Ms.

Yara Mawlawi

MYP-Grade 9
Language and Literature – End of Term 3

Tomorrow, When the War Began

Novel
by Jhon Marsden
2022/2023

Student's Name:
_______________________________________________________

One advertisement for TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN states:

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 "Hell isn't only a place for the damned. Sometimes it's a place where the
saved take refuge … Seven teenagers take a trip to Hell. And seven come
back. To Hell"

TASK 1: DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

 What do you think this statement means?

 What could 'Hell' mean in this context?
 Why do you think the story is entitled TOMORROW
WHEN THE WAR BEGAN?
 What does that make you think the book will be
about?
 Who do you think the story will be about?
 What do you think the characters will be like?
 What do you think will happen to them?
 Where do you think the action will take place?
 Who do you think will be telling the story?

TASK 2: VOCABULARY DEFINITIONS- Chapter 1

Use an e-dictionary to complete column B with definitions for the words in column A.

A: Vocabulary B: Definitions
steep So inclined

arete

shear Cutting the wool of sheep

Woggy Foreigners who have greasy hair

Wimp weak

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keen interested

Con into Get what is needed

Twist round a Control or convince someone

pinkie

Sex and vice Immoral or showing bad habits

Umpire referee

Sensible

Eavesdrop

Jackarooing

Aerial Related to the air

gunship Heavy armed helicopter

Sulk Be silent out of annoyance

mongrel a dog without a specific breed

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TASK 3: THEME-MATCHING ACTIVITY

Chapter 1 (pages 2-22) contains several themes that should be listed in the table below.
Complete the table by (i) finding the page references in that chapter for the examples below;
(ii) matching the examples to the themes.

Themes/ideas How are they shown?

Example: Love Corrie's father's fax note shows his love through his concern for
his daughter (p.73)

But there is a bit more to it than just being able to write ( p.1 )

1. nervousness

There is constant little ……….sleepless insects ( p.2)

2. scientific curiosity

None of us wants to end up as a pile of dead white bones

3. Appreciation / ……..We’ve run. ( p. 3 )
Fame

When does anything begin? With everyone, it begins when

4. Existence / you’re born…….definite beginning ( p. 3)
Evolution

5. nature Hell is what’s on the other side of Tailor’s…………… give it a go.

(p.5)

6. Parenting/ That’s the way most parents operate I think….. say yes to and
communication they hope you might say yes to. ( p. 6 )

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 7. Siblings ‘ When I gave the dates, his brother…….Tabouli ( p. 10 )
relationship

8. Sarcasim

I rang Fiona……to answer that one ( p.11)

9. Political issues We’ve got a wimp ….budget ( p. 12)

10. Social curiosity I suddenly realised ………curious I was ( p. 13)

11. Teens’behavior/ I always thought ………………………quite weird ( last page of

teens’characters chapter 1 )

TASK 4: Compare and Contrast Students' Adolescence to the Characters of the Novel's one
Chapter 1 (pages 2-22) describes how teenagers behave, think, and act with their parents.
Compare and contrast your behavior as an adolescent with any of the seven teenagers
mentioned in the novel. Use the Ven Diagrams below to complete this task.

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. .
Ven Diagram1

6
 . .
Ve

n Diagram2

7
 . .
Ve

n Diagram 3

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 . .
Ve

n Diagram 4

TASK 5: Compare and Contrast teenagers throughout the generations

Tomorrow, When the War Began follows the journey of a group of teenage friends and

their leader and narrator of their story, Ellie, who is 16 years old. If the novel were

published in 1993, this would make Ellie born around 1977. This makes her a Gen X.

Use your research skills to find out about the 1970s and early 1980s in Australia.

Explore what was happening in Australian society at that time and how this may have

affected the upbringing of Australian teenagers. Complete the chart below to compare

the attitudes and behaviors of teenagers from the 1940s and late 1970s/early 1980s in

relation to their education, personal life, biggest concerns in life, and ability to cope

under pressure.

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TASK 6: Teen-Age Girls Photo Story

In 1944, LIFE magazine published an article entitled, 'Teenage Girls: They Live in a

Wonderful World of their Own', complete with a photo story documenting a group of 12 girls
aged between 15 and 17 in St. Louis. Check the images from this article (25 in total) and pay t
attention to the captions on the photographs that describe what is happening in some of the
scenes. Be sure to read the excerpt from LIFE describing teenage life as 'a lovely, happy,
enthusiastic, funny and blissful society.'
 How do these photos make the life of a teenager appear?
 What might the teenage boys who are not in these photos be doing?
 Describe the typical American teenager from these photos in five words.

Photos link: https://www.vintag.es/2014/08/portraits-of-teenage-girls-of-1944.html

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