Contest in What’s Up
• Help Rio Find White Beak – page 23
Activities at ideas.whatsup.sg
TIK TOK VIDEOS ARE A HIT, BUT GOVERNMENTS ARE TRYING TO DISCIPLINE THE POPULAR APP (page 1 & 28)
Explains the dilemma surrounding the pros and cons of this popular app.
Vocab Builder – English, level 1 DOWNLOAD
Individual exercise. To strengthen vocabulary and syntax. Students (i) examine the use of given phrases in the story, and (ii) use the phrases to construct their own.
Free-for-all Debate – English & CCE, level 3 DOWNLOAD
Whole class activity. To develop verbal debating skills. A debate format where all students can participate. The motion: The risks outweigh the benefits for children using TikTok.
A PLANET HUNTER’S LIFE (page 16-17)
About looking for and archiving data on exoplanets. As fascinating is “Looking down at our planet” (page 16–17), a photo essay about drone photography of novel scenes around planet Earth. Another travel-tech treat is centrefold “Balloons are not just for fun” (page 14–15).
Big Balloon Crossword (online) – For English, Level 1
Individual exercise. To demonstrate reading with understanding. Puzzle of over 25 words with easy clues.
Sentence Splits for Easy Reading — English, level 1 DOWNLOAD
Individual exercise. To practice sentence reconstruction. A two-paragraph extract from a 1852 Jules Verne novel is to be made simpler to read by editing compound sentences without changing their original meanings. ⭐
MY STUFF: EYEGLASSES (page 18)
This time, this focuses on the history of eyeglasses. As what we see impacts what we believe, “Marvel wants to mirror the world” (page 19) offers hope for diversity education.
Eyeglasses of the Future – For Science & Technology, level 3 DOWNLOAD
Groupwork. To practice synthesis and oral presentation of technical information. Each group selects one of six smart glasses, charts a mind map of it, and gives a presentation to the class. Ends with a class sharing about the smart eyeglasses. ⭐
Seeing is Believing – For CCE & English, level 2 DOWNLOAD
Individual activity. To appreciate the impact of visual representations. Following Marvel’s efforts, the student presents a PowerPoint slide featuring a local banner or poster with impactful visual representation of diversity.
“LEARNING FROM NATURE TO BUILD BETTER” (page 20-21)
An inspiring read about biomimicry. In the same spirit, Tee & Boba” has Boba attempting (in vain) to make a flying machine emulating birds. Shifting gears to wildlife conservation, we have “Saving the apex predator of the Malayan forest” (page 7) and “Brazil’s new president vows to save the Amazon rainforest” (page 6).
Inspired by Nature – For Science & Innovation, level 3 DOWNLOAD
Individual activity. To experience applying biomimicry. Based on lessons from the What’s Up article and a video about biomimicry, the student (i) observes a plant or animal and (ii) designs a product that mimics something about that plant or animal. 💠
Plane Poetry – For English, level 2 DOWNLOAD
Individual work. To explore poetry for creative expression. The student observes planes from one of Changi Airport’s Viewing Malls to compile words and images for inspiration to compose a short poem about planes in flight. 💠
Flying High: Paper Aircraft Contest – For Science & Art, level 3 DOWNLOAD
Whole class. To explore the flight concepts of lift, drag, weight, and thrust. Stemming from Tee & Boba’s escapade this month, the class conducts a paper aircraft contest. Introduces aeronautical design concepts. 💠
SAIL GRAND PRIX: NEW COMPETITION IS LIKE FORMULA ONE FOR SAILBOATS (page 22-23)
Along with “Running up mountains” (page 24–25) and “New racquet sports are challenging tennis” (page 26–27), six engaging pages about sports.
Guess Which Racquet Game? – For PE & English, level 2 DOWNLOAD
Whole class. To better appreciate the variety of racquet sports. After a warm-up matching exercise, teams compete to give clues for the rest of the class to guess the games they picked. Provided: list of 12 game descriptions, game slips. ⭐
SMILES AMID SORROW (page 1)
This front-page section goes on to “Recovering from the massive earthquake in Türkiye and Syria” (page 12–13) to give an update on rebuilding and recovery efforts there. “Journeys of hope or journeys of death? (page 8) tells us why people risk their lives escaping in unsafe boats. Written in a war zone, “The diary of a young Ukrainian refugee” (page 11) has been published, giving voice to children in war zones.
Alike Yet Different: Two Wartime Child Diarists – For English & Social Studies, level 3 DOWNLOAD
Individual work. To hone comparison skills. After fact finding about each, the student completes a Venn diagram that captures the commonalities and differences between Yeva Skalietska (What’s Up story on page 11), Anne Frank, and the student. ⭐
INDONESIA WANTS ITS PEOPLE TO EAT LESS RICE AND MORE SORGHUM (page 10)
Why the government is encouraging people to switch to sorghum as an alternative to rice and wheat.
Cooking with Sorghum – For Science & Health Education, level 3 DOWNLOAD
Whole class. To develop resources for healthy meals. The class works in groups to produce a cookbook of sorghum recipes. Provided: links to online sorghum recipes. ⭐
⭐ 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.
💠 Activities suitable for UN World Creativity and Innovation Day (21 April)
