Activities in What’s Up
• Contest: Growing Up – page 21 (Deadline: 11 September 2026)
• Let’s Play – Stop-Rewind-Play – page 23
Activities at ideas.whatsup.sg
Brazil shows that deforestation in the Amazon can be slowed down (page 1 & 28)
President Lula’s efforts are working, helped by advanced satellite technology. A Knowledge-builder side bar explains the impact globally. After being extinct there for 400 years, “Beavers are back in London” (page 8-9) and helping to reduce urban flooding. A reminder of what we should conserve, “Wild Russia from above” (page 14-15) is a spectacular photo essay of Alexey Kharitonov’s drone photography. On a lighter note, “Like my pose?” (page 21) shares two amusing wildlife photos that took hours of patience to capture.
Look Again! Hidden Pictures in Nature – For Art & English, level 3 DOWNLOAD
Pairwork. To express observations in figurative language and art. Students (1) complete a table of their responses to the Wild-Russia images (2) walk around school to select three ordinary things, describe and sketch them, transform two of them into similes and metaphors accompanied by artwork which they display for a gallery walk. ⭐
Storytime: Tall Tree Tales – English & Science, level 2 DOWNLOAD
Group project. To hone story-making and storytelling skills. Steps for developing and presenting a children’s fable about rainforest trees.
The National Day Parade’s biggest sensation (page 24)
About our National Stadium’s extraordinary high-tech features. Saluting more inventions is “Sisters invent bricks using stuff from destroyed buildings” (page 6) to win the Earth Prize for the Middle East. But, to Tee & Boba (page 28), the humble TV remote is the best invention of them all.
National Stadium Crossword (online) – For English, level 1
Individual exercise. To engage more deeply in the story. Puzzle of over 20 words with easy clues. At https://digital.whatsup.sg ⭐
Inventions We Can Do Without – For Oral English & Science, level 1 DOWNLOAD
Pairwork. To practise discernment. After watching a video about inventions that never took off, students (1) rate the usefulness of some common appliances (2) choose an electronic gadget to “delete” forever (3) list pros and cons of its absence and (4) write a journal entry from an affected person’s standpoint.
Dams: Build them or destroy them? (page 10)
Why some countries are building new dams while others are removing them. Followed by an explainer, “Dams turn the power of moving water into electricity” (page 11). Another aqua-related story, “Moo-ving to the water” (page 18) is about a floating cattle farm in the Netherlands. More on all things watery, “Once upon a time, a Korean prince invented the modern way to measure rain” (page 22) is about Crown Prince Yi Hyang’s cheugugi which has become a national treasure.
Synthesis and Transformation – For English, level 1 DOWNLOAD
Individual exercise. To practise creating complex sentences. Extending from the rain-gauge story. With the help of given connectors, the student rewrites sentences to form different sentence structures. ⭐
Answering Queries – For English & CCE, level 2 DOWNLOAD
Groupwork. To practice answering queries diplomatically. Each group (1) imagines it plans to set up a floating cattle farm in Singapore waters (2) uses the information from the What’s Up article to respond to three queries from wary members of the public (3) presents the conversation as a skit. ⭐
Japanese ice-cream makers plot to raise prices during hot summer (page 20)
The alleged ice-cream cartel offers a lesson on why cartels are unhealthy. Our Understanding Money series continues with “Why is an acai bowl costlier than chicken rice?” (page 13). Also looking at costs, “Recycling reduces waste, but only if we do it right” (page 19). And, as CDC Vouchers are now familiar features, “Vouchers help when prices rise” (page 12) explains how they help and where the money comes from.
Recycle Right! Let’s Play & Display – For Art & Science, level 2 DOWNLOAD
Groupwork. To apply the basics of correct recycling. In small groups, students use the given game board and card templates to play a game of sorting items into the correct bins. The game board is then transformed into an attractive infographic poster to be displayed in class.
Cartel vs Healthy Competition – For English, level 2 DOWNLOAD
Pairwork. To better understand why cartels are unhealthy. Students (1) answer questions based on the What’s Up article (2) decide whether each of three business situations is a cartel or healthy competition and explain the outcomes for customers. ⭐
Exam result: Education minister fails (page 7)
What is driving the movement called the Cockroach Janta Party as youths call for education reform in India. In Madrid, tenants are protesting peacefully because “Homes are hard to afford in Spain’s big cities” (page 9). The importance of optimistic communication is reiterated in “There is power in self-talk (page 23), featuring astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson’s self-talk.
The Ripple Effect of One Choice – For English, Drama & CCE, level 3 DOWNLOAD
Pairwork. To better understand the ripple effect of actions. Based on the exam-leak story, students (1) reflect on the consequences of a leaked exam paper by completing a Ripple Effect diagram (2) select one person from their Ripple Effect diagram and do a freeze-frame drama performance following guidelines (3) apply the Ripple Effect diagram to an action at school.
Positive Self-talk – For English & CCE, level 2 DOWNLOAD
Individual. To develop a repertoire for positive self-talk. The student (1) selects from a given list suitable positive phrases and adds more to create a personal self-talk word bank (2) offer self-talk phrases that NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson could have used in the rock-band anecdote shared in the What’s Up article. ⭐
Inspiring athletes (page 26-27)
Saluting Southeast-Asian athletes whom our youth look up to, including “Young Lennon’s journey to MVP” (page 27). In contrast to high-stakes competitions, “Bangkok’s “do nothing” event attracts hundreds” (page 17) and “Busy adults need to keep playing” (page 16) remind us of the value of relaxation and play.
Welcome to the Play Clinic! – For English & CCE, level 3 DOWNLOAD
Pairwork. To enjoy exploring play ideas for adults. Students imagine they run a play clinic. They (1) list play activities suitable for adults (2) choose an adult “patient” from a given list (3) create a play prescription poster for that adult (4) create a second play prescription poster for an adult they know.
An Hour of Doing Nothing – For English & CCE, level 1 DOWNLOAD
Individual. To better understand the value of quiet, still moments. Based on the article, the student fills in details about three doing-nothing events. At a convenient time, each student tries doing nothing for an hour and shares insights. The class discusses and agrees on three essentials for a doing-nothing session to work. ⭐
⭐ Answers to these activities will be emailed to teachers on the IDEAS mailing list. To join the mailing list, please email your name, designation and school to ideas@whatsup.sg.
