Christian – The Lion cub from Harrods

Teacher's note; This is really designed to be watched in a modern language lab on a computer with headphones however it can also be used in class. It is a long listening activity (22 minutes of a 50 minute documentary) aimed at upper intermediate students with discussion and writing activities to follow.


Available on amazon  Book   DVD

You are going to watch part of a documentary and answer some questions.
The documentary is about a lion cub who was bought as a pet in London and was then returned to the wild in Africa.

1) Discuss

• Would you like a lion cub as a pet?
• Where would you keep it?
• What problems do you think you would have?

You are going to watch a film about a lion cub in London.
Think of some questions you would like to know the answers to. eg
Where was the lion from?
How did he get to London?
etc



2) Watch
Watch the clip (00.00 – 22.25) and find the answers to your questions then answer the questions in the exercises below.

3) Answer

1) Quiz

2) Gap-fill for questions 21 - 30

4) What happened next? 

Do you think Christian survived?
A year later they went back to find out.
Watch what happened here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvCjyWp3rEk&feature=related

or watch the rest of the documentary here above.

5) Reading

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-452820/Christian-lion-lived-London-living-room.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14240681

What additional information about the story do you learn from the texts?
  

6) Discussion

• Do you think animals should be kept in zoos or should they be free?
• Do you think animals should have rights like people?
• Some people say we shouldn't wear animal skins or eat meat. Do you agree?

  

7) Writing

Choose 1

• Are our zoos cruel to wild animals? Discuss.
• Zoos are sometimes seen as necessary but not poor alternatives to a natural environment. Discuss some of the arguments for and/or against keeping animals in zoos.
• To what extent is the use of animals in scientific research acceptable?
• Human beings do not need to eat meat in order to maintain good health because they can get all their food needs from meatless products and meatless substances. A vegetarian diet is as healthy as a diet containing meat. Argue for or against the opinion above.
• Forests are the lungs of the earth. Destruction of the world's forests amounts to death of the world we currently know. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Worksheet

Christian the lion cub (for EFL students) from David Mainwood