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B1-B2

'The Coal Thief' read by Christian Slater

StorylineOnline

3.2M views 10 years ago

Warm-up Questions

From the title, what do you think “The Coal Thief” might be about?
What kind of mood do you expect from a story called “The Coal Thief” (funny, sad, exciting, serious)? Why?
Have you ever heard a story where someone steals something but learns a lesson? What happened?

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Start With: Word Definition

Order: Alphabetical Random

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'The Coal Thief' read by Christian Slater

No coal at home and a mysterious “adventure” (00:00 – 01:30)

Transcript will load here…

1. Why does Mamma tell Georgie not to bother looking in the stove?

Because the kitchen is too dangerous
Because the stove is broken
Because Georgie is late for school
Because there has been no coal for three days

2. Why is Georgie cold in the kitchen?

He fell in water outside
He took off his boots
The window is open and snow is coming in
It is an icy kitchen and there is no heat

3. What does Harley say the train is carrying?

Wood for a fire
Food for the town
New boots
A surprise—something special called “black gold”

'The Coal Thief' read by Christian Slater

At the depot: stealing coal and a dangerous mistake (01:30 – 03:39)

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1. What do Georgie and Harley find inside the rail car?

Apples and bread
New clothes
Tools to fix the rail line
Chunks of coal—“an entire mountain of it”

2. How does Harley pressure Georgie to throw coal?

He says Georgie will be famous
He promises to pay Georgie money
He says Papa told them to do it
He threatens to tell on Georgie and say it was Georgie’s idea

3. What happens when the train gives a jerk?

Georgie falls backward and gets swallowed up by the coal pile
The coal spills onto the ground and stops the train
Papa arrives and stops the engine immediately
Harley falls and hurts his knee

'The Coal Thief' read by Christian Slater

Making it right: giving the coal away and the reader’s reflection (03:39 – 07:19)

Transcript will load here…

1. What does Papa decide to do with the coal they cannot give back?

Sell it at the market
Use it to help people by giving it away
Hide it in the woods
Throw it into the river

2. How does Mrs. Kolbach react when she finds the coal?

She closes the door without speaking
She gets angry and yells
She laughs and invites them inside
She holds it to her chest and cries, “God bless you!”

3. What does Georgie give to a boy at the Children’s Home?

A wheelbarrow
The last piece of coal
His boots
His coat

'The Coal Thief' read by Christian Slater

Transcript will load here…

1. What is one main message of the story?

Trains are too dangerous to go near
If you are cold, stealing is the best solution
Helping others can turn a bad choice into a chance to do good
Friends should always be obeyed

2. Why does Georgie feel warm inside later in the story?

He finally finds a warmer house to live in
He finds a better coat in the coal pile
He feels happy and proud after helping someone
He eats hot food at the depot

3. What role does Papa play in the story?

He does not appear until the very end
He encourages Georgie to steal more coal
He blames Mrs. Kolbach for the missing coal
He rescues Georgie and teaches him a lesson about right and wrong

Discussion Questions

Discuss the ideas from this video

'The Coal Thief' read by Christian Slater

Do you think Georgie is fully responsible for what happened, or was he pressured by his friend? Explain.
Papa says stealing is wrong, but he still uses the coal to help others. Do you agree with his choice? Why or why not?
Why do you think the story uses the phrase “black gold” for coal? What does it tell us about the situation?
Have you ever changed your mind about something after seeing how it affected someone else? What changed and why?