Roald Dahl, The Magic Finger, 생명을 함부로 해치면 안 돼

Roald Dahl, The Magic Finger 

"I'll do anything you say if you will only put down those guns!" cried Mr Gregg, "I'll never shoot another duck or another deer or anything else again!" 

"Will you give me your word on that?" said the duck. 

무분별한 사냥으로부터 동물을 보호해야 한다는 저자의 생각이 작품 속 상상력 속에 잘 표현되었다.

윌리엄과 필립 그리고 그의 아버지 그렉 씨는 여느날처럼 오리 사냥을 하고 돌아오다가 주인공 소녀를 만난다. 아무런 죄의식 없이 무고한 동물의 목숨을 빼앗는 그들을 보고 화가 난 소녀는 분노의 손가락 마법을 그들을 향해 펼친다. 그리고 이튿날 아침 그랙씨 온가족은 오리처럼 날개를 달고 몸집이 작아져버린다. 하늘을 날게 되는 흥분도 잠시, 사람처럼 커져버린 오리들에게 집을 빼앗겨 버린 채 그들은 폭풍우가 내리는 밤 자신들이 만든 둥지에서 젖은 몸을 벌벌 떨게 된다. 그리고 오리들로부터 총격을 받으며 생명의 위협을 느낀 그렉 씨는 오리들에게 용서를 구하며 다시는 그 어떤 사냥도 하지 않겠다고 다짐을 한다. 사람으로 돌아온 그렉 씨 가족들은 자신들이 사냥한 오리들을 위해 묘지를 마련하고 애도를 한다. 

이야기가 다소 단선적이지만, 아이들의 상상을 자극하는 이야기와 긴장감 있는 문장의 호흡이 좋다. 

인터넷 검색 중에 이 이야기를 바탕으로 한 Teaching Idea 를 찾게 되었다. 아이들과 책을 읽은 이후에 할 수 있는 질문과 활동들이 다채롭다. 다른 책 읽기에도 활용하면 좋겠다. 

https://www.teachingideas.co.uk/library/books/the-magic-finger 

Teaching Ideas and Resources:

English

• Write your own story about a magic finger. What special powers would it have?
• Imagine that you had a magic finger. What adventures might you have?
• Without reading the story, look at the illustrations of the characters at the front of the book. Predict what might happen to them in the book.
• The story is written in the first person. What does this mean? Could you rewrite part of it in the third person?
• Every Saturday morning Mr Gregg and the boys go off hunting. Think of some 'for' and 'against' arguments about hunting. Could you have a class debate to discuss it?
• Write a prequel to the book explaining how the girl got a magic finger.
• Rewrite the story from the point of view of one of the Gregg children.
• Think of some words and phrases that can be used to describe what happens when the girl uses her magic finger?(see Resources below).
• Carry out a role play activity to decide what the girl should do after she has used the magic finger on the Gregg family. Should she help them?
• Make a list of words to describe how the Gregg family might have felt when they were turned into birds and another list to describe their feelings when they became human again.
• Write a new chapter for the end of the book that describes what happens to the Cooper family.
• Can you write a set of instructions to teach someone how to do a magic trick of their own?

Science

• Can you make a list of different types of birds. How are they similar / different?
• Choose one type of bird and write a report about it. Where does it live? What does it eat?
• Make a poster to teach people how to help look after wild birds.

Computing

• Use drawing software to draw a picture of a human with wings? or a human with the features of another animal.

Design Technology

• Design a nest / bird box for the Gregg family to stay in after they had turned into birds.

Art

• Retell the story in the form of a storyboard.
• Could you use natural material (e.g. sticks and leaves) to build a nest?

Geography

• Draw a map showing the locations in the story.
• How many different types of weather are mentioned in the book? Can you think of other words to describe each type?

PSHE

• If the girl gets cross, she uses the magic finger. Can you think of any techniques she could use to stay calm and control her anger?
• The girl punishes people who she feels are doing something wrong. Do you think that these are fair punishments? Why?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ksw4iDaEMRU