5 TAKE SHELTER!
46-53
Présentation de l’unité
Le mot « survivaliste » évoque l’image d’une personne qui fait
des réserves de nourriture, d’eau et de médicaments en grande
en quantité afin de survivre à l’apocalypse, terrée dans un abri
antiatomique, à plusieurs mètres sous terre.
Cette unité présente ce que sont réellement les « preppers »
et « survivalistes », et ce à quoi ils se préparent, en se focalisant
sur les États-Unis.
Les élèves découvriront d’abord des survivalistes américains
puis verront que cette idéologie prend en partie sa source dans
l’histoire et la géographie de ce pays.
Nous aborderons le cas de la FEMA (Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency), cette instance publique censée apporter de
l’aide à la population lorsque le pays est frappé par une catas-
trophe naturelle. Nous verrons ainsi pourquoi il est difficile de
compter sur les instances publiques en cas de catastrophe et
qu’il est par conséquent tentant de se tourner vers la sphère
privée en entreprenant sa propre préparation, ce qui nous
mènera vers les offres existantes sur le marché pour fournir aux
personnes qui le souhaitent et en ont les moyens, une place
dans une communauté survivaliste.
L’unité abordera en dernier lieu de quelle manière la littérature
traite le survivalisme sous des facettes très diverses, de l’expé-
rience de retrait du monde de Henry David Thoreau à l’univers
apocalyptique d’un monde ravagé par une pandémie, où les
frontières entre espaces public et privé sont brouillées.
Remarque : Cette unité a été conçue bien avant la pandémie
de Covid-19 et résonne pourtant fortement avec ce que le
monde a vécu et vit encore au moment de l’écriture du Fichier
pédagogique. De mars à juin 2020, les pays anglophones ont
été touchés à des degrés divers et ont réagi différemment face
à la pandémie. La Nouvelle-Zélande a par exemple fermé ses
frontières à tous les étrangers et a sanctionné les dirigeants
politiques qui ne respectaient pas les mesures de distanciation
physique et sociale à la lettre (le ministre de la santé, David Clark
a été réprimandé et même rétrogradé pour s’être rendu à la
plage en famille). La Première ministre Jacinda Ardern a pris
ensuite la décision de confiner la population pendant 7 semaines
et a mis en place une politique intensive de dépistage.
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_059-100.indd 69
Aux États-Unis, ce sont les différents états qui ont choisi de
confiner ou non, le gouvernement central n’ayant rien imposé.
La plupart des états a donc été confinée mais les états les plus
ruraux comme l’Arkansas, l’Iowa, le Nebraska, le Dakota du
nord et le Dakota du sud ne l’ont pas été.
Ce thème pourra donc permettre aux élèves de s’exprimer sur
le sujet.
Les documents de cette unité ne se veulent pas inquiétants et
doivent être considérés avec le tout le recul nécessaire, comme
parlant d’un mode de vie marginal chez des citoyens américains
qui se préparent à une hypothétique fin de la civilisation.
La vidéo Before Class! en page d’ouverture a été tournée par
l’entreprise Vivos qui se sert beaucoup de la peur pour
convaincre des clients potentiels de rejoindre sa communauté.
On veillera donc à bien demander aux élèves de prendre
du recul au moment de regarder la vidéo afin d’identifier la
stratégie utilisée par Vivos.
EXTRAIT DU PROGRAMME DE TRONC COMMUN (B.O.)
Axe 2 – Espace privé et espace public
Comment la frontière entre espace public et espace privé est-elle
tracée en fonction des cultures, des croyances, des traditions et
comment évolue-t-elle dans le temps dans chaque aire géogra-
phique étudiée ? L’espace privé (l’habitation) prend des formes et
des dimensions variables […] selon des modalités multiples. Étudier
les différentes configurations d’espaces privés et publics, leur fré-
quentation et leurs transformations permet de mieux comprendre
comment est structurée une société. […].
Mots-clés en lien avec l’unité : liberté de mouvement /
émancipation / lieux de convivialité / type d’habitat /
espaces publics
image d’ouverture 46
Présentation du document
This is the poster of the post-apocalyptic American film
“Goodbye World”, directed by Denis Henry Hennelly
and released in April 2013.
It is about a couple who leads a self-reliant life with their
daughter in the countryside. When a terrorist cyber-at-
tack makes the whole world collapse into chaos, their
friends, seeking protection and shelter, join them in their
safe haven. But this new community life will soon impact
the relationships within the group.
Mise en œuvre
1. En phase d’anticipation, on peut dans un premier temps, si
l’on utilise le manuel numérique, recourir à un déficit d’infor-
mations en cachant la partie gauche de l’image pour ne laisser
apparaître que l’homme et la petite fille. On demandera en
premier lieu aux élèves de formuler des hypothèses quant à la
présence de l’homme et de la petite fille dans cet environne-
Unit 5 69
22/09/2020 11:39
 ment, puis on leur demandera d’imaginer ce qui est masqué
sur la partie gauche de la photo.
→ It must be a father and his daughter who are taking a walk
and are admiring the landscape. The sky is dark so there will
probably be a thunderstorm. On the left, there may be the sea,
a city or a breathtaking view.
→ I disagree with you. I don’t think there is a beautiful view.
There must be a hurricane or a tornado because we can see
that the sky is very dark.
→ I don’t think the sky is dark because of the weather but
because of smoke, I’d bet my life on it! So, I guess there must
have been a plane crash.
On notera les hypothèses au tableau et on mettra en valeur la
traduction de « il y a » (there is, there are, there will be, there
may be, there must/may/can’t have been).
2. On pourra ensuite leur laisser découvrir la partie gauche
tout en cachant, si on le souhaite, le titre et la problématique
de l’unité afin de ne pas les influencer. On leur demandera de
vérifier leurs hypothèses et d’en formuler de nouvelles.
On pourra aussi leur demander de deviner le thème de l’unité
et/ou l’axe qui va être travaillé.
→ It is definitely not a breathtaking view! I think you were right,
there must have been a plane crash or a factory may have
exploded. Since something seems to have exploded (a plane
or a factory), I think the notion is “Scientific innovations and
responsibility”. We will probably study what impact technology
has on the environment.
3. Enfin, on pourra donner des informations sur l’image et révé-
ler le titre de l’unité.
On demandera alors aux élèves de mettre en relation l’image
et tous ces nouveaux éléments. Les expressions de l’opinion,
de l’accord et du désaccord seront travaillées à cette occasion.
→ To my mind/In my opinion, the man and his daughter are
probably looking at their house burning. They may be trying to
find a shelter for the night.
→ I disagree, I think something more disastrous has happened
because this is a “post-apocalyptic” film, so it means that the
whole humanity must have been impacted by a catastrophe/
disaster, not just the man and his daughter.
→ As for me, I have the feeling that this chapter is about “sur-
vivalism” so I guess that the man and his daughter may be the
only survivors of a disaster and they need to learn how to sur-
vive on their own.
Remarque : Tout au long de cette phase d’anticipation, on
pourra mettre en évidence l’utilisation du present perfect
(résultat d’une action passée) et renvoyer les élèves au précis
grammatical p. 299.
Mise en œuvre alternative
On peut aussi choisir de donner aux élèves toutes les informa-
tions sur l’image dès le départ (voir encadré jaune ci-dessus) et
leur demander de formuler des hypothèses sur l’image.
Productions possibles :
→ In the foreground, we can see a man holding a little girl in
his arms. She is resting her head on the man’s shoulder and
seems to feel reassured/comforted by his presence. This little
girl must be the man’s daughter. They seem to be standing on
a hill or a mountain because they can see /overlook what is hap-
pening down in the valley. They are looking at a fire whose thick
black smoke is rising into the sky. They may have gone there to
escape from the fire and find shelter in the mountain.
70 Unit 5
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_059-100.indd 70
Since the title of the film is “Goodbye World” we can imagine
that the father and his daughter are going to lead a secluded
life to escape civilisation. However, the fact that they have no
rucksacks /backpacks and are wearing everyday clothes sug-
gests that they are not dressed/prepared for living in the wild/
wilderness. Therefore, we can guess that the world as they know
it is going to disappear because of a major catastrophe /disaster.
They will certainly have to learn how to survive on their own
without the bare necessities.
Remarque : On attirera l’attention des élèves sur la prononcia-
tion de « catastrophe » /kəˈtæstrəfi/, civilisation /ˌsɪvəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/
et « wilderness » /ˈwɪldənəs/.
46
BEFORE CLASS! VIDEO N°10
Présentation du document
Cette courte vidéo (45’’) fait partie d’une campagne promo-
tionnelle pour les abris survivalistes de l’entreprise américaine
Vivos. Les informations ci-dessous ne seront pas communiquées
aux élèves en début d’unité afin de ne pas compromettre le
travail sur Vivos mené plus loin dans l’unité p. 49.
Vivos is a California-based company that modernises
old military fallout shelters in the United States and in
Europe and sells them to create underground
communities.
This video posted by Vivos Group uses several tech-
niques (images, text, music) that arouse a feeling of
anxiety in the viewer. The objective is to encourage
him/her to prepare for a large-scale catastrophe that
would destroy our civilisation.
script VIDEO N°10
(Stressful music)
Text: “XPoint: the point in time when only the prepared
will survive.”
[Images: a city with skyscrapers / a man walking in a park,
there is an obelisk in the background –maybe the Wash-
ington Monument in Washington, DC / a highway / a
demonstration / riot police]
Text: “We live in a delicate balance”
[Images: a factory or a nuclear power plant? / a burning
police car / destroyed buildings / a suspension bridge in
a city]
Text: “In an uncertain world”
[Images: satellite images of the earth, probably from a
weather broadcast / police or riot police / a war or a build-
ing being bombed.]
Text: “When disaster strikes, the time to prepare… has
already passed. Prepare.”
[Images: police / police car burning / highway / satellite
images of the earth]
22/09/2020 11:39
 Mise en œuvre
Les élèves pourront regarder la vidéo à la maison en suivant le
principe de la classe inversée, en flashant le QR code ou au clic
dans le manuel numérique élève, et en feront un compte rendu
en classe. Lors de la mise en commun, on leur demandera de
rendre compte des images aperçues, de la musique, de l’at-
mosphère, du texte et de l’objectif de ce document.
Production possible :
→ This video was made by Vivos Group. The music used
arouses/provokes a feeling of anxiety, so do the images that
are shown: pictures of destroyed buildings, demonstrations,
riot police officers or even a nuclear plant flash up quickly on
screen. This induces/creates a tense atmosphere.
In addition, the text stirs up fear. It informs us that we live in an
uncertain world in which a disaster (man-made or natural) can
happen. It encourages/urges us to prepare/get ready/get pre-
pared for such a disaster. It says that if we do not prepare now,
it will be too late to do so when a disaster strikes, because we
will not have the resources to survive.
Vivos aims at scaring the viewer in order to make him/her want
to get prepared/ready for the worst.
La trace écrite pourra faire l’objet d’un travail sur le lexique
permettant d’exprimer la conséquence (arouse, induce, stir up,
cause, create), l’influence (encourage, urge, make sb do sth).
On pourra aussi travailler les subordonnées relatives (précis
grammatical p. 317) et les subordonnées en if et when (précis
grammatical p. 305).
→ If we do not prepare now, it will be too late to do so when a
disaster strikes. When a disaster strikes, we will survive only if
we are prepared.
Mise en œuvre alternative
Il serait intéressant de scénariser cette activité en demandant
aux élèves de créer la voix-off de cette vidéo à la façon d’une
bande annonce. Cette activité de production orale en continu
leur donnera l’occasion de réactiver un grand nombre d’élé-
ments vus lors du travail sur l’image d’ouverture.
47 1 American Preppers
Sur cette page, les élèves découvriront en premier lieu qui sont
les preppers et quelles sont les raisons qui les poussent à se
préparer, puis dans un second temps ils comprendront que le
besoin de se préparer à une éventuelle catastrophe est ancré
dans la culture américaine notamment lors de la guerre froide.
Les deux premiers documents pourront être travaillés de deux
façons :
l’un après l’autre, en étudiant les deux documents en classe
ou en en étudiant un en classe et en demandant aux élèves
d’étudier l’autre à la maison.
simultanément en groupes : un binôme étudie le document
1 à la maison et un autre binôme le document 2. De retour en
classe on procèdera alors au partage des informations recueil-
lies en groupe suivi d’une mise en commun en classe entière.
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_059-100.indd 71
1 Ready for the worst
47
Présentation du document
Cet audio de 2’ est un enregistrement adapté d’un témoignage
d’un membre de la communauté « Guildbrook Farm » située
dans les Appalaches, en Caroline du Nord.
script MP3 N°18
Man prepper: Today I want to talk about prepping. What
are preppers? Are we preppers, and if so what are we
preparing for? So, what are preppers?
I think a lot of people think about preppers as somebody
who's preparing for a post-apocalyptic world. Somebody
who has 30 to 40 years’ worth of food storage. Somebody
who maybe practices bushcraft survival skills on the week-
ends. And certainly, there are those types of people and
that's the more exciting end of prepping, but there's actu-
ally a whole wide range of prepping.
I think of preppers as being risk assessors and risk miti-
gators. These are people who play the "What If" game:
what if there's an emergency? What if there's a job loss?
What if there's a catastrophic event?
And then they try to take precautions to help mitigate
that risk either to eliminate it or help to mitigate it as best
as possible for their situation.
So, some of the things that you might not consider when
you think about preppers is that preppers are possibly
preparing for an emergency phone call in the middle of
the night just in case they need to rush to their safe room.
Do you have a full tank of gas or do you have to stop by
the gas station to fill up?
Maybe a job loss... Are you prepared to not have income
due to a job loss or maybe even due to an injury? What
about natural disasters? Are you prepared if there is a
flood in your area?
What if there's an ice storm? North Carolina is known for
having ice storms and we don't have the resources to coat
the roads that they do in the northern states. It's possible
we could be stuck in our house for three weeks or for
three days up to a week and it has happened.
Are we prepared to not have to go to the grocery store
because we can't travel on the roads?
So, these are the things that preppers think about when
they decide to prepare for a certain situation.
Anticipation
On pourra donner en amont une ou plusieurs définition(s)
du terme « prepper » que l’on peut également trouver sous
l’appellation « Doomsday prepper ». On fera remarquer aux
élèves que ce terme a été inventé aux États-Unis.
(Doomsday) prepper /ˈprepə/ (North American term)
• A person who gathers materials and makes plans in
preparation for surviving a major disaster or cataclysm
(…) (www.merriam-webster.com)
• Someone who believes that a war or disaster will
happen soon, and who learns skills and collects food and
equipment, in order to be ready for it. (www.dictionary.
cambridge.org)
Unit 5 71
22/09/2020 11:39

• A person who believes a catastrophic disaster or
emergency is likely to occur in the future and makes
active preparations for it, typically by stockpiling food,
ammunition, and other supplies. (www.lexico.com)
• Someone who actively prepares for worst-case
scenarios, such as the end of the world, by practicing
survivalist techniques, including hoarding food.
(www.dictionary.com)
Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions
A. Preppers may get prepared for the apocalypse or for a
natural disaster such as a hurricane or a tornado. They may get
ready in case there is a nuclear attack or if a nuclear power plant
explodes. They may also get prepared for a pandemic, by hav-
ing a large stock of food in their pantry.
B. Stereotypes: A prepper is somebody who is preparing for
a post-apocalyptic world / somebody who has 30 to 40 years’
worth of food storage / somebody who practises bushcraft
survival skills on weekends.
Definition: There are many types of preppers. Preppers can be
considered as risk assessors and risk mitigators by anticipating
different types of situations and being prepared.
Prepping situations:
– Having an emergency → make sure you have a full tank of
gas in the car.
– Job loss or injury → be prepared in case you have no income.
– Catastrophic event, natural disaster (flood or ice storm)
→ ensure that you have enough food stored at home in case
you cannot go to the grocery store for several weeks.
C. Cette question sera l’occasion pour les élèves d’utiliser les
expressions de l’opinion, de l’accord et du désaccord, et les
mots de liaison afin de structurer leur propos. Elle permettra
également de travailler la tournure hypothétique avec would.
→ As far as I am concerned, I don’t think it would be necessary
for my family to prepare by having a full tank of gas because
we live in the city, so we do not need to take the car to go to
the grocery store as we have a supermarket next door.
However, during the lockdown, when there was the Coronavi-
rus pandemic, some products were unavailable, that is why we
now keep extra packs of flour in our pantry.
→ Well, I disagree with you. All the time when we were in
lockdown, there was food available everywhere, that is why my
family and I don’t feel the need to store many grocery products
at home, leaving aside the fact that our apartment is very small.
In other words, even if we wanted to store extra food, we
couldn’t because we don’t have enough space.
→ As for me, I think it would be useful to have a lot of food
stored at home since no one can guarantee that this situation
will not happen again and be worse.
→ I, for one, would grow a vegetable garden in order to have
fresh food close at hand and stop relying on supermarkets.
→ I personally think it is useless to get prepared for disasters
like hurricanes or ice storms because in France, we don’t have
as many natural disasters as in the USA.
72 Unit 5
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2
47
The Blevins’s preparation
Présentation du document
La vidéo est un court reportage sur une famille américaine de
« preppers » vivant à Berryville (Virginie).
This video was posted by the AFP News Agency on their
Youtube channel. It shows a family of preppers, the
Blevins, who are preparing for any type of disaster. This
family was featured on the American reality TV series
“Doomsday Preppers” aired on the National Geo-
graphic channel.
script VIDEO N°11
Journalist: It looks like any other suburban home, but if
disaster strikes, Jay Blevins has what he needs to trans-
form his house into a bunker.
Jay Blevins: We have precut boards that we can put over
the windows in the event that there are looters and things
like that to protect the house.
Journalist: Jay and his family are what’s known as “prep-
pers”, people who make it a priority to be ready for the
worst, from catastrophic floods to terrorist attacks. For
protection: an array of firearms including revolvers and
some semi-automatics. And down in the basement,
enough food to survive for months. For Jay’s wife Holly,
the prepper’s mindset is something she takes everywhere,
even shopping.
Holly Blevins: Just on a regular basis I go to the grocery
store and I happen to see that gallons of water are on
sale for 59 cents, I’ll buy 6 gallons of water. It’s always in
my mind, in the back of my mind.
Journalist: In the US, large-scale catastrophes like 9/11
or super storm Sandy have boosted interest in prepared-
ness training. Patrick Troy is a former soldier who teaches
survival skills to his friends and neighbours. He says “a
prepper attitude doesn’t come easily”.
Patrick Troy (emergency preparedness coach): For the
most part, we don’t want to think about these things, we
don’t want to say “gosh tomorrow, I might not be able
to go to the grocery store and buy milk or something!”,
but then an event happens and we’re forced to deal with
this reality that our supply chains are actually fragile.
Journalist: But being ready for the worst doesn’t mean
living in fear. And Jay takes care not to let his philosophy
interfere with his family’s everyday life.
Jay Blevins: There is a fine line I think between prepara-
tion and paranoia. I don’t want to go over that line. We
have a normal family life: our kids play soccer and football
and we go on vacations to Disney and things like that,
and then we have this thing on the side, just like insurance
if we ever need it, we use it.
Journalist: Now, others can use it too: Jay has published
a book on preparedness, it claims to contain everything
you need to survive the end of the world.
Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions
A. On proposera aux élèves de travailler en binômes afin de se
répartir les tâches. On pourra leur demander de regarder la
vidéo à la maison pour ensuite mettre en commun les informa-
22/09/2020 11:39
 tions comprises en classe. On pourra également projeter direc-
tement le document vidéo en classe.
B. Pupil A - Information about the Blevins:
Jay Blevins: father / Holly Blevins: mother / They have three kids.
They are preppers: they transform their house into a bunker
(they have boards to put over the windows so as to protect the
house against looters) and they have a stock of food in the
basement.
Holly Blevins buys extra water or food on a regular basis when
she shops (for example, if she sees gallons of water on sale, she
will buy them). She has the “prepper’s mindset”.
They say they are not paranoid and lead a normal life: the kids
have hobbies, they go on vacation to Disneyland.
Jay considers prepping as “insurance” in case a disaster strikes /
occurs.
Jay has written a book entitled “Survival and Emergency Pre-
paredness Skills”.
Pupil B - Information about prepping:
Preppers make it a priority to be ready for the worst, from
natural disasters like floods, to terrorist attacks.
They have different types of firearms for protection (revolvers
and semi-automatics).
They also have enough food stored to survive for months.
In the USA, people got interested in prepping after large-scale
catastrophes/disasters like 9/11 and super storm Sandy.
Information about Patrick Troy:
Former soldier. Teaches survival skills to his friends and neigh-
bours. He’s an “emergency preparedness coach”.
He says that people usually do not want to think about such
situations, they do not want to imagine/picture themselves in
a situation where they cannot go to the grocery store to buy
food. He says that our supply chains are fragile.
Après un retour à la classe, on pourra demander aux élèves
d’utiliser leurs notes afin de faire un compte rendu des deux
documents et d’expliquer qui sont les preppers, ce à quoi ils
se préparent et ce que leur préparation leur permettra de faire
le jour où une catastrophe se produira (on renverra les élèves
à la rubrique « Rule the grammar » p. 52 pour qu’ils travaillent
l’expression de la capacité au futur).
3 The origins of prepping
47
Présentation des documents
Cette activité permettra de découvrir quelles sont les origines
du survivalisme aux États-Unis à travers l’étude :
d’une affiche de 1959 encourageant la population améri-
caine à créer un abri antiatomique ;
d’un article de 2016 qui analyse des vidéos diffusées par le
gouvernement américain dans les années 1950 dans le but
de préparer la population à une éventuelle attaque nucléaire.
L’article proposé provient de www.atlasobscura.com :
Atlas Obscura is an online magazine that provides a
database of the world’s most unusual places and foods.
It publishes articles on different topics: travel, food, his-
tory or science. Atlas Obscura is also a travel company.
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_059-100.indd 73
Remarque : Pour approfondir ce sujet, il est possible de s’ap-
puyer sur les pages consacrées à la guerre froide dans l’unité
de DNL intitulée « Propaganda in Times of War ». Cette unité
est accessible dans le manuel numérique p. 71, en lien avec
l’axe 3. Elle est aussi téléchargeable sur le site compagnon
enseignant (onglet Ressources → Annexes).
Pour en savoir plus sur cette unité, voir p. 459 de ce Fichier.
Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions
A. On pourra communiquer aux élèves la date de diffusion de
la brochure (1959).
This is a poster that must have been designed by the American
government in 1959. On the right, we can read “Your one
defense against FALLOUT. Get free booklet from local civil
defense.”
We understand that this brochure encourages people to go to
the Local Civil Defense in order to get a free booklet that will
tell them how to build a fallout shelter.
The image shows two people, probably a couple, who are build-
ing the foundations of a building. The woman is reading a book-
let entitled “Family Fallout Shelter”, so we can guess that they
are building the walls of a fallout shelter. They may be reading
the booklet to find advice about what to do next. Building a
bunker seems to be an easy task that anybody can carry out.
In the background, the black sky may symbolise the danger that
looms/a pending threat over the country.
B. The text is an extract from an article written by Mariana Zap-
ata in Atlas Obscura on 29 September, 2016. The author anal-
yses and criticises some instructional videos the American
government made in the 1950s, during the Cold War, to teach
the population how to protect their family and home in the
event of a nuclear attack. Apparently, the advice given was not
always accurate and did not prepare the Americans effectively.
The article echoes the poster because they both deal with the
same topic: how to protect yourself from fallout? The videos
described in the article and in the poster were made by the
American government during the same decade.
C. The Federal Civil Defense Administration was formed by Pres-
ident Truman in the 1950s to prepare Americans/the American
population for a possible nuclear attack by making instructional
videos about what to expect in the event of an attack and by
giving advice about how to protect one’s family and home.
Remarque : Dans la trace écrite, on pourra faire un point sur
les articles et l’article zéro ainsi que sur l’expression du moyen
avec « By + V-ing ».
On donnera aux élèves au moment jugé le plus opportun les
informations ci-après.
The mission of the Federal Civil Defense Administration
and its local branches was “to protect life and property
from the effects of attack by preparing for and by carry-
ing out emergency functions to prevent, minimize, and
repair injury and damage.”
Source: Annual Report of the Federal Civil Defense
Administration (1958)
www.training.fema.gov/hiedu/docs/historicalinterest/
fcda%20-%201958%20-%20annual%20report%20for%20
1958.pdf
Unit 5 73
22/09/2020 11:39
 D. “the target” = the American population ; The “free men” =
Americans ; “those who trample the liberties of the free men”=
the enemies, the Communists.
Remarque : À l’issue de ce travail, on demandera aux élèves
d’expliquer pourquoi on peut considérer que ces vidéos et
affiches sont à l’origine des activités actuelles de « prepping ».
The videos made in the 1950s instilled fear: the American pop-
ulation indeed lived with the fear of a nuclear attack constantly
hanging over them. It must have encouraged them to take steps
in order to get prepared.
The Cold War must have left its marks on the Americans’ minds,
which would explain why they feel they need to get prepared
for new modern threats.
En conclusion de ce travail sur les preppers, on pourra commu-
niquer les éléments ci-après.
During the Cold War, the American government made
flyers and videos that encouraged the population to
take responsibility for their own protection. It provided
safety tips in the event of a nuclear attack or gave advice
for building a fallout shelter. These measures urged the
population to prepare and instilled fear in their minds.
Today, the context and the threats are different, but the
Americans are still preparing.
According to a study carried out by Chapman University
in 2018 on America’s top fears (https://blogs.chapman.
edu/wilkinson/2018/10/16/americas-top-fears-2018/),
around one in two Americans fears climate change. The
USA indeed experiences the adverse effects of climate
change and witnesses an increasing number of natural
disasters: three hurricanes in the course of the year 2017
(Harvey, Irma and Maria), recurrent fires in Southern Cal-
ifornia, unexpected snowstorms in the Southeastern
states (Louisiana, Virginia, etc.) in 2014, recurrent floods
in North and South Carolina between 2015 and 2019,
etc.
Climate is not the only preoccupation of the American
population: in the top 20, there is the fear of being
involved in a world war, the fear of a global financial col-
lapse, a bacterial war or even a pandemic.
Remarque : À l’heure de la rédaction du fichier pédagogique,
l’étude de Chapman University n’a pas été mise à jour, mais on
peut supposer qu’avec la crise sanitaire liée au Covid-19, la
peur d’une pandémie figure en tête dans le classement. Le Pew
Research Center a d’ailleurs mené une enquête en mars 2020
qui confirmerait cette tendance :
www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/04/13/americans-see-spread-
of-disease-as-top-international-threat-along-with-terrorism-
nuclear-weapons-cyberattacks/
74 Unit 5
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_059-100.indd 74
48-49 2 In Ourselves We Trust
Les documents de la page 48 montrent que les Américains ne
peuvent pas compter sur l’agence fédérale des situations
d’urgence qu’est la Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) pour être protégés en cas de catastrophe majeure.
Inorganisée, impuissante, la FEMA ne remplit pas sa mission.
Se protéger pour faire face à des catastrophes naturelles devient
dès lors une affaire privée pour les Américains.
Les documents de la page 49 présentent l’entreprise califor-
nienne Vivos, qui propose des solutions, aux États-Unis et en
Europe, pour survivre à des catastrophes de grande ampleur.
NB. : L’étude des documents de la page 49 est indispensable
si l’on souhaite que les élèves réalisent le projet final.
On pourra dans un premier temps faire réfléchir les élèves sur
le titre de cette double page. Que signifie-t-il ? À quoi leur fait-il
penser ?
→ It may mean that as a prepper you need to rely on yourself
and not on other people (your neighbours for instance).
→ It reminds me of the expression “if you want something done,
do it yourself”, meaning that you cannot trust anyone but your-
self when you want something to be done.
→ It also reminds me of the American national motto “In God
We Trust”, which we can find on the US dollar coins and
banknotes. It must be a play on words, meaning that Americans
need to rely on themselves and not on God or on the American
State in case of a disaster.
1
48
The U.S. Disaster Agency
Présentation du document
L’article proposé provient du Scientific American :
Scientific American is an online magazine that publishes
science-related articles. It is the longest continuously
published magazine in the Unites States: it was founded
in 1845. Many renowned figures have written for the
magazine. Among the authors, there have been more
than 150 Nobel laureates such as Albert Einstein or Linus
Pauling, but also writers from different fields: world
leaders like former United Nations Secretary-General
Trygve Lie, U.S. Government Officials such as former
U.S. Vice President Al Gore, and several economists and
industrialists. More on: www.scientificamerican.com/
22/09/2020 11:39
 Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions
A. This text is an extract from an article written by Thomas Frank
published on August 20, 2019. It was taken from Scientific Ame-
rican, which must be either a magazine or a website. It must
deal with the U.S. disaster agency.
B. FEMA stands for Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Its role is to send emergency workers and money to the states
that need help when they are hit by a natural disaster.
On pourra compléter les réponses par les informations suivantes :
The FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)
or /ˈfiːmə/ was created in 1979 and is described as “the
nation’s lead emergency management and prepared-
ness agency”. Its mission is to help American citizens
before, during and after any type of disasters (natural or
man-made) “to help prepare for the worst and to provide
care and assistance after”.
Source: www.fema.gov/pdf/about/brochure.pdf
FEMA’s website: www.fema.gov/
C. FEMA is criticised for having wasted money and misused its
staff by responding to small events that could have been dealt
with by the states themselves. It has however failed to respond
to large disasters by overestimating the states’ capacity to
respond to them. In other words, FEMA has sent staff to states
that did not need any help and has not sent anybody to the
states that needed its help. Climate change is causing more and
more violent disasters, therefore one may wonder whether
FEMA will be able to cope with the situation in the near future/
in the years to come.
Remarque : Ne pas hésiter à mettre en valeur les mots de
liaison, l’expression du moyen (By + V-ing) et le present perfect
(pour faire le bilan d’une situation).
D. Since FEMA has not sent money or staff to the states that
needed its help, Americans cannot rely on it for major disasters,
which means that they can only rely on themselves. It could thus
explain why some Americans become preppers.
E. This picture shows a car and some buildings that were rav-
aged/wrecked/destroyed by hurricane Harvey in Rockport,
Texas, in 2017. The ground is covered with bits of wood and
other debris, the car roof and the windscreen were crushed by
several pieces of wood. Such damage shows how violent a
hurricane can be and how devastating the situation must be for
those who lose their homes overnight.
In the text, we learn that FEMA had almost half of its workforce
deployed to other disasters or was unavailable when hurricane
Harvey struck Texas. Thus, this picture is a good illustration of
FEMA’s inefficiency.
Remarque : La trace écrite permettra de mettre en évidence
l’utilisation du passif et des structures exclamatives.
On pourra aussi mettre en valeur les préfixes négatifs dans
« unavailable » et « inefficiency » et ainsi travailler sur les anto-
nymes. On proposera aux élèves de trouver d’autres mots for-
més de la même manière (uninhabited, inhospitable, unfair,
injustice, inequality, etc.)
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_059-100.indd 75
2 Together is better
49
Présentation des documents
Les photos :
The pictures show Vivos Xpoint, a survival community
located near the Black Hills, in South Dakota. This is a
former US army base with 575 military bunkers that can
accommodate more than 5,000 survivalists. Real-estate
salesman Robert Vicinos, founder of the Vivos Company,
describes Vivos Xpoint as “the largest survival commu-
nity on earth”. Bunkers are provided without interior
improvements or equipment and cost $35,000 plus an
annual rent of $1,000 per bunker.
Le document audio :
This is an interview of Robert Vicinos, founder and CEO
of Vivos Group. It was made in 2013 and deals with the
creation of an underground shelter near Atchison,
Kansas.
Remarque : Dans le document audio, il n’est pas question de
la communauté Vivos Xpoint mais d’un projet de construction
non loin d’Atchison, Kansas, qui n’a finalement pas été pour-
suivi pour des raisons de sécurité (instabilité sismique).
Bien que le projet ait été avorté, l’interview de Robert Vicinos,
fondateur de Vivos, est très représentative de la démarche et
de la mission de l’entreprise.
script MP3 N°19
Robert Vicinos: The reason we're down, we will be down
here with the door sealed is because we have to, it's not
because we want to, it's because something has caused
us to go underground to lock the doors, to seal this place
up, to make it resilient to a nuclear blast or nuclear, bio-
logical or chemical agents, and the only way to survive.
Okay, well, we're sitting in what will become the world's
largest underground survival shelter, and it will accommo-
date five thousand people for virtually any catastrophic
event: biblical, epic, man-made, natural event, whatever.
We're good for a minimum of one year with the supplies
that we have, but we also have hydroponics and aqua-
ponics, so we're constantly replenishing. So there's fresh
greens and just about anything you'd ever want to eat
down here.
Well once underground people are going to get to know
each other and there's a real sense, it will be a real sense
of community of like-minded people, a cross-section of
really America: we have doctors, scientists, nurses, den-
tists, farmers. We become a complete community of sup-
porting each other. Doctors will be providing free services
to other members, some people will be chefs and they
will be doing the cooking, others will be doing cleaning,
others will do maintenance but every day there's going
to be things to be done down here, and there's going to
be things to be happy about and things to be sad about…
I can tell you that one thing I'm sure, certain of is there's
going to be a lot to talk about.
Unit 5 75
22/09/2020 11:39
 Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions
A. On pourra si on le souhaite, à l’aide du manuel numérique,
dévoiler progressivement les photos du lieu (ne montrer par
exemple que l’image A, puis la B, et enfin la C), et ainsi valider
ou invalider les hypothèses des élèves à chaque étape, et en
émettre de nouvelles.
→ It seems to be an isolated place where there are some sort
of warehouses.
Because the title is “Together is better”, I think it is a place
where survivalists can come together and share survival tips.
It may be a survivalist holiday camp.
→ I don’t know exactly what it is, but I think it is weird to have
such a well-decorated interior in such an isolated environment.
Indeed, who would want to spend their holidays there?
→ In my opinion, this is where wealthy people will go to when
there is an economic collapse or a disaster.
B. On fera écouter le document audio une fois à la classe afin
que les élèves confirment ou non les hypothèses formulées à
la question A. → This is not a holiday camp. These are fallout
shelters. People will not go there on vacation but to survive a
catastrophic event.
C. Pour cette question, on pourra demander aux élèves de tra-
vailler en binômes et de se répartir les questions.
L’élève A se concentrera sur “The reasons for joining (or for
going down)” et “The community (people, jobs)”.
L’élève B se concentrera sur “The place (capacity, food and
equipment)”.
On demandera ensuite de mettre en commun les informations.
– Reasons for joining (or for going down): because there is
no other choice, because something has caused them to go
underground and lock/seal the doors, because of a disaster
(nuclear blast or chemical agents) / because there has been a
catastrophic event (biblical, epic, man-made, natural), because
it is the only way to survive.
– The place:
Capacity: It can accommodate 5,000 people (world’s largest
underground shelter).
Food: There is a minimum of one year of supplies but they are
constantly replenishing, they can produce fresh vegetables.
Equipment: They have hydroponics and aquaponics to produce
vegetables.
Ce sera l’occasion de préciser les termes suivants :
Hydroponics = growing plants in liquid ;
Aquaponics = aquafarming techniques.
– The community:
People: Like-minded people / there will be a real sense of com-
munity.
Jobs: Many different types of jobs will be represented: doctors,
scientists, nurses, dentists, farmers. Some people will do the
cooking, others will do the cleaning or maintenance.
D. Cette question permettra de travailler la structure hypo-
thétique, les expressions de l’opinion et les mots de liaison.
→ If I created my own survival community, I would certainly
accept whoever wants to join. Indeed, I think only a few people
would like to be part of such a community, so whoever they are,
they could join: the more, the merrier!
→ I can see your point, but I really feel that it is much better to
have a small community of people you get on well with in order
to avoid future problems. That’s why I would choose to select
the people who want to join my community.
76 Unit 5
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_059-100.indd 76
→ You’re absolutely right, it’s better to be alone than in bad
company, all the more so as community life is not easy! This is
why I would interview the people to determine whether we
would get along or not.
3 A community of
like-minded people
49
Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions
À l’issue de cette activité, les élèves en sauront plus sur Vivos
et la manière dont les membres de la communauté sont sélec-
tionnés. Cette activité permettra de leur donner des idées pour
le projet final (manuel p. 51).
Pour que les élèves puissent anticiper sur le titre sans être
influencés, il faudra leur demander de fermer les manuels afin
qu’ils ne lisent pas « VIVOS » et son slogan au bas du texte.
On écrira alors le titre au tableau.
A. I guess this is about a community of survivalists.
It must be about a community of survivalists who have the same
values and state of mind, because it is said that it is a commu-
nity of “like-minded” people.
In my opinion, the document we are going to study echoes the
last question we answered in activity 3 (question D). It will
probably be about how people are selected to join a survivalist
community.
Après avoir noté les hypothèses au tableau, on demandera aux
élèves d’ouvrir leur manuel et de vérifier leurs hypothèses. Une
simple lecture des titres en gras et du paratexte leur permettra
d’avoir des réponses concrètes : We were right, this is about a
community of survivalists created by Vivos. The document was
taken from the company’s website and gives the different steps
that are necessary to become a member.
B. Step 1: to become a member, candidates must apply and
give their personal information, the number of people who are
part of their group, their skills/expertise and their motivation
for wanting a shelter.
Step 2: Vivos then selects the best candidates on several crite-
ria. The key criterion is the candidate’s skills and expertise: Vivos
determines how valuable / worthy they would be for the com-
munity’s survival.
Step 3: If the candidate is considered valuable enough to be
part of the community, he/she is sent an e-mail to schedule a
phone conversation.
Step 4: Phone conversation. During this conversation, the can-
didate will be able to ask all his/her questions about Vivos.
Step 5: As soon as membership candidacies are approved,
candidates can secure a space in a Vivos shelter.
Remarque : pour le Step 2, le texte mentionne d’autres critères
qui ne sont pas décrits. On pourra demander aux élèves d’ima-
giner ces autres critères.
→ hobbies, work experience, studies, qualities, interpersonal
skills, etc.
C. In its slogan, Vivos instills fear in the reader’s mind by saying
that the world is a dangerous place. However, since Vivos is
described as a “life assurance”, the reader may feel reassured
/ comforted because the world’s dangers can be avoided by
owning a Vivos shelter.
À l’issue de ce travail on pourra demander aux élèves de réflé-
chir au slogan qu’ils utiliseraient s’ils devaient créer leur propre
communauté. Ils pourront ensuite le présenter à la classe en
22/09/2020 11:39
 cherchant à convaincre les futurs membres de se joindre à leur
communauté.

D. Ce travail en groupes à l’aide de la Worksheet n°10 permet-

tra aux élèves de découvrir le projet Vivos plus en détails, en
particulier son offre d’abris. Ce travail de recherche sur le site
internet de Vivos (www.terravivos.com/secure/shelters.htm) pourra
soit être fait au CDI, en salle informatique ou à la maison.
On pourra faire travailler les élèves en groupes de 4 (la Work-
sheet est composée de 4 pages distinctes, une page par
groupe). Chaque groupe se concentrera sur un abri différent
et remplira le tableau correspondant sur la worksheet.
Groupe A : Vivos X-Point
Groupe B : Vivos Indiana
Groupe C : Vivos Europa One
Groupe D : Vivos Trine Complex

DIFFÉRENCIATION
On réservera en priorité le travail de recherche sur Vivos Indiana
(Group B) pour des élèves en difficulté car il ne présente pas
de difficulté particulière.

De retour en classe, les élèves échangeront les informations

recueillies au sein du groupe et prendront des notes.
On procèdera dans un second temps à une mise en commun
en classe entière : on pourra demander aux élèves de rédiger
un communiqué promotionnel qui résume les différents types
d’abris proposés par Vivos. Pour cela on demandera à un(e)
secrétaire de venir au tableau et de prendre note dans un pre-
mier temps de la structure du communiqué ainsi que des idées
clés. Puis dans un second temps, les élèves pourront à tour de
rôle participer à la rédaction de ce communiqué en utilisant
les éléments portés au tableau, que le/la secrétaire notera.
On encouragera les élèves à s’inter-corriger.
On peut aussi demander aux élèves de faire ce travail de rédac-
tion de façon individuelle à la maison.
Cette question permettra de travailler les noms composés
(par exemple : military-built concrete and steel all-risk bunkers,
high crime anarchy zones, steel blast door entrance).

Worksheet disponible sur

le site compagnon
enseignant (en version PDF
et en version
personnalisable)
http://113916.site.magnard.fr/
ressources/1759

Unit 5 77

9782210112803_HTR_LDP_059-100.indd 77 22/09/2020 11:39

 Corrigés de la Worksheet n°10
Group VIVOS X-POINT
A www.terravivos.com/secure/vivosxpoint.htm
Type of - Private military-built, concrete and steel, all-risk
shelters bunkers
Number + - 575 shelters that can accommodate more than
Capacity 5,000 people.
- Each bunker can accommodate 10 to 24 people.
Location - Near the Black Hills, South of the city of
Edgemont, South Dakota, USA.
- Grasslands of South Dakota.
- Within a 24-hour drive from almost any place in
the USA.
- At a high and dry altitude (around 3,800 feet)
Size - Almost as large as Manhattan
Origin of the - Originally built by the Army Corps
site of Engineers* and used as a fortress
to store bombs and munitions (1942
to 1967).
* The USACE’s mission is to “Deliver vital public
and military engineering services; partnering
in peace and war to strengthen [the] Nation’s
security, energize the economy and reduce risks
from disasters.”(source:
www.usace.army.mil/About/Mission-and-Vision/)
Why it is safe - One of the safest areas of the USA: far from
the nearest known military targets, far from
submersion zones, far from high crime anarchy
zones.
- Each bunker has a massive front bulkhead wall, a
solid concrete and steel blast door entrance.
- Bunkers are designed to withstand almost
anything.
- There is a Vivos security team that can spot
anyone approaching the property from 3 miles
away (just one road in and out).
Price and - Nearly 2,200 square feet of underground floor
equipment area.
- There will be amenity bunkers that provide
comfort, support, training, entertainment and
security.
- Each bunker can be customised.
- Two possibilities: either you can buy a private
bunker for $35,000 or you can rent your space
in a shared bunker for $60 per month.
Bunkers then need to be outfitted.
Group VIVOS INDIANA
B www.terravivos.com/secure/indiana.htm
Place - Located within a one-day drive from anywhere in
the Midwest and the Eastern coast of America.
Origin - Built during the Cold War to withstand a
20-megaton nuclear blast.
Capacity - Can welcome up to 80 people.
Autonomy - At least one year of fully autonomous survival.
Description / - Very comfortable, well-decorated and outfitted,
equipment like a 4-star hotel.
78 Unit 5
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_059-100.indd 78
- Stocked with food, toiletries, medicines, fuel,
water, geothermal heating and cooling, a theatre
area, lounge area, garden area, workshop,
kennels, ATV (= All Terrain Vehicles), exercise
equipment.
- The site is surrounded by excellent farming,
fishing, hunting and water resources.
Why it is safe - One of the most fortified, nuclear hardened
shelters that Vivos owns.
- Far from known nuclear targets.
- Low risk of earthquakes (at a safe distance from
the New Madrid Seismic Zone).
- Low submersion or tsunami risks.
Members’ - A wide variety of profiles: members have
profiles different professions that are all useful to the
community and will provide the best chances of
survival.
Group EUROPA ONE
C www.terravivos.com/secure/vivoseuropaone.htm
Location - In the heart of Europe (NB: in Germany)
- Built under a 400 feet tall mountain. (NB: 1 foot
= 0.3048 m)
Origin - Built by the Soviets during the Cold War. It
used to be a fortress for military equipment and
munitions.
Why it is safe - It is one of the most fortified and massive
underground survival shelters on Earth.
- The underground complex is secured and blast
proof.
- It can withstand a nuclear blast, a direct airliner
crash, biological and chemical agents, massive
shock waves, earthquakes, electro-magnetic
pulses, flooding and virtually any armed attack.
Size - 76 acres (NB: 1 acre = 4047 m² / environ ½
hectare)
- Over 23,000 square meters for the underground
complex
- 4,079 square meters for the above-ground
office, apartments, warehouse buildings and
train depot.
- Over 5 kilometres of continuous tunnel
chambers.
- 34 private living quarters.
Description - Each private living quarter will have a 232m2
of the floor area (with the possibility
shelters of having two storeys).
- Can be compared to a “mega-yacht”.
- Each family can choose the outfitting
of their quarters.
- They can choose to add amenities such as pools,
theatres, gyms, deluxe bathrooms, etc.
How to - Prior to lockdown, members can arrive on their
access it own by car or private plane (they can land at
when disaster nearby airports).
strikes
- Vivos will then deploy helicopters to fly the
members back to the shelter.
Target - “high-net worth customers”
customers = customers who are very wealthy.
Price - €2M for private apartments (= no outfitting).
- €35,000 per person for a semi-private fully
furnished suite.
22/09/2020 11:39

Group VIVOS TRINE SHELTER COMPLEX
D – Yours sincerely (if you know the name of the person you are
www.terravivos.com/secure/vivostrine.htm
Location - No specific location – can be built anywhere in
the world.
Specificity - Can be customised to the customers’ tastes.
Capacity - Large groups of 100 to 500 people or more.
Why it is safe - Massive concrete and steel underground shelter.
- Blast doors.
Customers - Wealthy people because it must be very
expensive (the price is not mentioned).
Organisation - Several private residences are built around a
and central area made of different types of public
equipment spaces (library, theatre, gym, classroom, pub,
etc.).
- The safety equipment needed and even a
security force are provided.
- There are enough food supplies to survive for
one year.
- There are quality air filtration systems, fire
systems, water purification systems.
- There can also be aquaponics and hydroponics
to constantly have fresh food.
- Vivos can provide staff (chef, waiters, doctors,
educators, private security team, etc.).
- The security team will transport the group to
the shelter from the nearest airport or even with
door to door extraction.
- Optional DNA Vault (gametes and DNA of
millions of people would be stored).
– Should you need any further information, feel free to contact
me…
writing to) / Yours faithfully (if you do not know the name of
the person you are writing to) / Best wishes…
Scénarisation alternative :
Nous suggérons également de donner la possibilité aux élèves
de choisir de travailler sur un sujet alternatif qui leur permettrait
d’exprimer leur opposition, leurs réserves ou leurs critiques
vis-à-vis de l’entreprise Vivos. On pourrait pour cela imaginer
qu’ils rédigent un courriel à destination de l’entreprise Vivos
et qu’ils expliquent les raisons pour lesquelles ils n’adhèrent
pas à la démarche de l’entreprise.
Exemple de consigne : Imagine you disagree with Robert
Vicinos’s world view and his company’s marketing strategies.
Write an e-mail to explain your point of view.
Dans le but de faire de l’interaction écrite, on pourra demander
à certains élèves d’imaginer qu’ils travaillent pour Vivos et
répondent à la critique qui a été adressée à leur directeur dans
un autre courriel.
From Romantic Isolation
3
50-51
to Forced Survival

4 Write an e-mail
49

Ce Your Turn! Invite les élèves à candidater pour intégrer une

communauté survivaliste. Il va de soi qu’il s’agit d’une tâche
actionnelle scénarisée imaginaire et à visée pédagogique uni-
quement, même si elle est ancrée dans le réel. L’enseignant
prendra soin d'expliquer aux élèves qu’en aucun cas ils ne
sont réellement invités à rejoindre un abri Vivos ou une com-
De Henry David Thoreau qui s’est isolé dans les bois pendant
munauté survivaliste et on veillera, bien entendu, à ne mention-
un peu plus de deux ans, à Tara Westover qui a été élevée dans
ner aucune adresse électronique qui puisse faire croire de
une famille de survivalistes, en passant par Emily St. John Man-
quelque manière que ce soit à une véritable candidature.
del qui a imaginé comment serait le monde après une pandé-
On donnera aux élèves des conseils pour la rédaction d’un mie meurtrière, nous verrons dans cette double page comment
courriel (objet, introduction, but du courriel, conclusion, salu- le survivalisme est perçu, vécu et traité dans la littérature anglo-
tations, etc.), on demandera aux élèves de penser à utiliser le phone.
present perfect pour parler de leurs expériences (précis gram-
matical, p. 299).
Subject line:
– Application for Vivos membership
1 Living with the
bare necessities
50

Salutation: Présentation du document

– Dear Mr Vicinos, / To whom it may concern / Dear Madam
or Sir, La photo et le Cultural fact peuvent être complétés par les
Reason for writing: éléments suivants :
– I am writing to apply for Vivos membership. / I am interested
in becoming a Vivos member and am submitting my candi- Henry David Thoreau, (July 12, 1817, Concord, Massa-
dacy… chusetts – May 6, 1862, Concord) was an American
Closing formulas: essayist, poet and philosopher. He is renowned for his
– I look forward to hearing from you. / I look forward to your masterwork, Walden; or Life in the Woods (1854), in
reply. which he described and reflected upon the simple life he

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 led for more than two years in a cabin on Walden Pond
near Concord, Massachusetts. He is considered as a
“practical philosopher” for having lived the doctrines of
Transcendentalism. He was also an abolitionist.
Anticipation
Avant de demander aux élèves de répondre aux questions, on
pourra leur demander de décrire la photo.
This is a wooden sign located in a forest. There is a quote writ-
ten on it with the author’s name below.
Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions
A. Henry David Thoreau may have wanted to get rid of the
unessential aspects of his life to experiment what living with the
bare necessities meant. To do so, he spent two years in a cabin
he built in the woods and led a self-sufficient life. He did not
want to die without having had such an experience. He proba-
bly believed that life was not worth living if he did not know
how to live on his own.
B. On insistera sur l’expression de la capacité dans une situa-
tion hypothétique (could(n’t) / would(n’t) be able to / would be
(im)possible for me to / would be (un)able to).
On fera réaliser aux élèves l’importance dans leur production
orale d’utiliser ou non la forme pleine de « not » (par exemple
dans « could not », « would not » ou « do not ») qui est un pro-
cédé d’insistance permettant de mettre en avant son point de
vue (Ex : Titre de l’activité 2 p. 50 « I do not exist »).
Cette question sera aussi l’occasion de travailler les connec-
teurs logiques, les expressions de l’opinion, de l’accord et du
désaccord, de la cause et de la conséquence.
→ I think Thoreau was extremely courageous to dare to go to
the woods and live there on his own. It would be impossible for
me to do it, I would be too scared!
→ As far as I am concerned, I could not live isolated / in a remote
location for such a long period of time. What’s more, I do not
feel the need to experience such a situation, I love my life the
way it is, I could not/never live without modern comfort!
→ Unlike you, I think it would be an enlightening and enriching
experience to discover how to live without any “modern com-
fort”. Most people are indeed unable to live without the com-
fort of their homes. However, I believe we are much too
disconnected from nature nowadays. This is why I think living
in the wilderness / the wild with only the bare minimum could
be a way to have a closer relationship with nature. I really do
not know if I would be able to do it from one day to the next/
overnight, I would probably need to read Jay Blevins’s book on
survivalism first!
2
50
“I do not exist”
Présentation du document
On fournira les informations ci-après au moment le plus
opportun :
Tara Westover (b. 1986) grew up in a Mormon fundamen-
talist family in Idaho. In her memoir entitled Educated
(2018), she chronicles her unusual childhood in a surviv-
alist family and explains how she gradually studied her
way out of her family. As a child she did not go to school
(she set foot in a classroom for the first time at 17) but
helped her six siblings and parents to prepare for the
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end of the world by stockpiling bottles of canned
peaches. Her father strongly believed that the world
would end with the arrival of the year 2000.
A. The document is an extract from a novel entitled “Educated”
written by Tara Westover. The narrator is an adult who looks
back at his/her childhood, when he/she lived with his/her par-
ents in a family of preppers.
However, because of the style and the first-person narrator, we
can suppose that this may be a testimony or an autobiography.
Remarque : Il faudra veiller à bien utiliser l’expression de
l’incertitude dans la réponse à cette question afin que les élèves
ne pensent pas que le narrateur à la première personne est
forcément l’auteur d’un texte.
On pourra à ce moment dire aux élèves que Educated est l’auto-
biographie de Tara Westover.
B. Contrary to/Unlike/As opposed to children in other families,
the narrator and her siblings do not go to school.
Four of them have never been to the doctor’s or seen a nurse,
so they have no medical records. They have no birth certificate,
which means that the government does not know they even
exist. The narrator’s family is also different from other families
because they “prepare for the Days of Abomination”.
C. The “Days of Abomination” (l. 15) must be a religious expres-
sion, a synonym for the Apocalypse. Later in the text, we indeed
learn that this will be when “the World of Men” has failed
(l. 17-18). It is supposed to happen when the sun darkens
or when the moon “drips as if with blood” (l. 15-16). To get
prepared, she bottles peaches during the summer and rotates
supplies during the winter.
D. The rhythm of nature was important to her because this is
what structured her life and her work. The activities she did were
done according to the seasons (e.g.: bottling peaches during
the summer or rotating supplies during the winter). The cycle
of nature was what governed her family’s life.
E. → She probably means that her family’s way of life cannot
last forever.
She may mean that one day her family members will have to
stop living this way.
This sentence makes us understand that this situation will not
last forever: either her family will be arrested for not having
made birth certificates for their children or the narrator will
leave her family. We can indeed suppose that she leaves her
family at some point, otherwise where would she have learnt
to write a novel?
→ She may mean that their lives will not last forever contrary
to/unlike nature that is eternal/everlasting.
→ I think that it has to do with the fact that she no longer shares
her family values regarding religion. Contrary to/Unlike her
parents, she thinks eternity only belongs to nature, not to
humans.
3 Interview
Tara Westover
50
Ce travail permettra aux élèves d’imaginer les activités d’une
famille de survivalistes, ce qui pourra les aider pour leur projet
final. Ils pourront aussi s’entraîner à poser des questions, ce
qui sera également utile pour le projet final puisque les élèves
22/09/2020 11:39
 spectateurs devront poser des questions aux élèves qui pré-
Station Eleven is a novel written by Canadian author
senteront leur communauté.
Emily St. John Mandel (born in 1979). It was published in
Les élèves pourront travailler la phrase interrogative dans la 2014. It is about the collapse of our civilisation but it is
rubrique « Rule the grammar » p. 52 et en faisant l’exercice 2 not a dystopian novel: the world that is portrayed is not
p. 53. as dark and grim as in many other post-apocalyptic nov-
els. In Station Eleven, the “Georgia flu” destroys 99% of
On demandera aux élèves de faire ce travail en binômes. On the world’s population. We are told the stories of differ-
pourra travailler de deux façons : ent characters before and after the flu episode: an actor
– Assigner un rôle différent à chacun (interviewer, Tara Westo- who dies on stage before the flu, a man who stockpiles
ver) : préparation des questions d’un côté et description de food when he hears about the epidemic and goes to his
l’enfance de Tara Westover de l’autre. brother’s apartment, a group of nomadic actors who
– Préparer chacun de son côté les questions et imaginer l’en- brave danger to tour the region of the Great Lakes in
fance de Tara Westover. Chaque élève jouera alors à tour de order to bring art and entertainment to the survivors.
rôle l’interviewer et Tara Westover. We gradually understand how these people are
On pourra à l’issue de ce travail demander à quelques binômes connected.
de jouer l’interview devant la classe. Après avoir écouté les
interviews, on pourra remédier aux erreurs concernant la for- Les informations ci-dessous sur les personnages (et leur sort
mulation des questions avec le groupe classe. dans le roman) sont fournies à titre d’information à l’enseignant :
Remarque : On insistera pour que cette activité soit une réelle
interaction orale. En effet, il ne suffira pas pour l’interviewer The extract is about two brothers: Frank and Jeevan.
de poser des questions et pour l’interviewé(e) d’y répondre.
In the novel, Frank is a minor character. He commits sui-
Chaque élève devra réagir aux questions et propos de l’autre.
cide in order to give his brother a chance to survive.
Les éléments suivants pourront être donnés afin de guider les Before the pandemic, it was difficult for Jeevan to find a
élèves : purpose in life, but after the “Georgia flu” episode, he
• Giving one’s opinion: did by working as a medic.
To my mind…; To me; In my opinion…; I think / I feel / I believe
that; Don’t forget that…; Don’t you think that…?
Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions
• Agreeing:
I agree with you; I share your view; That’s right/true; Exactly!; On proposera aux élèves de travailler en binômes pour étudier
Absolutely!; Of course! ce texte, à l’aide de la Worksheet n°11 . Ils se partageront ainsi
les tâches (student A et student B).
• Disagreeing:
On pourra si on le souhaite demander aux élèves de faire le
I don’t agree with you; I disagree with you; I don’t see it that
travail de compréhension à la maison avec la Worksheet.
way / (I think) you’re wrong!; Certainly not!; Nonsense!
En classe, on procédera d’abord à un échange d’informations
• Giving examples/Explaining:
en binômes, puis à une mise en commun en classe entière. Cette
For example/For instance; Let me give you an example; We mise en commun se fera sous la forme de prise de parole en
could also say …; I’ll explain it to you. continu (Chain speaking). On évitera dans la mesure du possible
• Organising one’s ideas: la simple correction des questions qui ne permet pas aux élèves
First of all… Secondly… Then … And finally…; On the one de travailler leurs compétences orales. La Worksheet servira
hand … On the other hand; On the whole ; In other words … ; surtout à la production orale.
To sum up I’d say …
• Asking for explanations:
Sorry, I didn’t get that; Can you repeat what you said, please?
What’s that again?; What exactly do you mean?; What do
you mean when you say that…; I didn’t get your point…
• Conceding:
You may be right, but… ; It may be true, but…; I suppose
you’re right, but…; That’s all very well but…; In a way… / To
some extent; Sure, but still…
• Interrupting:
Excuse me but…; Sorry to interrupt you, but…; Can I just
say something?...

4 After the apocalypse

51

Présentation du document
Cet extrait littéraire est tiré du roman d’Emily St. John Mandel.
Ce dernier traite d’une pandémie meurtrière qui change le des-
tin de l’humanité. Bien que les événements de cette œuvre de
fiction prennent des proportions autrement plus graves que ce
que le monde a vécu au moment de la crise sanitaire liée au
Covid 19, il est difficile de ne pas faire le rapprochement et de
voir que la fiction peut parfois rejoindre la réalité.

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Worksheet disponible sur le site compagnon enseignant
(en version PDF et en version personnalisable) :
http://113916.site.magnard.fr/ressources/1759
Corrigés de la Worksheet n°11
Student A
1. Names: Frank and Jeevan
How they are related: they are brothers
Details / personal story: Jeevan lives in his brother’s apart-
ment because there has been a dangerous epidemic. Frank
is in a wheelchair because he was shot during the war, pro-
bably because he was a soldier.
2. There has been an epidemic, so they stay in the apartment.
Jeevan decides to go out (on the building’s roof) on the
forty-seventh day after the beginning of the epidemic. The
food they have stored in the apartment can sustain them only
for two more weeks, which means that they will eventually
have to leave the apartment.
3. They disagree on whether they should leave the apartment
to find food or not.
4. Frank does not want to leave because he knows that the
outside world is dangerous. He doubts that they are going
to survive there. What’s more, he is pessimistic about the
situation outside, it reminds him of what he experienced
during the war. He does not want to face such a situation
again where there is no life, but only survival.
5. Frank will probably commit suicide because he cannot pic-
ture himself living in this new world, he thinks the world is not
suitable for him anymore. In addition, he knows that Jeevan
will not leave without him so he does not want to be a burden
to his brother. By ending his life, he gives his brother a chance
to survive.
Student B
1. The characters live holed up in an apartment (in Frank’s
apartment) located in a city. There has been a dangerous
epidemic that must have killed many people. The story takes
place on the forty-seventh day after the epidemic started.
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2. a. b.
– “smoke rising in the distance” (l.1-2) → dangerous, unsafe,
violent, disturbing
– There are no firefighters in the city → empty, uninhabited
(l. 4)
– Gunshots can be heard at night (l. 6) → violent, dangerous
– “the stench from the hallway” (l. 8) → decayed, dead,
abandoned
– There is a “crush of stopped cars” → quiet, motionless,
on the expressways (l. 22-25) lifeless, still
– “They hadn’t heard anyone in the → quiet, lifeless, silent,
corridor for over a week” (l. 28) empty
– “Moonlight glinted on glass but → dark, destroyed,
there was no other light” (l. 33-34) broken
– “silent metropolis, no movement” → quiet, still, motionless,
(l. 35) lifeless
– “I saw the news report before the → isolated, silent,
stations went dark” (l. 41-42) broken, destroyed
– “without electricity” (l. 46) → destroyed, damaged,
dark, motionless, still
3. They cannot be considered as survivalists because they do
not have the skills to survive without modern technology: they
don’t know how to farm and grow their own food. Jeevan
does not know how to hunt because he has never fired a gun.
Frank may know how to fire a gun because he seems to have
spent some time in the army, but even if he wanted to do so,
it would be impossible for him to hunt since he cannot walk
and is in a wheelchair.
We can however say that they were prepared because they
stored enough food in their apartment to survive for 47 days
without going out.
B. Cette question permettra de travailler la structure should
have + participe passé permettant d’exprimer un regret.
– The characters should have learnt how to survive in the
wilderness.
– They should have learnt survival skills.
– They should have bought a farm and learnt how to grow food
in order to be self-reliant.
– They should not have stayed in the city.
– They should have left.
– They should have joined a survivalist community.
– They should have stored more food in their apartment.
C. Cette question sera l’occasion de travailler les quantifieurs
et leurs composés (someone, no one, anyone, anybody, some-
body, everybody, something, anything).
On pourra renvoyer les élèves au précis grammatical p. 311-312
et à l’exercice 5 p. 53 pour s’entraîner.
In such a situation, the line between public and private spaces
is blurred. Does the idea of “property” still mean anything when
the world has changed so much? Many people have either died
or left the city, which means that many places are empty. Thus,
these empty places do not belong to anyone anymore.
Jeevan thinks about finding a farm. He is not a farmer though.
In other words, he wants to go and live on a farm that used to
belong to someone else. No one will ask him to leave the place
because everybody does the same. In a world like this, what
matters is finding a way to survive: the laws and regulations of
the “old world” do not matter anymore in a post-apocalyptic
world.
22/09/2020 11:39
 your project 51 Critères Non En cours
Acquis
d’évaluation POC acquis d’acquisition

L’élève respecte bien le

On formera des groupes de deux ou trois. On demandera aux format de la présentation.
élèves de préparer une présentation orale et s’ils le souhaitent
L’élève donne son point de
un diaporama qui illustrera leur projet (mais on insistera sur le vue et argumente de façon
fait que le diaporama doit enrichir la présentation et ne pas étayée pour convaincre.
être la retranscription écrite de leur présentation orale).
L’élève illustre ses propos à
Les élèves pourront aussi créer des prospectus ou une affiche l’aide d’exemples précis.
pour faire la promotion de leur projet auprès de leurs cama-
rades. Il s’agira en effet de scénariser cette activité pour lui La langue riche lexicalement
donner du sens, et non pas de faire un simple exposé devant et syntaxiquement permet
les nuances.
la classe. Les élèves devront convaincre et jouer le rôle de
« recruteur », et donc promouvoir leur communauté. La prononciation est correcte
et rythmée.
On demandera à chaque élève du groupe de parler pendant
L’élève ne lit pas ses notes et
au moins deux minutes. On pourra leur conseiller de se répar- la présentation est fluide.
tir le travail.
Voir aussi la grille d’évaluation critériée adossée au CECRL
Voici des idées d’éléments que les élèves pourront aborder et
(A1 → C1), p. 399 de ce Fichier.
décrire dans leur présentation:
– Description of the place and infrastructures;
– Location (why this place, advantages);
– How people can get there;
– Which catastrophes/disasters the community will be pro- language lab 53
tected against;
– Estimated number of members;
– How the candidates will be selected (criteria): qualities, skills,
personality, etc;
– Community’s values;
– Goals;
– Community life (activities, jobs, hobbies, public spaces, private
spaces, etc.);
– Policies and governance (laws? leaders?);
– Why and how the community will be self-sufficient;
– Resources (food, water, etc.).

On demandera également aux élèves de réfléchir à la stratégie

qu’ils utiliseront (slogan, thèmes récurrents, champ lexical à
utiliser, etc.) pour que leurs camarades ressentent le besoin de
rejoindre leur communauté de survivalistes. On les renverra au
travail effectué sur la vidéo « Before Class! » p. 46 (travail sur la
musique, les images et le texte) et sur le texte 3 p. 49 (travail
sur le slogan).

On conseillera aux élèves d’utiliser la rubrique « Rule the

grammar » p. 52 et l’exercice 4 p. 53 pour exprimer la capacité
au futur car ils en auront besoin pour décrire de quoi leur com- Exercice 1
munauté sera capable. A. contaminated polluted clean
Le jour de la présentation, on demandera aux élèves specta-
teurs (candidats à la communauté des survivalistes) de poser B. edible eatable poisonous
des questions afin d’en savoir plus sur les communautés
présentées (on les renverra à la rubrique « Rule the grammar » C. dried dehydrated fresh
p. 52). On leur demandera à la fin de choisir la communauté qui
les a le plus convaincus, en justifiant leur choix. D. stockpile hoard waste

On pourra éventuellement leur demander d’écrire une lettre

ou un courriel de candidature pour demander à rejoindre cette Exercice 2
communauté (afin qu’ils réinvestissent ce qu’ils ont vu lors de
l’activité 4 « Your Turn! » p. 49). A. Will closing your blinds make any difference in the event of
a nuclear attack?
B. Does the government’s video help people prepare for a
catastrophe?
C. Are candidates provided with an invitation to secure space
in a Vivos shelter?
D. Is living in a bunker the solution?

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 Exercice 3
PHONOLOGY MP3 n°20
It's easy to focus on gear and supplies when you start thinking
about preparedness, though these aren’t the only things you’d
need in an emergency. Every family should have an emergency candidate, inflate, certificate, create, alternate, accommodate,
plan that addresses the most likely disasters in their region. climate, educate, debate, intoxicate, investigate
Practical survival skills should also be part of every family’s
game plan. These skills need to be learned and practiced
before things get tough, because you simply won’t have time
to read a survival book.
Picture
Exercice 4 challenge 53
A. She will be able to survive if she builds a bunker.
B. You will be able to hunt and fish if we run out of canned food.
Le but de ce « Picture challenge » est de rebrasser le champ
C. They won’t be able to run away if they haven’t got a good
lexical étudié tout au long de cette unité.
car.
D. If there is a major epidemic, Sam will be able to go see his Présentation du document
doctor.
E. We will be able to flee to Canada in case of emergency
“Doomsday Preppers” is a reality TV show aired on the
Exercice 5 National Geographic channel that portrays survivalists.
It shows what they do to get prepared and gives a grade
A. Don’t tell anyone about the possible threat. depending on their degree of preparedness and how
B. Nobody knows what’s going to happen if there is a nuclear long they would initially survive in the event of a disaster.
blast. This poster is a parody of Norman Rockwell’s Freedom
C. Not everybody prepares for the worst. from Want (1943).
D. Ask anybody. They will tell you that everybody knew. More about Norman Rockwell’s painting:
www.nrm.org/2016/11/freedom-want-1943/
http://totallyhistory.com/freedom-from-want/
Exercice 6 → Interactive Test

Production possible :
– This poster promotes a new season of a show about surviv-
alists entitled “Doomsday Preppers”.
– The people in the picture are about to eat canned food that
was probably taken from a survivalist pantry.
– They seem to be in a house, not in a bunker / fallout
shelter.
– The air must be contaminated because they are all wearing
gas masks.
– The earth must be uninhabitable if people need to wear gas
masks at all times.
– They will not be able to survive for a long time if the air is
toxic.
– They must be part of a survivalist community and must have
Autres ressources numériques pour les élèves survived a disaster.
(QR code/site compagnon)
– It must be Thanksgiving because they are about to eat
canned turkey.
Audio Words: Sonorisation des principaux termes de l’unité :
– They will probably run out of food supplies if they cannot go
out and grow their own food.
– They will probably have to ration their food.
– This poster makes me think of a famous painting by Norman
Rockwell (“Freedom from Want”, made in 1943).

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