Robert Louis Stevenson
Episode of the series British Children Authors
- Illustrated slideshow (63 images)
- Glossary
- Comprehension quiz (45 questions)
- Cultural notes
Extract · 30 sThe episode
The sick boy who wrote Treasure Island. Robert Louis Stevenson was often ill, and his family wanted him to build lighthouses. He chose to write, crossed an ocean for the woman he loved, and found his home in Samoa.
Episode worksheets (2)
- Student sheet In your teacher account
- Teacher sheet In your teacher account
Teaching guide
Objective & content
This documentary episode tells the life of Robert Louis Stevenson, born in Edinburgh in 1850. The script names his father, who built lighthouses, and Fanny Osbourne, the American writer he followed to California and married in 1880. It also presents Treasure Island, with Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver, and Stevenson's last years in Samoa. Learners meet the past simple (with the present simple in the opening and closing) and vocabulary such as "lighthouse", "law", "journey" and "treasure". The main skill is listening to a life story told in order, and the script explains some words as they appear, for example "Law is the study of the rules of a country." The target level is CEFR A1-.
Materials & prerequisites
- A student sheet and a teacher sheet, each as a PDF and an HTML file, in the episode's printables.
- Learners should know the present simple and the verb "to be" in the past (was, were); regular past simple endings are met in the episode itself.
Curriculum alignment
The episode is tagged with the cycle 3 axis "child and imagination" (6e) and the axis "imagination, tales and legends". It targets CEFR A1-.
Possible adaptations
- Lower levels: Offer segmented listening and additional visual aids.
- Advanced levels: Encourage an oral summary and a debate in English on the theme.
- Large groups: Organise group work with differentiated roles.
🔒 Restricted content
This resource requires a subscription to be viewed.
Unlock the resourceIncluded in the subscription