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Robinson Crusoe
Daniel Defoe from Brazil to Africa, he is shipwrecked on an uninhabited
island and he spends twenty-seven years alone there
before he finally manages to return to England.
Chapter 1: Robinson Crusoe leaves his home town
of York without saying goodbye to his parents and is
shipwrecked off the coast of England. This is a foretaste
of what is to come but he ignores any omens and goes to
sea again. He is more successful this time and becomes
a prosperous land owner in Brazil. However, he is not
satisfied with his success and he sets sail from Brazil to
pick up slaves from Africa. On the way he is shipwrecked,
and all his fellow sailors drown. He alone makes it to a
beach of an uninhabited island.
About the author Chapter 2: He builds a house for himself near the top of
It is perhaps strange that a man who rarely left his own
a hill and surrounds it with a strong wall for protection
country and certainly never visited the exotic places he
against animals and intruders. He works hard and makes
writes about should have produced the all-time adventure
all the things he needs. He begins to write his story.
classic, Robinson Crusoe.
Chapter 3: Robinson Crusoe’s first year on the island sees
It is even more surprising when you consider that this was
him build a second home and establish a garden. He lives
his first novel, published when he was 59, although he had
through his first rainy season – from August to October.
been a writer for magazines and newspapers since his
youth. Chapters 4–5: The years pass. He catches a parrot and
teaches it to say his name. He begins to grow corn and
Daniel Defoe was born in 1660 in London. His father,
make bread. He tries to dig the ship’s boat out of the
James Foe, was a butcher and candle-maker and it seems
sand, but is not successful. Later, he tries to make a boat
that the young Daniel was disappointed that he was not
to explore the coastal areas, but strong seas force him
born into a higher-ranking family. This may be the reason
back to the land. He has now been on the island for
why he added the De to his surname.
eleven years.
As a young man, Daniel toyed with the idea of becoming
Chapters 6–7: Crusoe finds the mark of a man’s foot
a minister but instead went into commerce. At the
on the beach. He is both happy and afraid. He improves
age of twenty-four, he married Mary Tuffley. Defoe’s
the defences around his home but doesn’t actually see
import-export business was not successful, nor was
anybody for more than two years. Then, one day, he
his marriage and by the early 1690s he was engaged in
sees a boat at sea, and later, he finds the bones of a man
revolutionary activity against James II, King of England.
on the beach. He realises the island has been visited by
For this he was imprisoned for a period of time. Later he
cannibals! Many more years pass before he finally sees the
wrote for whichever side would pay him.
cannibals for the first time, but they leave without realising
Late in life he turned to fiction and wrote an enormous he is there. One day a ship is wrecked off the coast of the
number of works, mostly adventure stories, many of island. Crusoe goes to the ship and finds guns, food, wine
them published anonymously. Some see Defoe as the and clothes, but all the men on board are dead.
Ernest Hemingway of his day. Although his books were a
Chapters 8–11: Some years later, the cannibals return
popular success, he was never wealthy and in fact died at
and Crusoe helps one of their prisoners to escape and
the age of seventy, a poor man.
befriends him. He names him Friday, in honour of the
day they became friends. Friday’s presence on the island
Summary changes Crusoe’s life. He teaches him to use his tools, his
Robinson Crusoe’s parents want him to stay in his home
guns and to speak English. Friday tells Crusoe about his
town of York but he has other ideas. He wants to
homeland and that there are white men living there. They
become a sailor and travel the world. He leaves home
plan to visit Friday’s country.
and sails to Brazil where he makes his fortune. On his way
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level 2 Teacher’s notes Teacher Support Programme
Robinson Crusoe
Chapters 11–14: When the cannibals come to the island Empire: Another thread runs through the story. It is as
again, Friday and Crusoe rescue two of their prisoners, if the uninhabited island is a microcosm of an empire;
a Spaniard called Christianus and a man from Friday’s Crusoe colonises an island and then civilises a cannibal.
island, who is in fact Friday’s father. They all work to He wins several battles against invading forces and is
send an expedition to Friday’s land to bring back the ultimately responsible for the setting up of a thriving
sixteen white men who have been shipwrecked there. colony on the island.
But before Christianus and the man can return, an English
ship arrives. Once again, all is not plain sailing, as the ship is Discussion activities
under the command of mutineers and a battle ensues in
which Crusoe and Friday help the lawful captain to regain Before reading
1 Pair work: Ask the students if they have ever heard
command.
of Robinson Crusoe. If they haven’t, tell them that
Chapters 14–15: Crusoe finally sails from the island. it is the story of a man who is left on an uninhabited
Five of the mutineers are left behind and Crusoe tells island after his ship sinks. Working in pairs, they write
them about his garden and his animals and leaves them a down three sentences about what happens (or what
they think happens) to Robinson Crusoe after he is
letter for Christianus. He forgets the money he collected left on the island. After 10 minutes, ask each pair to
from two sunken ships, and finally reaches England thirty- present their sentences to the rest of the class.
five years after he first left home. Good and bad news 2 Discuss: Put the students into small groups. Ask them
awaits him. His plantation in Brazil has thrived and he is to imagine that they are stranded on a desert island.
a wealthy man. But his parents are dead. He helps the Their ship is stuck on rocks near land. They can swim
remaining members of his family and later marries and out and bring five things back to the island before the
ship sinks. What will they bring back? After ten
lives in London with his wife and three children. When his
minutes, ask each group to read out its list to the
wife dies, Crusoe is tempted to go back to sea again. He class. Write their suggestions on the board.
eventually returns to his old island, where he finds that 3 Guess: Photocopy the pictures and their captions on
the mutineers and the original sixteen white men have pages 9, 12, 14, 20 and 25. Separate the pictures from
now become a complete colony, with men and women their captions. Photocopy the five pictures on to one
from Spanish America. Crusoe stays on the island for page, and the five captions on another page, not in
the same order as the pictures. Put students in small
three weeks. He gives the colony things from his ship and
groups and give each group a page of pictures and a
sends more from his home in Brazil. He even thinks about page of captions. Ask students to put the captions
returning to live on the island again one day. with the right pictures. Then ask them to try to build
a story around the pictures and the captions.
Background and themes
Chapter 1
Robinson Crusoe is not only an adventure story but a
After reading
‘rite of passage’ novel, as it describes one man’s struggle 4 Discuss: Robinson Crusoe was attracted by the idea
against the odds. of going to sea. Each student decides whether they
Sin and retribution: The book is also a tale of sin and would like to go to sea. Have them write down three
reasons why they would/would not like to do so.
retribution. It could even be seen as a retelling of the
Then put the students in small groups and have them
story of the Prodigal Son. Robinson Crusoe fails to heed discuss their choices. Depending on the students’
his father’s advice and runs away without even saying level of interest, this could be expanded into a whole-
goodbye. He is immediately shipwrecked and punished. class activity, with the teacher writing key vocabulary
He tries again and makes a financial success of his life. But on the board as the discussion progresses.
again he sins, getting into the slave trade, and is punished 5 Pair work: On the board, write the list of ‘important
things’ that Robinson Crusoe finds on the ship
far more severely this time, being marooned for nearly
(page 3) – food and drink, guns, pens, paper, money,
28 years on an uninhabited island. But he comes through clothes, knives, books. Working in pairs, the students
it all and, in the original version, embraces Christianity and decide how each of these things could help them live
converts a savage to Christianity, too. When he eventually on a desert island. After a few minutes, ask each pair
returns home, it is too late to be reconciled with his to report back to the rest of the class.
parents, but in his absence, he has become a wealthy man.
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level 2 Teacher’s notes Teacher Support Programme
Robinson Crusoe
Chapters 2–5 12 Role play: Friday has never seen many of the things
6 Discuss: Robinson Crusoe says he was happy on the that Robinson Crusoe has and he needs to be taught
island. What do you think about Robinson Crusoe’s how to use them. Put the students into groups of
life on the island? Was it good or bad? Why? Have three or four. Allocate one of the following items to
students work in small groups. Draw two columns each group – gun, matches, bow and arrow, money.
on the board labelled ‘good things’ and ‘bad things’ Each group prepares a short talk on how to teach
and tell them to put as many things in each column as Friday how to use these items. After fifteen minutes,
they can. Then ask each group to report to the whole each group elects two students to present their talk
class and put words into each column as the to the class, who can then ask questions.
discussion progresses.
7 Write: On page 8, we read that, after some years on Chapters 11–15
the island, Robinson Crusoe feels he understands 13 Pair work: Tell the students to look again at page 34
what his father told him before he left York because where Robinson Crusoe sits down in his house with
now ‘I understood more about life.’ Working with the English captain. Working in pairs, tell them to
the whole class, ask the students what they think imagine some of the questions that the captain asked
Robinson Crusoe means here. Put their suggestion on Robinson Crusoe about his years on the island.
the board. After a few minutes put the students into Each pair should think of at least five questions and
pairs and tell them to write a letter from Robinson answers. After five or ten minutes, get the pairs to
Crusoe to his father in which he tells him why he is practice their dialogues out loud until they know
happy now. When they have finished, collect the them. Then ask some of the pairs to perform their
letters and read some of them out to the class. dialogue in front of the whole class.
8 Debate: On several occasions Robinson Crusoe 14 Role play: Have students act out the conversation
speaks of how he planned each day of his life on the between Robinson Crusoe and the captain on
island in order to keep busy. Ask the students if they page 35. On the board write out the dialogue from
like to make a plan for each day. Then write the ‘How many men are on the ship now?’ to ‘That is a
following sentence on the board: This house believes good plan.’ as if it were a stage play. Ask a student to
that it is important to make a plan for each day. Split say the first line. Work on the pronunciation. Then
the class in half and hold a debate that is for or have another student repeat. Do the same with two
against this issue. Each side can choose a student to or three more students before moving on to the
represent their arguments. Write the main arguments next line. As the students begin to memorise it, erase
on the board. At the end of the debate, you can ask the dialogue line by line. When the whole dialogue
the students to vote on the proposition. has been rehearsed, have the students play out the
9 Guess: At the end of Chapter 5 Robinson Crusoe dialogue in pairs.
tells us that ‘something wonderful happened.’ Put Extra activities
the students into small groups an ask them to predict 15 Research: Tell the students to use the Internet and/
what will happen next. After ten minutes, the groups or the library to find out about true life survivors of
can present their predictions to the class. Note down accidents at sea. Give the students a list of questions
the main points on the board and conduct a class to help with their research: e.g. When did the accident
discussion to decide on the best suggestions. happen? Where did it happen? How did it happen? How
Chapters 6–10 did the people survive? How long was it before they were
10 Artwork: Ask the students that if Robinson Crusoe rescued?
was to draw a map of the island, what features 16 Discuss: Tell the students to work individually and
do they think should be on the map. Write their answer the following questions: What was the funniest
suggestions on the board. Then ask the students to moment in the story? What was the scariest moment in
draw the map. When they have finished, put the the story? What was the stupidest moment in the story?
students in pairs to compare their maps. Did you enjoy the story? Why/why not? Would you
11 Pair work: In pairs, tell the students to make a copy recommend the book to anybody else? Students can
of one of the maps they drew in exercise 10. Tell the share their answers with the class.
students that, in case he is attacked by the cannibals, 17 Write: As a follow-up to activity 16, ask the students
Robinson Crusoe decides to bury the following items to write a short review of the book. Tell them to
on the island – money, a gun, dried fruit, drinking include the following points: a brief summary of the
water, a pen and paper. The students sit back to story; a brief description of the main characters; the
back. Student A plays Robinson Crusoe and draws things they liked about the story; the things they
the location of each item somewhere on his map. didn’t like about the story.
Student B plays Friday and asks questions to find each
item. They must not look at each other’s maps until
the end of the exercise.
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