Amazing Performers (Level 3)
English Readers
Classroom Activities
Where you see this symbol
with any story in this book.
, the activity type is reusable
Before reading
1 Guess
1 Explain that students are going to read a story about a
performer. Ask what a performer does, e.g. plays music, does
magic, acts or dances in a theatre in front of an audience. If
helpful, look up a definition of the verb ‘perform’ and the
noun ‘performer’ at www.collinsdictionary.com/cobuild.
Give three names and ask which one is a performer,
e.g. Daniel Radcliffe, J.K. Rowling and Barack Obama
(Daniel Radcliffe, who is an actor; J.K. Rowling is a
writer and Barack Obama is a politician – these two are
not performers).
Ask students to think of current famous performers, and
write their suggestions on the board.
Louis Armstrong
After reading
4 Video
After students have read the story once, but before they are
too familiar with the content, play the video. Pause the video
at the timings shown, and ask students the related question.
(You may prefer to tell students the question before they listen.)
1 Pause at 01' 42" after ‘Ragtime was very popular then.’
Why did Louis join a New Orleans street gang when he
was a young boy?
2 Pause at 02' 15" after ‘and to work hard.’
How was Louis able to buy his first musical instrument?
3 Pause at 03' 17" after ‘for eighteen months.’
Why was he sent to the New Orleans Home for
Colored Waifs?
4 Pause at 05' 22" after ‘for the rest of his life.’
Was Louis the father of Clarence?
2 Explain that this story is about Louis Armstrong. Ask
these questions and discuss answers:
a What nationality was Louis Armstrong?
b He was a musician. What instrument did he play?
c What kind of music did he play?
d He was also a singer. Can you name any of his songs?
e When do you think he was born?
5 Pause at 06' 55" after ‘played with top jazz musicians.’
When Louis appeared on stage, what did he do in
between singing and playing songs?
2 Guess With books closed, read aloud the short introduction on
page 23. Write these ten items on the board. Explain that six
of them appear in the story and four don’t. Students tick the
six items they think will be part of Louis’s story. Ask some
students to justify their reasons for one of the words.
8 Pause at 10' 52" after ‘Queens’ in New York City.’
What did Louis start doing, to give himself a break from
playing the trumpet?
basketball
Cold War
doctorgun
jazznickname
riverboat
the Internet
train
‘wonderful world’
While reading
6 Pause at 08' 32" after ‘where the sun was always shining.’
Why did Louis leave New York City in 1929?
7 Pause at 09' 42" after ‘and it became my nickname.’
Who gave Louis the nickname ‘Satchmo’?
9 Play to the end of the track.
Why did people call Louis ‘Ambassador Satch’?
5 Comprehension
1 Now that they know the story well, ask students to think
back to their answers to activity 1 part 2. Were they correct
the first time? Do they now know all of the answers?
2 Look back at activity 2. Which six items were mentioned?
In pairs, students say why each item was important in
Louis’s story. Then compare answers around the class.
3 Comprehension Print the handout Louis Armstrong: Who said what? at
the end of this document and make a copy for each student.
Read through the quotes quickly with students. Explain that
they are not actual quotes, but things that people in Louis’s
story might have said. While students are reading the story,
they match the names and quotes.
© HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2014. This page is photocopiable.
1
Amazing Performers (Level 3)
English Readers
Louis Armstrong
Classroom Activities (Continued)
6 Research Explain that Louis Armstrong lived through most of the
20th century (1901–71). During that century, the United
States of America was the richest and most powerful country
in the world. Elicit events from world and American history
that are mentioned in Louis’s story, and others that students
know about.
Write these six events and eras on the board:
• 1914–18: First World War
• 1920s: Al Capone and Chicago gangsters
• 1929: the Great Depression
• 1939–45: Second World War
• Second half of 20th century until 1991: the Cold War
• 1957: the Little Rock Nine, Little Rock, Arkansas
Divide the class into six groups and allocate one event to
each group. Students in each group research the same topic,
either in their own time or in class time. Each group then
discusses their research and writes a short presentation to
give to the class. Encourage them to vary their presentations
with eye witness accounts, timelines, news reports from the
scene, etc.
8 Writing In pairs, students use the information in the story, the
timeline, and if appropriate the ‘Further Research’ document,
to create a social network page for Louis Armstrong,
including pictures they find on the Internet. They can select
one of these dates for their screengrab:
• 1929 (just after he moves to Los Angeles)
•21st February 1949 (when he appears on the cover of
Time magazine)
• 1967 (when he releases ‘What a Wonderful World’)
Possible elements:
• Status update
•About
• In a relationship
• Number of friends
•Photos
• Comments and wall posts from friends/fans
• Music and film ‘likes’
• Louis could share a poster for a concert he’s playing and
start a new group
7 Listening Find the lyrics to Louis Armstrong’s signature song,
‘What a Wonderful World’ on a lyrics website, such as
www.azlyrics.com. Print them out and blank out some of
the words. Make a copy for each student. Play the song in
class. Students fill in the missing words as they listen. For
example:
Verse 1
I see 1
of green, 2
roses too.
I see 3
bloom, for 4
and you.
And I 5
to myself, what a 6
world.
© HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2014. This page is photocopiable.
2
Amazing Performers (Level 3)
English Readers
Answer Key (Classroom Activities)
1 Guess
1 Answers will vary.
2a American
b the trumpet
c jazz
d Answers will vary. ‘What a Wonderful
World’, ‘Hello, Dolly!’ and ‘Ain’t
Misbehavin’’ are three options.
e 1901
2 Guess
See activity 4 below for answers.
3 Comprehension
(see handout Louis Armstrong: Who said
what?)
a (from top to bottom)
1 Mr Karnofsky
2 Louis’s grandmother
3 Louis
4 Lil
5 Professor Davis
6 the US State Department
7 the audience in a Harlem jazz club
8 a musician on a Mississippi riverboat
9 the boys in Louis’s singing group
10Johnny Collins
b 2 1 9 5 8 4 7 10 6 3
c
1 1907
2 1903
3 1971
4 1924
5 1913
6 1957
7 1929
8 1914
9 1912
101934
4 Video
Louis Armstrong
5 He told the audience stories about life in
New Orleans.
6 Because the Wall Street Crash happened,
and the clubs closed.
7 A music journalist in London called Percy
Brooks.
8 He began acting in films.
9 Because he worked for the US State
Department, spreading American culture
around the world.
5 Comprehension
1 The six items mentioned are: Cold War,
gun, jazz, nickname, riverboat, ‘wonderful
world’.
2 Answers will vary. Suggested answers:
Cold War: Louis was sent around the world
by the American government, and found
new fans in many countries
gun: Louis was sent to the Colored Waifs’
Home because he fired a gun, and he was
taught music there
jazz: Louis played this style of music; it was
very popular in clubs in Chicago and New
York, and it made him famous
nickname: Louis was given the nickname
‘Satchmo’
riverboat: Louis learned to read music on
the Mississippi riverboats
‘wonderful world’: Louis’s most famous
song was called ‘What a Wonderful World’
6 Research
Answers will vary.
7 Listening
Teacher provides answers.
(Answers to example: 1 trees, 2 red
3 them 4 me 5 think 6 wonderful)
8 Research
Answers will vary.
1 Because you had to join a gang to survive.
2 A kind man called Mr Karnofsky lent him
the money.
3 Because he fired a gun in the air in the
street.
4 No, Louis’s cousin was Clarence’s father.
© HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2014. This page is photocopiable.
3
Louis Armstrong: Who said what?
a Who do you think says these things in Louis’s story? Write a name underneath each quote.
Mr Karnofsky
a musician on a Mississippi riverboat
Johnny Collins
the boys in Louis’s singing group
the US State Department
the audience in a Harlem jazz club
Louis’s grandmother
Lil
“Come and stay with us tonight,
Louis. There’s a hot dinner and you
can help me deliver some chairs in
the morning.”
“Please change your mind, Mr
Armstrong. It’s too late to stop the
tour now and the Russians are
expecting you.”
“I can’t buy you lots of things,
Louis, but you and your sister must
learn to be good hard-working
people.”
“We love you, Louis!” “More!
More!” “Play ‘Lazy River’!”
“I’ve had a wonderful life.”
“We’ve got half an hour before the
show, Louis – I’ll show you how to
read this music.”
“Let’s go to church – I want you
to hear real gospel singing.”
“Where did you get such a big
mouth?”
“Louis, I know you’re only
thirteen, but I want you to be the
leader of the band!”
“You’re going on tour – I’ve
arranged concerts in London and
other cities in Europe.”
b In the small box, number the quotes in the order they happen.
c Now look at the timeline on page 31. Find a date (a year) to go with each of the
quotes. Write the date in the box next to each quote, e.g. 1923 .
Professor Davis
Check back to the story if you need more information.
© HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2014. This page is photocopiable.
Louis