THE MISSING – TEACHER’S NOTE SYNOPSIS · WORKSHEET 1 This worksheet is ... tomorrow, tonight, want to, excellent, hate, any, anyone, no one, before, you too, late, later ... Mr

SYNOPSIS The Missing is set in the 1920’s in Chicago, USA. The story happens in the context of the prohibition and censorship period in the USA when alcohol was prohibited. During this time alcohol was imported illegally by gangs. It was stored in warehouses and sold on the street and in illegal bars called “Speakeasies”. The Missing tells the story of Big Tuna, the leader of the gang The Tunas. He imports alcohol and has his own Speakeasy bar. The other big gang in Chicago is The Shadows, their leader is Mr. Shadow. No body knows who Mr. Shadow is or where he is. Sugarlips is a blonde Bimbo (she's very stupid) who wants to be a singer in Big Tuna’s bar. One day there is a fire in a warehouse in Chicago. Newspaper Reporter Loli Lilo is sent to investigate and discovers that there was a body found in the warehouse. On the same day Sugarlips goes to visit Big Tuna’s bar where she auditions as a singer and immediately becomes his new girlfriend. When the story of the fire is released, words are missing from the newspaper article and the truth is hidden. Loli Lilo goes undercover as a gangster and befriends Sugarlips to find out the truth…and it’s not what anyone suspected.

WORKSHEET 1 This worksheet is aimed to provide the students with the information and vocabulary necessary to understand the play. Introduce the play to the students by looking at the images on the front page. Ask the students to guess: • Where the play is set (Chicago, USA) • When the play is set (1920s) • What type of characters might be in it. (Gangsters) • Ask the students if they have seen any films of this era, or if they know anything about the social and political climate of the time.

WORKSHEET 2 This page introduces the characters of the play and their relationships with each other. Ask the students to look at the pictures and read the descriptions. Then, they need to fill in the names of the 4 characters in the boxes of the flow diagram to explain the relationships between them. Clockwise: Loli Lilo, Big Tuna, Sugarlips, Mr. Shadows.

WORKSHEET 3 Remind them that Loli Lilo is a newspaper reporter for the Chicago Tribune. Explain that this is an article published in Chicago the day after a big fire in Chicago. First look at the photos in the newspaper. Ensure that the students understand what a warehouse and a speakeasy bar is. Get the students to read the article and number the photos according to which paragraph they refer to. Answers: 2, 1, 3, 6, 1.

WORKSHEET 4 Get the students to answer the questions. Answers: 1) 1921, 2) b, 3) Illegal, 4) The Tunas and The Shadows, the leaders are Big Tuna and Mr Shadow, 5) It’s a place where things are stored, 6) A body has been found, Loli Lilo discovered it. Get them to link the words and the definitions. Answers: 1) e, 2) a, 3) d, 4) b and 5) c.

WORKSHEET 5 This is a piece of script which will help the students understand the play and become familiar with the characters. Play Track 27- Script from play - Warehouse- listen to the dialogue several times and get the students to label the photos with the names of the characters. Answers: Big Tuna and Sugarlips, Loli Lilo. And then answer the questions bellow. Answers: 1) 15,000 bottles of whiskey, 2) True, 3) The Shadows and words are disappearing, and 4) b. Big Tuna

THE MISSING – TEACHER’S NOTE

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WORKSHEET 6 This page is an optional Higher Level reading exercise about Chicago in the 1920s. Check the meaning of the words in bold and label the pictures according to which paragraph they correspond to. Answers: 2, 1, 4, 3, 3 Get the students to read the passage and answer the questions. Answers: 2) Women had to work during the war so they began to wear more practical clothes, have more independence and enjoy themselves. 3) Because of the prohibition there was a huge demand for alcohol in the USA and it was the gangsters who controlled the importation of alcohol. They even had power over police and government officials.

WORKSHEET 8 This is an optional exercise to explore the theme of gangsters and secret codes. The students can look at the “Wanted” poster and make one for one of their friend/family or classmate, following the instructions in the box bellow. Then they can look at the SMS codes used on mobile phones and see if they can solve them. Answers: 1. CUL8R, 2. R U going 2 the party?, 3. Will U B there?, 4. C U 4 lunch Answers: Today, tomorrow, tonight, want to, excellent, hate, any, anyone, no one, before, you too, late, later, great.

WORKSHEET 9 Get the students to fill in this page. This will give you an opportunity to answer questions about the play and check that they have understood it. If it is possible we would be very grateful if you could send us copies of some of these, as it is very useful for us to know what the students enjoy and understand.


WORKSHEET 7 This is an optional exercise to explore vocabulary related to crime. The first part is the definition and some other related words (Burglary(noun), Burglar(noun) and to burgle (verb)). It could be a nice idea if students can come up with their own examples of sentences before doing the second part of the worksheet. Answers: a)1; b)1; c)4; d)2; e)4; f)3; g)2; h)4; i)4

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TRACK 27 – The Missing – Script from play – Warehouse Big Tuna- Welcome to my warehouse. Sugarlips- Wow. Look at all these boxes! Big Tuna - All full of whiskey. Over 15,000 bottles of whiskey in total. Sugarlips- That’s a lot of alcohol Big Tuna- Ok gang, take a seat. We have got 2 very serious problems – the Shadow Gang (spits) and someone stealing all the words. It’s a disaster. Loli Lilo- Have you seen the latest? There definitely was a body in the warehouse. They think it was Mr Shadow himself. Sugarlips- Mr Shadow? Never heard of him. Big Tuna- The boss of the Shadow Gang. Nobody has ever seen him, no one knows who Mr Shadow is. That’s why they call him Mr Shadow. Well, well, that’s interesting news. Loli Lilo- Really? You didn’t know? Big Tuna- No Loli Lilo- Well, the police will be wanting to ask you some questions Sugarlips- Why? Big Tuna- Sugar, please! We’re trying to talk here. The police will think I set fire to the warehouse. I’m the obvious suspect.


THE MISSING WORKSHEET 1


KEY

Is investigating

Is girlfriend of

Are enemies

Write the names of the four characters in the boxes with the correct relationship between them

Character profiles

Loli Lilo–is a newspaper reporter for the Chicago Tribune. She is professional and intelligent, and is investigating Mr. Shadow, Big Tuna and the gangs in Chicago.

Big Tuna – is the boss of the gang “The Tunas”. He is the owner of a speakeasy bar, where people drink illegal, bootlegged alcohol and listen to Jazz music. He is known as a dangerous criminal, but he has his soft side.

Mr. Shadow – is the leader of “The Shadows”, the enemies of “The “Tunas”. No one in Chicago knows his true identity.

Sugarlips - is a blonde bimbo. She wants to be a singer in a Jazz club, so she goes to “Big Tuna’s” Speakeasy bar where she sings terribly. But “Big Tuna” likes her and she soon becomes his girlfriend.



4. .

Warehouse where body was found

Speakeasy bar

The city of Chicago is becoming more and more in control of the gangsters. Prohibition means that alcohol is now illegal and everyone drinks in bars called speakeasies and listens to Jazz music. The two biggest gangs are The Tunas and The Shadows. Their leaders are Big Tuna and Mr Shadow. They smuggle alcohol into Chicago and store it in big warehouses. Last night there was a fire at a warehouse. Inside, there were more Than 10,000 bottles of illegal whiskey.

1.

2.

3.

Big Tuna and The Tunas

Mr Shadow

Police think that the two gangs The Shadows and The Tunas were involved. There may have been a body inside. Our reporter Loli Lilo was sent to investigate. Nobody knows who started the fire, and nobody knows who Mr Shadow is.

4.

5.

6.



1.  What year is the newspaper from?

2.  What would be the best headline for this article? Write it in the space provided in the newspaper.

a)  Big Tuna killed in Chicago fire

b)  Fire in gang warehouse, body found

c)  Police kill gang boss

3.  Is alcohol legal, or illegal?

4.  What are the names of the 2 biggest gangs and who are their leaders?

5.  What is a Warehouse?

6.  What has been found in the warehouse, and who discovered it?

1.  Prohibition 2.  Gangsters 3.  Speakeasies 4.  Smuggle 5.  Warehouse

a)  People who worked in groups in illegal activity b)  Bringing something into a country illegally c)  Large building used for storing things d)  Illegal bars where alcohol was served e)  Law in USA making alcohol illegal.



Big Tuna- Welcome to my warehouse. Sugarlips- Wow. Look at all these boxes! Big Tuna - All full of whiskey. Over 15,000 bottles of whiskey in total. Sugarlips- That’s a lot of alcohol Big Tuna- Ok gang, take a seat. We have got 2 very serious problems – the Shadow Gang (spits) and someone stealing all the words. It’s a disaster. Loli Lilo- Have you seen the latest? There definitely was a body in the warehouse. They think it was Mr Shadow himself. Sugarlips- Mr Shadow? Never heard of him. Big Tuna- The boss of the Shadow Gang. Nobody has ever seen him, no one knows who Mr Shadow is. That’s why they call him Mr Shadow. Well, well, that’s interesting news. Loli Lilo- Really? You didn’t know? Big Tuna- No Loli Lilo- Well, the police will be wanting to ask you some questions Sugarlips- Why? Big Tuna- Sugar, please! We’re trying to talk here. The police will think I set fire to the warehouse. I’m the obvious suspect.

QUESTIONS 1.  How much alcohol does Big Tuna have in his warehouse? 2.  A body is a dead person: True or False? 3.  What are the Big Tuna’s two serious problems? 4.  Who is the obvious suspect for setting the fire?

a)  Mr Shadow b)  Big Tuna c)  Sugarlips

Who are these characters?


TRACK 27 – The Missing – Script from play – Warehouse


1.  Label the pictures according to which paragraph they correspond to.

2.  Check the meaning of the words in bold

3.  How did the role of women begin to change, and why?

4.  Why did gangsters have such power during this time?

In the United States the 1920s saw the beginning of the age of consumerism during which many Americans bought big cars, radios, fridges etc. Major cities such as New York and Chicago grew rapidly and the building of skyscrapers like the Empire State Building, which was completed in 1931, seemed to show the self-confidence of American society. It was known as the roaring 20s.

The role of women began to change as a result of the work they did during the war. They became more independent. In 1920, all women were given the right to vote. 'Flappers' smoked in public, and danced the new dances. Women stopped wearing long skirts and corsets and wore clothes that were easier to move in. Chicago became the centre of the development of the Jazz music scene. Artists played in the illegal speakeasy bars.

The experiment of Prohibition became effective in January 1920. It was introduced with the idea that to be “American” was to be sober and Christian. But prohibition caused a lot of problems because it was difficult to control. Alcohol was smuggled in by bootleggers.

Many Americans drank in speakeasies - bars that claimed to sell soft drinks or coffee, but served alcohol behind the scenes. Gangsters such as Al Capone made money from organised crime. They controlled the import and sales of alcohol. They often bribed police and government officials. Prohibition created an enormous public demand for illegal alcohol. Between 1927 and 1930 more than 500 gang murders took place. It has been estimated that during Prohibition, $2,000 million worth of business was transferred from the brewing industry and bars to bootleggers and gangsters.




Crime Vocabulary • Arson - the crime of starting a fire in order to damage or destroy something, especially a building. Arsonist • Bank Robbery: the crime of stealing money from a bank. Robber, to rob

• Burglary – the crime of stealing from a building. Burglar, to burgle

• Manslaughter - the crime of killing a person by someone who did not intend to do it or who cannot be responsible for their actions.

• Murder– the crime of killing someone. Murderer, to murder

• Mugging– an act of attacking someone and stealing their money. Mugger, to mug

• Shoplifting– taking something from a shop without paying for it. Shoplifter, to shoplift

• Smuggling- the act of taking things or people to or from a place secretly and illegally. Smuggler, to smuggle • Pickpocketing– the act of stealing things out of pockets or bags secretly. Pickpocket, to pickpocket

*Victim – a person who a crime happens to. *Witness – a person who saw a crime happen. Choose the correct answer a) The __________ was arrested by the police who caught him hiding in his warehouse. 1. criminal 2. crime 3. witness 4. victim b) It looks like he is trying to ___________ that purse. 1. steal 2. criminal 3. crime 4. rob c) The man was ____________ as he walked home late at night. 1. rob 2. stolen 3. steal 4. robbed d) That man was trying to ____________ a bank. 1. steal 2. rob 3. smuggle 4. pickpocket



e) She tried to ___________ drugs in her suitcase from Toronto to Seattle. 1. burgle 2. pickpocket 3. mug 4. smuggle f) The _____________ was caught with the CDs in his bag while he was still in the shop. 1. mugger 2. pickpocket 3. shoplifter 4. smuggler g) I caught a _____________ trying to steal my purse on the crowded bus. 1. smuggler 2. pickpocket 3. shoplifter 4. murderer h) Police are trying to catch the _________________ who set fire to the school. 1. arsonman 2. arsoner 3. arson 4. arsonist i) I have never committed a _______________. 1. steal 2. thief 3. criminal 4. crime


Al Capone, one of the richest, most famous, and most powerful gangsters in Chicago. Nickname “Scarface” due to a scar on his left cheek.

Al Capone sells illegal alcohol imported from Canada.

Al Capone is powerful and dangerous.

Gangsters and criminals sometimes use code to communicate secret information. We also communicate in code in text messages. Here is a key: R = are B = be 2 = to/two U = you C = see 4 = for/four

Translate these into Text code. 1.  See you later 2.  Are you going to the party? 3.  Will you be there? 4.  See you for lunch.

H8 NE NE1 NO1

2DAY 2MORO 2NITE WAN2 XLNT

B4 U2 L8 L8R GR8

Make a wanted poster for someone you know. Include the following information:

• Name, where does he/she live?

• Does he/she have a nickname, why?

• What does he/she do?

• What is his/her character like?



Comment on the things you liked about the show.

Comment on the things you didn’t like about the show.

Would you like to see another Blue Mango show? q Yes q No q I don’t know

1.  Who killed Mr Shadow?

2.  What is the name of Big Tuna’s business?

3.  Who was Mrs Shadow?

4.  Did you guess who the real gangster was?

5.  What song did Sugarlips sing?

6.  What drinks does Big Tuna sell?

7.  What did Sugarlips achieve in the end of the play?

8.  Is Big Tuna a good guy or a bad guy?



get them to link the words and the definitions.

THE MISSING

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THE MISSING – TEACHER’S NOTE SYNOPSIS · WORKSHEET 1 This worksheet is ... tomorrow, tonight, want to, excellent, hate, any, anyone, no one, before, you too, late, later ... Mr