ACTIVITY IDEAS FOR THE MARCH 2020 ISSUE OF WHAT’S UP
COVID-19 PANDEMIC MEANS LIFE HAS TO CHANGE FOR A WHILE (page 1)
Our front-page story and two others — “COVID 19: Waiting for better days” (page 6), “How people are helping” (page 7) — are on what children need to know about the pandemic.
Empathy Shoes — English & CCE, level 2 – DOWNLOAD
Groupwork. To develop empathy and perspective taking. Each group selects one of ten characters provided and presents what a day in the life of that person might be like.
Know Your Fears! – For CCE, Level 2 – DOWNLOAD
Individual. To become more aware of personal fears. The student ranks common school fears, explains the top three scariest ones, and extends the activity to fears about COVID-19.
TOURING WITH “NEW EYES” (page 8)
An inspiring read about a travel company, Traveleyes, that pairs blind and partially sighted travellers with those who have full vision. Both groups benefit from these shared experiences.
Painting with Words – For English & Art, level 3 – DOWNLOAD
Individual. To enjoy composing a Haiku using non-visual senses. Steps for absorbing surroundings with eyes shut, composing a Haiku, and illustrating the Haiku without looking.
FIGHTING DEFORESTATION WITH CACAO FARMING (page 10)
How the enterprising Louise Mabulo convinces Filipino farmers to plant cacao and, in the process, restore forests. “Turning rainwater into drinking water” (page 11) is about another young woman’s water treatment breakthrough in Brazil.
Convince the Farmers – For English, Level 2 – DOWNLOAD
Pair-work. To practise distilling key points and the art of persuasion. Students imagine that they are Louise Mabulo and write a speech convincing the farmers to switch to cacao farming.
EARTH’S HEALTH DEPENDS ON MORE THAN CUTE ANIMALS (page 16-17)
A closer look at how less-attractive creatures such as the blobfish and Gila monster are as essential to their ecosystems but shunned by wildlife advocates who prefer cute, cuddly animals.
Wildlife in Danger: Human Causes – For CCE & Science, level 2 – DOWNLOAD
Pairwork. To understand the causes of species extinction. Causes are given as helping words which students match to five specific examples of current threats to wildlife. ⭐
Poster: Endangered Animal – For Art, level 1 – DOWNLOAD
Individual. To use the visual arts for educating peers about wildlife conservation. Guiding questions for creating a poster about an endangered species.
All Animals Deserve Love – For English, Level 1 – DOWNLOAD
Individual-work. To grow oral persuasion skills. Students write a talk for a preschool class, explaining the “ugly” animal issue by focusing on one of the animals in the article.
Only Adorable Animals Matter? A Debate — For English, level 3 – DOWNLOAD
Group-work. To explore a wildlife issue more deeply. A debate on whether advocacy groups should continue to showcase adorable animals instead of “ugly” ones in campaigns.
CLEARING SPACE DEBRIS (page 12-13)
A child-friendly introduction to the huge problem of human trash in space and the need to resolve it. An infographic, “Waste in space”, presents an overview in a clear and attractive way.
Fun with Sums – For Mathematics, level 2 – DOWNLOAD
Pairwork. To practice applying mathematical concepts and skills. Arithmetic problems involving ratio, fraction, significant figures, unit conversions, and bar charts. ⭐
Project Clearspace – The Timeline – For English & Mathematics, level 1 – DOWNLOAD
Individual exercise. To appreciate the significance of efforts to clear up dangerous space debris. Students complete a given timeline describing the sequence of key events. ⭐
As Big as a Bus – For English, level 2 – DOWNLOAD
Individual or pairwork. To practise constructing similes. Introduces similes. After identifying two in the article, students complete eight given sentences using their own similes. ⭐
328 DAYS IN SPACE (page 14)
Salutes Christina Koch who has broken the record for the longest time spent in space by a woman. Then, “Falling in love with falls” (page 20–21) applauds Dane Jackson who kayaks down huge waterfalls. Both show how preparation and hard work enable dreams to come true.
Crossword Puzzle – For English, Level 1 – DOWNLOAD
Individual exercise. To engage more deeply in the stories about astronaut Koch and kayaker Jackson. Puzzle of over 25+ words with easy clues. ⭐
⭐ 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.
