London Confidential Teaching Plan
London Confidential #1 - Asking for Trouble
London Confidential #2 – Through Thick and Thin
London Confidential #3 – Don’t Kiss Him Good-Bye
London Confidential #4 – Flirting with Disaster
By Sandra Byrd
Reading Comprehension Questions
General Questions:
1. In an interesting story, the main character wants something. What does Savvy want in each book of the series? (In book #1, she wants to work on the newspaper staff and have friends.) What does she do to try and get it? (She isn’t completely truthful about her level of journalistic experience) What happens to prevent her from getting what she wants?
2. If you lived in London, what would you like to see and do?
3. Who’s telling each of the stories? What is the point of view? (first person from Savvy’s POV)
4. Savvy had to learn and grow a little in each book. Describe the lessons she learned.
5. Which character would you like as a best friend from the series and why?
6. Authors choose their character’s name carefully. Does Savvy describe her well? Why or why not?
7. Savvy is like any other teenager and sometimes handles situations poorly. List some poor choices she makes and how she might have behaved differently. (dishonest about her journalist experience, sneaking into London to shop.)
8. Are there any times in the story when she does the right thing but it costs her what she wants? (telling the truth about her newspaper experience and losing her position on the paper; keeping her column secret and losing the chance to be popular)
9. If an antagonist tries to prevent the main character from getting what they want, who or what plays the role of an antagonist in these stories?
10. We are told to love our enemies. How does Savvy treat people who mistreat her?
Activities
Alphabetizing
The cliques in Savvy’s school each have a nickname. Alphabetize the following groups:
Aristocats, drama kids, geeks, nerds, and punk wanabees
Silent Letters
Cross out any silent letters from the following words:
Giggle
Maude
Hazelle
Fishcoteque
Criminal Barbecue
Cookie exchange
Vowels
Fill in the missing vowels to complete words from the story:
N_wsp_p_r
Tr_th
J__rn_l_sm
R_port_r
S_cr_ts
Sayings
We have a lot of language in common with the British, but some words are different. Try and define the following British terms from the series:
The post – (mail)
Chuffed – (pleased; delighted)
The lift – (elevator)
Groundlings - (the name for the poor people in Shakespeare’s plays who had to stand during performances.)
loo – (bathroom)
Trainers - (running shoes)
telly – (television)
Father Christmas – (Santa Claus)
Bob’s your uncle – (“just so” or “just like that”)
Music
1. Listen to the soundtrack of Romeo and Juliet, just as Savvy did. Maybe play it in the background while doing an art project related to the London Confidential series.
Writing Exercises
1. Write a letter requesting advice from the Asking for Trouble column. Respond with an answer from the Bible without directly saying it’s from the Bible, just as Savvy did.
2. Write a brief newspaper article using Who, What, When, Where, Why and How describing Savvy’s experience trying to get on the newspaper staff.
3. Create an advertisement for the Wexburg Academy Times.
4. Describe Giggles using strong descriptive words, similes or metaphors.
5. Write a recipe for Fish and Chips.
Geography
1. Check on a map to see the route that Savvy might have taken to move from Seattle, WA. to London. How far did she have to travel to get to London?
2. Look on a map of England to locate London. Label some of the sights Savvy might have visited: Buckingham Palace, The Tate Museum, The Globe Theater
3. Create a map of Wexburg Academy.
4. In Asking for Trouble, Savvy takes in a show at the Shakespeare Globe Theatre. Draw a map of this very famous theatre. Older students can do a report on the history of the Globe Theater.
5. Look up the London Underground (the tube) online and find a map of the system. Plan a day in London traveling on the tube!
Art
1. Using art supplies create a timeline of any story from the London Confidential series.
2. Create a replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre using poster board and cardboard.
3. The Wexburg Academy Times needs a new font for their newspaper. Design one for them and explain why it fits the paper.
4. Make a Christingle from p. 252 in Book 1 and describe what it symbolizes (orange, candle, ribbon, fruits and sweets on four sticks).
5. The author describes the popular kids in Asking for Trouble (The Aristocats) this way: “Their good looks and posh accents made up the sun around which all other tables orbited.” (P. 1) Create a solar system chart using art supplies arranging cafeteria tables as if they are planets. Label the tables to show where you think each group of students would sit in the solar system of Wexburg Academy: (drama, geeks, nerds, and punk wannabees “way out there like Neptune”).
History
Savvy takes a day off from school on the American Thanksgiving. Write an essay about why Britain wouldn’t celebrate this holiday.