Level
3
Penguin Young Readers Factsheets
Sindbad the
Sailor
Teacher’s Notes
Summary
There are three stories about the adventures of Sindbad, who is a merchant.
A merchant sails to other countries to buy and sell gold, spices and cloth.
Sindbad always has amazing journeys and makes money. In the first story, he
is shipwrecked, and rests on an island. But it isn’t an island, it is a giant
whale and Sindbad has to jump into the sea. In the second story he flies off
with an enormous bird, which is called the Roc. It takes him to a diamond
cave. In the third story, he is lost for a long time, but then finds happiness.
Background to the story
The stories were first written in the 9th or 10th century. They are probably Arabic stories, from
Baghad or the port of Basra. They are in the collection of well known stories called The Arabian
Nights where there are seven stories altogether.
Topics and themes
Jobs: What are the jobs connected to the sea? In the Reader there are fishermen, merchants and
sailors. Sindbad is called a sailor, but he is a merchant, someone who buys and sells material, taking
them from one country to another. On a ship there are many jobs: cook, captain, navigator.
Monsters: In the stories there are a giant bird (the roc) and a giant whale. Are they real monsters?
Are they just animals? What monsters do the pupils know?
Size: When something is very big, it is enormous. Big bird, big whale, big waves. Size is relative,
Sindbad is small next to the Roc and its egg. Pupils could try naming opposites, for example, a big
mouse and a small cat; a small door and a big key; a big carrot and a small plate.
Travel: Sindbad goes to strange places, islands, seas and countries. At the time of the story, which
was a very long time ago, there were parts of the earth that were unknown. It was not easy to know
what was true and what was not true in sailors’ stories about strange things and animals.
Making use of the Reader
Pupils take it in turn to pick up a card. They
read the verb, say it out loud, then mime the
action. The other pupils guess the word on the
card. The pupil who guesses correctly, picks up
the next card. The activity is continued until
everyone has had a go, or all the cards have
been used once, or twice, through.
Animal, plant or thing: This can be an
extension of work on the topic of ‘animals’ and
is a while- or after- reading activity for
vocabulary practice. One person thinks of a
noun or object from the story, for example:
diamonds, boat, cloth, king, tree etc. Another
person then asks, ‘Is it an animal, plant, thing?
The answer must be ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Pupils think up
questions to try and find out what it is, for
example, is it made of wood? Is it on the island?
Is it in the sea? Is it blue?
Level 3
© Pearson Education Limited 2003. Visit our website at www.penguinreaders.com
Sindbad the sailor
Who are you? The topic is ‘jobs’. Learn or
revise the vocabulary first. The exercise practises
asking questions, using the vocabulary; for any
number of pupils. It is suitable for a 10 minute
warmer, or for an end of lesson filler.
The class forms a circle. The teacher who, is the
king, asks everyone in turn: ‘Who are you? What
do you do? The pupils can answer with their real
name, or ‘Sindbad’: ‘My name is –. I am a –’.
The teacher may start the questions, and then
the person who answers, asks in turn the two
questions to the person sitting next to them.
A mime: This is an after reading activity which
provides practice for verbs and belongs to a
topic of sport You will need enough card to make
at least 5 cards, which the class can make. Write
an action word written on each card. 1. Flying
2. Rowing 3. Jumping. 4. Swimming. 5. Throwing.
Level
3
Penguin Young Readers Factsheets
Sindbad the
Sailor
Teacher’s Notes
Chants
Chants help pupils become familiar with the sounds and rhythm of English, in a fun way. The
language in each chant recycles language from the story. Pupils listen to the chant a few times,
clapping in time with the rhythm. Then they say the chant, verse by verse, with the cassette, beating
out the rhythm as they say it, to become familiar with the words and rhythm. A possible activity with
the chants, is to split a class into groups and they each say one verse.
Using the accompanying video cassette
This Reader has three separate stories. This is useful for shorter listening sessions. Give pupils
practice in using the contents page. Ask them to look at the contents page. Which page is the first,
second, third story on?
While listening activity
Write the following words on the board, gold, captain, whale, water, stories money, people
Say to the pupils before they listen to the first story: ‘Here are some words. Write them down. Now
listen to the tape and whenever you hear the words, put a tick next to the word.’ One word is not on
the tape. Which one is it? (people). The pupils may also like to find the words in their books.
After listening activity
For speaking practice. When the pupils are familiar with the story, or stories, choose pages on which
speeches suggest different moods. Stop the tape before the speech, and ask the pupils to speak
those parts, changing their voices as much as possible. (eg page 7, (crash, help) page 11, surprise
(‘that was me!); fear: (I can’t stay here’); happiness (page 30, thank you everyone.’)
Notes on the activities in the factsheet
Activity 1. The pupils draw or cut out the bird, egg, tree and ship onto the island. They label each
picture. They may want to colour it in too.
Activity 2. The pupils find the sentence that fits the picture. They can write out the sentence under
the picture for a writing exercise. As an extension, they can write their own caption.
Activity 3. The words are all horizontal or vertical except for 'ship'.
Activity 4. Pupils may like to do this in pairs or groups.
Answers to the activities
Sindbad the sailor
Level 3
In the back of the Reader
Before you read
1. Open answers
2. (a) sailor, example. (b) ship. (c) island. (d) raft.
(e) whale. (f) cloth (g) diamonds.
After you read
3. (b) the captain. (c) the man on the beach.
(d) the king. (e) the sailor (f) the fisherman
(g) the fisherman’s daughter (h) Sindbad’s friends.
4. (b) wood (c) food (d) water
Activity 3
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Activity 4
True or false
1. Sindbad was a sailor. (true)
Activity 2
One whale opened its mouth to eat the ship. (page 23) 2. Sindbad sold chocolate. (false)
3. The Roc was a big white bird. (false)
I fell asleep on the beach (page 13)
4. Sindbad found diamonds in a cave. (true)
Here are some diamonds (page 20)
5. Sindbad jumped into the whale’s mouth. (false)
That was me! (Page 11)
In the factsheet
© Pearson Education Limited 2003. Visit our website at www.penguinreaders.com
Level
3
Penguin Young Readers Factsheets
PHOTOCOPIABLE
Pupils’ Activities
Sindbad the Sailor
Name..............................................................
Activity 1
Choose the correct word from the box and write it under each picture.
Now draw the objects on or near the island.
tree
tree
ship
egg
bird
Activity 2
Match the sentences to the
pictures.
One has been done for you
b.
c.
d.
One whale opened its mouth
to eat the ship.
I fell asleep on the beach.
Here are some diamonds.
That was me!
Sindbad the sailor
a.
Level 3
© Pearson Education Limited 2003. Visit our website at www.penguinreaders.com
Level
3
Penguin Young Readers Factsheets
PHOTOCOPIABLE
Pupils’ Activities
Sindbad the Sailor
Name...............................................................
Activity 3
Wordsearch
How many words can you find?
beach
captain
cave
diamonds
egg
island
journey
leg
meat
pockets
sea
ship
sindbad
spices
Sindbad the sailor
Level 3
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Activity 4
True or false
1. Sindbad was a sailor
TRUE
2. Sindbad sold chocolate.
3. The Roc was a big white bird.
4. Sindbad found diamonds in a cave.
5. Sindbad jumped into the whale’s mouth.
© Pearson Education Limited 2003. Visit our website at www.penguinreaders.com