Read a biography of the fictional secret agent James Bond created by Ian Fleming to learn more about this character. Then incorporate the extension activities in your lesson planning to further pupils' reading comprehension and creative writing skills.
Subjects:
Fictional Secret Agent
Born: 1953
Birthplace: Fiction
Best known as: Secret agent star of Goldfinger and other films
James Bond was created by author Ian Fleming and remains one of the most famous secret agents in modern fiction. Bond is a cool, handsome, dangerous agent for British Intelligence; his code number, 007, indicates that he has a "license to kill" in the line of duty. Bond travels the globe and uses his wits, fighting skills and a grab-bag of high-tech gadgets to battle super-villains often bent on world domination. (The gadgets, which played only a small role in Fleming's early novels, became a Bond trademark in the movies.) A few of Bond's personal traits have become famous, including his preference for martinis made with vodka and "shaken, not stirred," his use of a Walther PPK handgun, and his habit of introducing himself as "Bond... James Bond." Fleming wrote about Bond in a series of novels that ran from 1953 to 1964, including Casino Royale (1953), From Russia With Love (1957) and Goldfinger (1959); later the series was carried on by authors John Gardner and Raymond Benson. The popular Bond movie series began with 1962's Dr. No and extended into the 21st century, with Bond played by a string of actors including Sean Connery and Roger Moore.
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Extension Activities:
- Distribute a list of character traits to children in your class, then ask them to identify five traits that fit James Bond.
- After reading a novel by Ian Fleming, ask pupils to describe a character from the book and provide supporting evidence of character traits.
- Children can use a creative writing activity to compose their own character sketch of a secret agent.
- Encourage children to write their own story about a secret agent. Use an event map and sequencing graphic organizer to help children outline their story.
- Ask older pupils to list as many James Bond movies as they can recall. Then, ask each pupil to pick a movie from the list and write a summary of the plot.
