One morning, when Jack
and Nina were walking past the
landfill, they saw a flying saucer. It
crashed into a huge pile of trash … a
little creature with big eyes came
out … ‘I’m Zap. I’m from Mars.’ …
Zap had a bet with Jack and
Nina. What was it? Who won in
the end?
TO
This book is part of
THE COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
(“SEED”) PROJECT (2002-2003)
“CASE STUDIES OF
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING THROUGH
CROSS-CURRICULAR MODULES AT PRIMARY LEVEL”
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the City of San Jose for granting us the
permission to adapt the story “The Martian Who Knew How to
Save the World” on their webpage
http://www.recycleplus.org/kids_martian.htm
(as at 20.4.2003).
Education and Manpower Bureau
What do you think?
A. Colour the symbols.
5 symbols : strongly agree
1 symbol : strongly disagree
1
I like this book.
I can read this book.
I will tell my friends
about this book.


    
B. What do you like most? Think and write.
HKSAR
First published 2003
The character I like most: _________________
The part I like most:
___________________________________________
© Education and Manpower Bureau, HKSAR 2003
All rights reserved.
___________________________________________
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronics, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior permission from the Education and Manpower Bureau, HKSAR.
P.20
D. Ending
1. _________ won the bet.
2. The children should keep their promise.
They had to tell
________________________________
________________________________
P.19
Contents
Chapter 1
P.1
Chapter 2
P.5
Chapter 3
P.7
Chapter 4
P.10
Chapter 5
P.12
Chapter 6
P.14
Storyboard
P.17
What do you think?
P.20
P.
B. Problems
Chapter 1
Meeting Zap from Mars
Jack and Nina were brother and
sister. One morning when they were walking
past the landfill, they saw a flying saucer. It
was a big silver disk with flashing lights. It
flew very low to the ground and crashed into a
huge pile of trash.
What was the problem?
People threw away lots of
.
C. Solutions
Zap’s suggestions
a. to reduce
How?
b. to reuse
How?
Illustration 1:
c. to recycle
(i)
rotten vegetables,
and ______________
How? By turning them into
for the plants with the help of
Nature’s
Recyclers.
(ii)
How? By turning them into
____________________ which could be
used in the playground.
P.1
P.18
Storyboard
Book Title: _________________
A. Beginning
1.
Jack and Nina hurried over to
take a look. As they came up to the saucer,
the door popped open and a little green
creature with big eyes came out.
When and where (setting)?
One ___________ in the ___________.
2.
Who (characters)?
__________, _________ and __________.
3.
What?
a.
Zap crashed into the ______________
and met ___________________.
b.
The children and Zap had a bet:

Zap said that he could
r

r
or r
‘I’m Zap. I’m from Mars,’ the
creature answered.
,
the trash.
If he won, the children had to
_________________________________
_________________________________.

The children were very surprised.
‘Who…who are you? Where do you come
from?’ they asked.
Illustration 2 :
Zap
If he lost, he would give them
_________________________________
_________________________________.
P.17
P.2
‘Are you okay?’ Nina asked.
nodded his head.
Zap
He looked at the pile of trash and said,
‘There is a lot of trash here. It makes the
land dirty. What a mess! Who piled all this
stuff up? Where did it come from?’
Nina and Jack looked around them.
Nearby were some broken bottles, old tyres,
empty jelly jars…
Zap went into the saucer and closed
the door.
He waved goodbye to the
children. ‘I’ll be back,’ he shouted loudly.
‘If you make progress, I’ll give you a saucer
ride…’
With a powerful whoosh the saucer
flew towards the sky, and was soon out of
sight. Jack and Nina watched it until it
disappeared. Then they went home happily.
They were very excited because they had a
lot to tell their friends and family about.
Illustration 7:
Children waving goodbye at the
saucer until it disappeared.
P.3
P.16
‘I’ve got to leave now,’ said Zap sadly.
‘But my saucer needs some fuel.’
Zap snapped his fingers once more.
All the trash in the landfill floated and flew
into the saucer quickly. The trash shouted
excitedly, ‘We’re treasure now!’
‘From people,’ said Jack.
Zap looked
‘What do you mean?’
curious
and
asked,
Jack answered, ‘If people don’t need
the things anymore, they’ll throw them
away. Then the collectors take them away,
and they end up here.’
Zap rolled his eyes. ‘Throw things
away? How far away? They’re still here
on your planet, right?’ he asked.
Illustration 6 :
help?’
Nina said, ‘Shall we do something to
trash flying into the saucer
+
speech bubble
P.15
P.4
Chapter 2
Chapter 6
The Promise
Zap looked at Nina and said, ‘You can
reduce, reuse or recycle these things. You
can even turn some of them into treasure.’
‘Are you kidding? Turn trash into
treasure?’ said Jack.
‘Yes, you can,’ said Zap.
Jack shouted, ‘I don’t believe it.’
‘Shall we have a bet?’ Zap smiled. ‘If
I can turn trash into treasure, you have to
promise me something. If I can’t, I’ll give
you a free ride in my saucer.’
‘Alright!’ the children agreed.
P.5
‘Hurray! I’ve won. I can reduce,
reuse or recycle all the things you showed
me,’ said Zap proudly.
‘And, do you
remember you’ve promised to do something
when I win?’
Jack and Nina looked at each other
and nodded.
Zap told them, ‘Promise to tell your
friends, your family and everyone about the
3Rs.’
‘The 3Rs?’ asked the children curiously.
The 3Rs are:
R
R
R
P.14
Then Jack turned to a pile of used
paper, and snapped his fingers, too. But
nothing happened.
‘Ha! Ha! Ha! Are you trying to make
some recycled paper?’ laughed Zap. ‘Let me
show you a video…’
Jack pointed to the trash. ‘See those
juice boxes? I take one to school almost
every day… and then sometimes I have one
at home after school. We can’t use them
again, right? We are going to win, Nina.’
Zap shook his head and sighed. ‘Your
mum can buy juice in big bottles, and pour it
into a reusable little bottle for you. Then
you can reduce the juice boxes! If you
don’t stop making trash, you won’t have a
clean place to live in.’
Nina said, ‘It’s my turn.
about this one?’…
P.13
What
P.6
Chapter 3
Chapter 5
‘You’re really smart!’ the children said.
‘Can you show us how to reuse the trash?’
‘No problem,’ replied Zap.
jelly jar?’
‘See that
‘Now, look at these tyres,’ said Zap.
‘We can recycle them, too. Let me show
you!’ He snapped his fingers, and the tyres
quickly became some rubber mats.
‘What!
Jelly jar?’ said Nina.
‘I
threw one away yesterday.
I think it’s
useless! How can I reuse it?’
Zap snapped his fingers. The jelly jar
slowly rose and floated towards them.
‘Wow!’ exclaimed Jack and Nina.
‘Look!’ said Zap. ‘It’s easy to give the
old jelly jar a new life. Let it tell you…’
P.7
‘Wow, that’s amazing!’ the children
exclaimed.
‘You can put these rubber mats in
the playground. Children won’t get hurt
when they fall,’ said Zap.
P.12
Two red worms wearing little helmets
wriggled out from the saucer.
Let me tell
you how you
can reuse me.
Fill me with
flowers or use
me to water
them.
‘They help me grow vegetables. Just
put them in a box and feed them stuff like
that, and they’ll turn the trash into the
richest fertilizer to help the plants grow
stronger,’ said Zap.
Take me on
your next
fishing trip
to carry
bait.
Wash me and
use me as a
drinking glass.
P.11
P.8
Can you suggest some other ways to reuse me?
Draw and write.
Chapter 4
The children looked amazed.
Zap asked, ‘Do you want to know
how to recycle trash?’
How?’
The children said together, ‘Yes!
Jack turned and said, ‘How about
that pile of trash? I think there’s no way
to reuse it.’
Zap pointed to the pile of rotten
vegetables, egg shells and fish bones. He
explained, ‘To some friends of mine, that’s
dinner.’
Zap snapped his fingers again.
‘Calling Nature’s Recyclers. Come in, Worm 1
and Worm 2.’
Illustration 4 :
P.9
worms 1 & 2
P.10
Trash to Treasure
Activity 1b
Reference Materials
Questions to develop learners’ reading skills
p.1
1. Can you draw an arrow to show what happened to the flying saucer? You may add some sound
effects.
p.2
1. How did Zap come to Earth?
2. What did Zap look like?
3. Where did Zap live?
4. How would you feel (What would you do) if you saw a flying saucer and a creature coming out
from it?
p.3
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What can you see in the trash in this picture?
Can you think of some other things to add to the pile of trash? Draw them.
Who piled all this stuff up? Where did it come from?
What does ‘mess’ refer to?
What kind of pollution can you see here?
p.4
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Where do you throw away your things?
What do collectors do?
How did Zap feel when he heard Jack’s answer?
Why did Zap ask Jack how far he threw things away?
There is a lot of trash on Earth. What should you do to help?
p.5
1. What was the bet about?
2. Have you had a bet with someone before? What was the bet about? What would you get if you
won? What would you have to do if you lost?
3.
4.
5.
6.
What did Zap suggest to Jack and Nina on what they could do with the trash?
Read the sentence ‘If I can’t…’. What did Zap mean?
If Zap won, what would the children do?
If Zap lost, what would Zap do?
Trash to Treasure
Activity 1b
Reference Materials
pp.10 and 11
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Can you give some more examples of Nature’s Recyclers? (pictures given for learners to choose)
What do the worms eat?
Can you show how a worm wriggles?
What will the worms change the trash into?
What are fertilizers for? (Are they something good or bad for the plants?)
pp.12 and 13
1. What did Zap choose to recycle?
2. Can you circle the rubber mats in the picture?
3. Can you suggest some other uses of the tyres?
4. Can you suggest some other things that can be recycled?
pp.14-16
1. Who won in the end?
2. What was the promise?
3. What did Zap take with him when he left?
4. ‘If you make progress…’ What is the progress?
5. Why were the children excited?
6. If you were Jack or Nina, what would you tell your friends and family?