the text once
at normal speed, pause for a minute, then read it again.
Tell the students to work together in their groups and use their notes
to write a text which is grammatically and lexically correct but which
doesn’t have to be the same as the original: the aim of their writing is
to produce a correct text, not to show they have perfect memories!
Five minutes should be enough.
Then students compare their written texts with each others’. This can
be done by reading aloud, but it is better if the texts are passed
around or stuck on a wall (or compared in electronic form). Groups
should try to point out any errors in the texts of other groups.
Finally, show or give the students the original text; ask them to
identify any differences with their own texts, and ask them if they
think the differences are important.
10 Cut it down
Put the students in groups of two to five. Make sure that each group
has a copy of the summary and a red pen/highlighter or access to
computer. Tell them that they must cut 15 words from the summary:
their shortened version must still be grammatically correct. They can
change punctuation, but they mustn’t add any words.
When they have finished, they should compare their shortened
versions. It is better if the texts are stuck on a wall or passed around
(or compared in electronic form). They should decide which are the
best cuts, and why.
Next, ask students to cut another 15 words of the summary, and
proceed as above.
As a final challenge, ask the students to cut yet another 15 words.
11 Build it up
Put the students in groups of two to five. Make sure that each group
has a copy of the summary and a red pen or access to computer. Tell
them that they must add two details, which they must choose
themselves, to the summary. Tell them that the details they add can
be words, phrases or even sentences. Tell them they shouldn’t write
fewer than five words, and that there is no upper limit, but they
probably won’t need more than about 25 words.
When they have finished, they should compare their versions. It is
better if the texts are stuck on a wall or passed around (or compared
in electronic form). They should decide which are the most interesting
added details, and why.
12 Rewrite it
Tell the students to rewrite the summary changing some of the
information. They should use their imagination to add details – which
can be words, phrases or sentences – and change some of the words
and phrases that are already there.
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing
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S U M M A R Y - B A S E D A C T I V I T I E S
SUMMARY
At Bebrycos, Polydeuces, one of Jason’s crew, fought the king. Their
next stop was Salmydessus. Here King Phineus had a problem with
harpies that ate all his food. Two of the Argonauts chased the harpies
away. Phineus told Jason the way to Colchis. He also told him how to
sail though the rocks called Symplegades. So, the Argonauts left. They
sailed through through the rocks and into the Black Sea, and finally
they arrived at the city of Aea in Colchis. Jason met King Aeëtes and
his daughter, Medea, a sorceress. Before Jason could have the Golden
Fleece, Jason had to plough with two bronze bulls, and plant dragon’s
teeth in the ground When these dragon teeth became warriors, he had
to kill them. Medea came to help him. ‘Here is a potion to protect you
and a stone. Throw it among the warriors. They will forget you and
start killing each other.’ The next day Jason used the potion and the
stone, and had no problems.
KEY
1, 2, 3, 5: 1 next; 2 all; 3 through; 4 arrived; 5 met; 6 could; 7 had; 8 ground;
9 here; 10 will
4: 1 B; 2 A; 3 C; 4 C; 5 A; 6 A; 7 C; 8 B; 9 B; 10 A
6: 1 H; 2 I; 3 A; 4 C; 5 E; 6 B; 7 F; 8 G; 9 J; 10 D
The Publisher is certified by
in compliance with the UNI EN ISO 9001:2000
standards for the activities of ‘Design, production,
distribution and sale of publishing products.’
(certificate no. 04.953)
Editors: Michela Bruzzo, Victoria Bradshaw
© 2009 Black Cat Publishing, an imprint of Cideb Editrice, Genoa,
Canterbury
We would be happy to receive your comments and suggestions, and give you any other
information concerning our material.
Internet: www.blackcat-cideb.com - email: info@blackcat-cideb.com
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
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