Activities in What’s Up & online
• Cool It Down: Let’s Play ABC Starters – page 19
• Dollars and Sense Crossword – at digital.whatsup.sg
• Contest: Which husky? – at digital.whatsup.sg [deadline: 14 August]
Activities at ideas.whatsup.sg
Governments are taking action to protect kids from online dangers (page 1 & 28)
Some governments are passing new laws because big tech companies are often driven more by profits than wanting to protect children online. Knowing this may help kids to resist social media overuse. Hence, our new series on understanding money starts with “When companies need cash to grow, they go ‘IPO’” (page 7).
JAM Storytelling – For English & CCE, level 3 DOWNLOAD
Whole class. To enjoy just-a-minute (JAM) oral storytelling. Following guidelines, each student creates and presents a minute-long story about a child’s online experience and presents it to the class.
Dollars & Sense Crossword (online) — For English, level 1
Individual exercise. To grow financial literacy. Puzzle of 20 words with easy clues based on the Understanding Money article. The crossword will be at digital.whatsup.sg by 27 July. ⭐
Earthquake in the Philippines: Singaporeans rush in to help (page 13)
About volunteers from Humanity Matters, a group in Singapore, setting up kitchens and portable toilets for the earthquake survivors. In contrast to this effort to reach out and care, “Racist hate is threatening Britain” (page 10). “These stars have July birthdays. So what?” (page 17) is a reminder that, despite our differences, the desire to celebrate human life prevails.
Vocab Builder – English, level 1 DOWNLOAD
Individual exercise. To strengthen vocabulary and syntax. Students (i) examine the use of given phrases in the British anti-immigration story, and (ii) use the phrases to construct their own sentences.
Best Birthday on a Budget — For Social Studies & Maths, level 2 DOWNLOAD
Groupwork. To be creative in planning a low-budget celebration. In twos or threes, students follow prompts to detail a meaningful birthday treat with only $40 for four friends. Groups present their plans to the class who then votes for the best low-budget birthday treat.
Baby Ayaan is born (page 14-15)
The great-grandchild of the legendary Ah Meng, Ayaan was the first primate at the Singapore Zoo to be born via a Caesarean section. Unfortunately, our love for wildlife has led to “A creeping problem: Wildlife smugglers are trafficking ants” (page 8–9) in Kenya. Side bar “Other small creatures targeted by smugglers” (page 8) gives glimpses of illegal trading of poison dart frogs, seahorses and tokay geckos. Meanwhile, “Elephants losing their habitats” (page 25) are entering humans’ spaces, putting both in danger. On a happier note, dairy farming is augmenting income with “Korean universities selling milk” (page 11).
Every Helping Hand Matters — For Science & Social studies, level 2 DOWNLOAD
Individual exercise. To better appreciate teamwork. The student (1) lists the different ways in which people helped with Ayaan’s birth (2) differentiates between visible and hidden roles (3) watches a video about Jane Goodall and respond to a quote from it (4) write a thank-you note to someone who helped the student. ⭐
Stamp Out Animal Trafficking — For English & Science, level 3 DOWNLOAD
Groupwork. To explore how to reduce animal trafficking. Individually, students complete an organiser about the harm to biodiversity when giant African harvester ants are trafficked. In groups, they brainstorm what can be done to stamp out smuggling of animals to Singapore and share their recommendations with the class. ⭐
“The big dreams launching SpaceX” (page 6-7)
About the rocket company that is making the news about space travel. In another space story, a meteorite arriving on planet Earth is giving scientists clues about “How Earth got wet – solving the mysteries of our universe” (page 12) — illustrating how scientists build knowledge. Followed by “Scientists try to discover the rules of the universe” (page 12–13) which tells us about how scientists work. More on science and technology: “New paper batteries are a big improvement” (page 16), “The different shapes that make up the World Cup football” (page 26) and even “What is the point of pointy shoes?” (page 18).
Can Science Test This? — For Science & English, level 3 DOWNLOAD
Pairwork. To explore the ease with which claims can be tested. Students (1) identify which of a list of claims seem testable (2) watch a video of an experiment on bullying plants (3) use a graphic organiser to design a simple study investigating any one of the given claims.
Talk Show: All About Paper Batteries — For English, level 2 DOWNLOAD
Groupwork. To practice inquiry skills by constructing questions. Extending from the paper-batteries article. Individually, students fill in a table and use it to formulate questions. Each group selects six questions from their pool, searches online for answers, and uses them in a talkshow-style skit which is presented to the class.
Afghanistan’s ancient hunting sport still draws huge crowds (page 24-25)
The thrills and spills of Buzkashi, a high-stakes horseback competition. “Other traditional horseback sports” (page 25) include Juego del Pato in Argentina and Kok boru in Kyrgyzstan. “How Mikel Arteta’s original ideas inspired Arsenal’s victory” (page 27) illustrates how the genius of a manager is as important as the players’ skills. And, looking for new challenges, F1 star “Max goes for the max in 24-hour endurance race (page 23).
A Champion’s Mindset – For English & CCE, level 2 DOWNLOAD
Pairwork. To examine qualities essential for team sports. Students (1) complete a cloze passage about Max’s endurance race (2) select three favourite slogans from a list (3) ranks qualities for selecting players (4) expresses how success is more than winning. ⭐
Creative Problem-solving – For English & CCE, level 3 DOWNLOAD
Groupwork. To think of creative ways to address problems. Individually, the students list Mikel Arteta’s creative methods. Then in groups, they select a problem at school that they felt was addressed with creativity, develop their own alternative strategies, and share them with the class. ⭐
New playground for all kids, including wheelchair users (page 22-23)
All about the new inclusive playground in Tampines. Next, applauding indoor spaces for leisure and entertainment, “Beautiful old theatres show countries’ histories” (page 20–21) is about three World Heritage List nominees. Indoors or out, “Add more laughter to your life” (page 19), as reiterated by the Dalai Lama. Even “Tee & Boba” (page 28) point out that happiness grows when we share it.
Our Class Happiness Quilt – For CCE & Art, level 2 DOWNLOAD
Whole class. To share expressions of happiness. Each student fills the Personal Happiness Quilt provided and selects one item to create two quilt squares — one about the source of happiness and the other with a note to the student’s future self. The class tapes the squares together to form a large paper quilt which is displayed to share their happy moments.
Bingo: Beautiful Old Theatres – For English, level 2 DOWNLOAD
Groupwork. To become more familiar with historical theatres. Based on the story, students complete a table on their own. They then create Bingo cards of the theatre names and play the game with the caller using only the theatre descriptors. ⭐
⭐ 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.
