Under the Mountain

Maurice Gee
NOTE TO TEACHERS Under the Mountain by Maurice Gee is a
rollicking good read. Rachel and Theo Matheson are twins. Three years old and out on a farm with their father, the red-haired children get lost in the bush. Search parties fail to find them. When darkness and a hard frost fall, hope of finding the children dwindles. During the night, the children huddled on fern bank, are visited by a strange flaming light which keeps them warm. In the morning the light is replaced by the figure of an old man. He tells the children they have been saved because sometime in the future they will be called on to complete a special task. The children do not understand and quickly forget the old man. Then, ten years later, while on a visit to their cousins house in Auckland, they are unaware that the time has arrived. And when they do realise it is too late. They are already part of a dangerous adventure that threatens their lives and the existence of the human race.

Setting
The genre is science fiction/fantasy. The setting is the North Shore of Auckland. The time is around the early 1980s. Readers will notice the absence of technology and the amount of unsupervised freedom the characters have. In just twenty years there have been many changes to the way we live. Encourage the students to keep a chapter journal to note down the differences.

Then

Now

CLOSE READING

Prologue
1. A prologue is a plot technique. Why has the author used one? Can you think of other ways that the author might have informed you about this earlier event? Predict whether the old man is good or evil. What possible use could he have for the children? Do you think the task will be random or future planned? Explain your ideas.

Activity
Hypothermia is a dangerous condition that can develop if an unprepared person is lost in the bush. 1. Give a definition for hypothermia. How is it treated? 2. You are planning a tramp into the bush. Research the basic necessary equipment you will need to take with you. Now make a plan that includes all possible risks. This might include changes in the weather, an injury, an accident, losing your way Record what the risk is and how it will be dealt with.

Chapter 1
Vocabulary kapok, beach buggy, morbid, maar

Understanding the text

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. What does Ricky mean when he says let me warm my hands. What is a toll gate? Does the harbour bridge still have one? Why? only ribs of concrete holding it together. What does this mean? Give reasons why no fish live in the lake. What could be making the rotten cabbages smell?

Activity
Homesickness is a feeling some people have when they are away from their home for a long while. Why isnt Theo homesick too? What does Rachel miss most about home? 1. Write a paragraph about a time when you were homesick. Include where you were, what you were doing and how you got over it.

Chapter 2
Vocabulary binoculars, craggy, summit, monument, telepathy, extinct, teleportation

Understanding the text

1. The author continually reminds us that the twins have red hair. Why? What could their hair have to do with the story? 2. P30. In the kitchen he crossed to the window, where two white objects lay on the sill. They were not what they seemed What do you think the objects are? Explain. 3. How old are the twins? 4. Adults often believe children make things up. Think of a time when you tried to tell an adult something true and you werent believed? Retell the episode. 5. Predict who old Jonesy is. 6. Why do the twins feel warm?

Activity
1. List the characters that have been mentioned in the story so far. Note in order which ones you think are the most dangerous down to the least dangerous. 2. Write a paragraph explaining which character you like the most so far and why.

Chapter 3
Vocabulary clustered, porpoises, careered, throttle, magnetism, weirdness, bonded, recognised, qualities, intuitive

Understanding the text

1. P42. a huge black car nosed out like an eel from a hole This is a similie. Discuss. Look around the room and make up some similies for any item in the space. 2. What do you think the sharks are? Explain. 3. Rachel remembered what her mum said about strangers. What might this be? Why did they ignore the advice? 4. Even when Mr Jones tells the twins that they may lose their lives they still agree to do the task. Give words to describe people who act before they think. 5. Why does Jonesy tell them to stay off the lake? 6. Why dont the stones work at first? 7. P57. ..You are the hope of your race What might this mean?

Activity
1. Telepathy or knowing what soemone else is thinking could be a wonderful skill. If you had this skill think about how it could be used for positive and negative purposes. Choose one positive and one negative use for telepathy. Describe and share.

Chapter 4
Vocabulary fitfully, agonised, lintel, motes, frenzy,

Understanding the text

1. What is the prickling, pins and needles feeling in Rachels mind? 2. What might the sticky, grey dust be? Where does it come from? 3. On P61 there is a description of the creature. Using the information draw the creature carefully. 4. Why do the twins think about splitting up? Is this a good idea? Explain. 5. What is Mr Wilberforce? 6. P71. the silence above was more frightening than the darkness below.. What does this mean?

Activity
1. Reread pages 60-61. The author uses a lot of dialogue to move the story forward. On these pages, he doesnt say who is speaking. He doesnt need to. We just know. Choose a friend in the class and talk generally about a topic weekend, homework, movie, television, music etc. 2. Now attempt to write part of the conversation without using your friends name. Set down the conversation like it is on P60-61 (a new line for the new speaker) 3. Share your writing with someone else. Can they follow the dialogue without getting confused?

Chapter 5
Vocabulary heptahedron, searing, pitiless, aching, cautiously

Understanding the text

1. The slugs like certain conditions. Read the chapter carefully and list what they like and dont like. 2. Although Uncle Clarry is annoyed, he quickly forgets that the twins have been out in the dark, unsupervised. If your parents discovered youd been out in the dark alone what would they say? With a partner, write the dialogue then act out the scene for the rest of the group/class.

Activity
1. To escape from the tunnel into the lake was difficult. Read pages 81 and 82. Write step by step instructions for Theo so he can escape more quickly. You can add in other movements which you think might be useful.

Chapter 6
Vocabulary grim, shunted

Understanding the text

1. What do the Wilberforces intend doing? 2. Why cant Jonesy overcome the Wilberforces?

Activity
1. The Wilberforces huge, worm-like creatures are described in detail on pages 87-90. Make a spidergram. Put the creature in the centre of the page then link all its characteristics with web lines. 2. Jonesy says the Wilberforces were overcome with magic spells. Using the information in this chapter, with a partner, create a rhyming chant or spell to overcome the monsters. Perform for the group/class.

Chapter 7
Vocabulary generations, rhythmical, grimaced, petrified, undulated, anemones,

Understanding the text

1. Why is Rachel able to control or see her stone better than Theo? Find a sentence in the chapter that might explain this. 2. Why does the red stone have to go to Rangitoto Island? How might it be used there? 3. Johan was dead but Lenart was still alive. Why couldnt the task be completed?

Activity
1. Go back to the character list you made in chapter 2s activity. Reread and make changes to the order according to how dangerous each character is. Also check to see if you still like the same character as you did in that chapter. 2. The stones are described as red-hot. Colours are often used to describe feelings and senses. Think of some others. (yellow-courage, green-envy, redlove,)

Chapter 8
Vocabulary honorary, mottled, avalanche, lunged, concentration, exhaustion

Understanding the text

1. How do the twins always know when the Wilberforces are around?

2. On P113 when the constable is trying to get into the house, the twins only option is to ring the police. If the same situation happened today what could they do instead? 3. Why does the Wilberforce only need one twin to go with him to the lake? 4. Theo seems to want to hit the Wilberforce. This has no effect. What other methods would be better for disabling the Wilberforce. 5. Mr Jones was supposed to be looking out for the twins. Where could he have been?

Activity
1. On P110, Rachel has an interesting thought about the Wilberforces. In a group discuss then argue for or against this statement The Wilberforces must be saved. Your argument points must be reasoned and logical.

Chapter 9
Vocabulary dissolve, endure, embarrassed, filtered, sandwiched, oblivion, peninsula

Understanding the text

1. What has the Wilberforce done to Rachel? 2. On P128 Ricky said, Ill say one thing for that old guy, he tells you to do a thing and you do it. Why dont Ricky and his friends question Jonesy about what has happened? 3. What will happen when the father worm is unbound? 4. Why must Theo look sad when the hearse arrives for Rachel. And why must they stay hidden in the car? 5. Why is Mr Jones angry when he discovers they have dropped the stones? 6. Again Rachel feels sorry for the evil Wilberforces. Why? Do you agree? Give reasons.

Activity
1. Reread the chapter and choose 5-10 events. Jumble them up and write them onto notepaper. Ask another person to write them out in the order they happened. 2. Pick out 5-10 key sentences that have more than seven words in them. Split the sentences in half. In one half of a table, write the sentence beginnings. In the other half of the table jumble up the sentence endings. Ask another person to link or rearrange the sentences so they are complete again.

Chapter 10
Vocabulary clambered, throttle, freighter, explanation, pulsating

Understanding the text

1. P146. Rachel felt the invisible rope that linked them. What does this mean? 2. Why does Jonesy want Theo to stay hidden on one side of the crater?

3. While Theo is hidden he wonders about the command he has to make. What do you think it means? 4. Why does Theo become the Wilberforces target after Rachel has thrown her stone into the crater?

Activity
1. Just when you think the characters are out of trouble, the author throws up another problem for them. This technique is called building tension. It can be done with the simplest of tasks. e.g. I was walking to school. I saw a shadow moving ahead of me. I ignored it. As I passed some bushes I heard a heavy sigh and a groan. I stopped and listened but I heard no more sounds. Just as I walked on, I felt something slide around me ankle. I looked down Continue this story starter or begin one of your own. Keep your sentences short. T o make it more interesting write alternate sentences with a friend.

Chapter 11
Vocabulary brooding, minerals, molten

Understanding the text

1. Why did Theo insist that Rachel go with them to Mt Eden? 2. On P160 Rachel thinks of many questions that cant be answered. People often do this when they are frightened. Imagine yourself in the same situation. What would you be asking yourself?

Activity
1. The slide beneath the island would be exciting if it werent for the smell and the danger of the Wilberforces. What does the slide remind you of? Imagine it is a new ride at a theme park. Create an advertisement. It might be called the Most Disgusting Ride on Earth. Make sure you use lots of adjectives to describe the worst parts. Illustrate your advert.

Chapter 12
Vocabulary impression, segmented, curiosity, overwhelmed, corkscrewed, detonation

Understanding the text

1. What do you think happened to Ricky? 2. Mr Jones knows the children will be upset about Ricky but he knows his life wasnt wasted. Why? Do you think Ricky should have survived? Why? 3. What happened to Mr Jones in the end? 4. Even though the twins have saved the world there is some damage. How is Auckland different after the explosions? 5. Do you think their uncle and auntie survived?

Activity
1. Complete an action graph. On grid paper, draw a graph. On the bottom axis write the chapter numbers. On the side axis, in ascending order, write the following Background, Stirring, Bubbling, boiling, Inflaming, Electrifying, Overwhelming. 2. Skim read all chapters and plot each chapter on the graph according to the excitement level. The most exciting chapters will be overwhelming and the least exciting will be probably be giving backgropund information. 3. Which chapter did you enjoy the most? Explain.