Activities in What’s Up
• National Animals – page 19
• Contest: If I were the author – page 23
Activities at ideas.whatsup.sg
Australia bans social media use by kids (page 6)
Explains why Australia has taken the bold step to protect children from social media. More about the power of social media as sports stars connect directly with their fans to the extent that “When a star player changes teams, fans follow” (page 25).
Mind Map: Social Media Ban – For English, level 2 DOWNLOAD
Individual exercise. To demonstrate reading comprehension. Based on the article, students complete the given mind map of the ills of social media overuse. ⭐
Team Loyalty vs Player Loyalty — For English & Social Studies, level 3 DOWNLOAD
Individual exercise. To articulate clear arguments. (i) Given two statements about team and athlete loyalty respectively, students share with the class their individual inclinations. (ii) Drawing on the shared thoughts, each student writes a persuasive letter to a fictional conflicted sports fan wavering between team or individual loyalty.
Rome’s Trevi Fountain is restored (page 13)
Goes behind the scenes to look at what happens to the coins tossed into this and other famous fountains and wells. Another heritage story, “National animals have a place in people’s hearts – and stomachs?” (page 18-19), zooms in on how eating puffins endangers their population while eating kangaroos helps stem overpopulation. National monuments and animals are symbols of the deep attachment to ancestral land. That is why thousands of “Exhausted but hopeful” are heading home as “War stops at last, giving Palestinian people a chance to recover and rebuild Gaza” (page 1 & 28).
A Helping Hand for National Animals – For CCE & Science, level 2 DOWNLOAD
Individual exercise. To be aware of national animals’ challenges. The student (1) fills an organizer with reasons as well as solutions for the declining puffin population and kangaroo overpopulation (2) completes the matching activity in What’s Up (3) lists concerns and solutions associated with any one of the national animals (4) reflects on the value of children having knowledge about these national animals. ⭐
Pics Speaks to Us – For Art Appreciation & Social Studies, level 3 DOWNLOAD For Group Presentations
Groupwork. To develop and articulate appreciation of photography. Each group selects one photo from a menu of six from What’s Up, examines it closely and develops an oral presentation about its winning features. Provided: PowerPoint slides of the images.
Polio vaccination is saving children in Guinea (page 20-21)
The success story of healthcare workers, international organisations, and local communities working together to vaccinate children. “Farmers in India protest to save their livelihoods (page 9) shares the not-so-successful united efforts of small farmers in northern India.
Pamphlets for Polio Vaccination — For English, level 3 DOWNLOAD
Groupwork. To develop an informational pamphlet. From the given list, each student indicates the actions that helped the polio vaccination drive in Guinea. Then in groups, they create a simple pamphlet with information to persuade parents to vaccinate their children against polio. ⭐
From a Farmer’s Standpoint — For Social Studies & CCE, level 3 DOWNLOAD
Pairwork. To practice perspective taking and empathy. Students (1) write a diary entry expressing an imaginary young farmer’s hopes (2) identify speech bubbles as the words of the young farmer and his childhood friend, now a government officer (3) respond to two prompts about the experience of this activity.
Do these things make life too easy? (page 24)
Gadgets that make life easier are becoming more popular in China and elsewhere. But, will they make people lazy? Also, “Smart glasses make taking photos and videos hands-free” (page 12) have us wondering about their unethical misuse. “‘Flat Earth’ myth is proven wrong – again” (page 10) has more on technology — this time enabling a group of Flat Earthers to test their beliefs.
Innovative lazy gadgets – For English & Art, level 2 DOWNLOAD
Pairwork. To encourage innovation. Students list advantages and disadvantages of using three lazy gadgets after watching brief videos of each. They then illustrate and describe their own invented lazy gadget or improve an existing one. The new/improved lazy gadgets are shared with the class. ⭐
Using Smart Glasses: The Ethics – For English & CCE, level 2 DOWNLOAD
Pairwork. To practice solution-based brainstorming. Using the story, students (1) give two examples of smart-glasses misuse and suggest remedies (3) list ways in which smart glasses may be used ethically for work and leisure. ⭐
The joy of outdoor play (page 14-15)
An inspiring spread of Siena International award-winning photos of outdoor play. Switching gears to gaming, trading cards, and manga, we celebrate “Our favourite comic characters”, with the spotlight on “Pikachu” the Pokémon, (page 22-23).
Pokémon Crossword (online) — For English, level 1 Pokémon Crossword
Individual exercise. To engage more deeply in the story. Puzzle of 18 words with easy clues. ⭐
Create an Outdoor Game! – For English & Physical Education, level 2 DOWNLOAD
Groupwork. To enjoy creative game designing. Each group creates an outdoor game using three items from a menu. Using a template, they write step-by-step instructions for it.
Fitting In: A different accent (page 26-27)
When a classmate laughs at a student’s accent, the teacher is able to help turn the situation around. Unlike the mean kids, Tee & Boba (page 28) raise the friendship bar as they imagine being in other worlds. The comics also illustrate mutualism in nature.
Count on We! – For English & Art, level 2 DOWNLOAD
Groupwork. To better appreciate mutualism. Students answer questions in response to watching a video about mutualism in nature. After listening to “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars, they modify its lyrics to describe what they have learned about mutualism.
Easy For You but Hard for Me – For CCE, level 2 DOWNLOAD
Groupwork. To deepen understanding about inclusion. Extending from the Fitting In story, groups piece together a simple jigsaw puzzle with each member having an assigned physical limitation. Members respond to questions about the experience.
⭐ 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.
