Contest in What’s Up
• Getting To Know Our Neighbours – page 24
Activities at ideas.whatsup.sg
New Parliament opens: Leaders say what really matters in school (page 1 & 28)
Child-focused highlights of speeches by PM Lawrence Wong and Minister for Education Desmond Lee. Adding to public discourse is hawker-food expert, K F Seetoh, “The man who wants hawkers to charge more” (page 17). On a global level, “Young voices speaking up for climate action” (page 21) introduces 3 of the 14 new members of the UN Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change.
Quotable Quotes – For English & CCE, Level 3 DOWNLOAD
Pairwork. To make personal meaning of public statements. The student reflects on four quotes from What’s Up stories by responding to questions. ⭐
Planning a Soup Stall – For English and Mathematics, Level 3 DOWNLOAD
Groupwork. To experience planning for retail. Individually, the student matches given facts with corresponding details, and lists why hawkers are struggling. In small groups, they (1) select one soup recipe (2) calculate the cost per bowl and desired daily profit (3) work out the number of bowls that needs to be sold daily to profit, and (4) present the essential information as a poster for the stall. ⭐
Everyone needs water (page 10–11)
A photo essay of the importance of water worldwide. With artificial intelligence becoming as much a part of daily life, “AI is changing people’s jobs” (page 8) looks at the exiting of certain jobs in China even as new ones are born.
Every Drop Counts — For Science & English, Level 2 DOWNLOAD
Groupwork. To better appreciate clean water for everyday use. Students record all the times they used water the previous day. They write a fictional diary entry describing a day when their taps run dry. In small groups, they brainstorm how to use provided items to clean water from a small muddy stream nearby. Followed by reflection questions.
Jobs: Present & Future — For English, Level 2 DOWNLOAD
Groupwork. To become more familiar with AI-driven evolution of jobs. Each student completes a True-False exercise. Groups then (1) create and play a Memory Game of job descriptions (2) identify two jobs likely to be replaced by AI and two new jobs in response to AI at the workplace. ⭐
Data centres are the powerhouses of the internet (page 12)
Explains how things in the “cloud” are actually stored on the ground. More on technology, “Soon, a faster train to KL” (page 6) looks at what a train trip from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur could soon be like. Walking can be a joy too for amputees using the Jaipur Foot, “The foot that helped millions to walk again” (page 13). Next, “Moving a whole church on wheels” (page 20) is quite an achievement too.
Be Creative: One Thing, Many Uses — For English, Level 2 DOWNLOAD
Groupwork. To express creativity when finding alternative uses for common objects. The student lists the differences between the SACH Foot and the Jaipur Foot, and the creative methods used for the Jaipur Foot’s improvement. Then in groups, students pick three objects around them that are used in alternative ways. They pick one of the three and develop and field-test new ways of using it. Groups present the workable ideas to the class. ⭐
Data Centres Crossword (online) — For English, Level 1
Individual exercise. To engage more deeply in the story. Interactive puzzle of 20+ words with easy clues. At https://digital.whatsup.sg/ by 20 October ⭐
Why a surprising league is a great league (page 25)
Explains why competitive balance is essential for sports fans to stay excited. The same applies to comics fans who are delighted as Sri Asih, “Indonesia’s first superhero makes a comeback in webtoons (page 22). On a more sombre note, “How a simple bet can lead to problem gambling” (page 7), a cautionary tale, is a story of recovery from addiction. Extending the conversation about staying emotionally healthy, “Fitting in: A fair chance for all” (page 26–27) offers tips for creating just and caring classroom communities.
Don’t get addicted – For English & CCE, Level 3 DOWNLOAD
Groupwork. To learn more about common addictions. Individually, the student completes a table about Noah’s gambling addiction and recovery. The class forms four groups, with each focusing on a different form of addiction (sports gambling, smartphone use, online gaming, and vaping). They discuss how youth are likely to succumb to their focus type of addiction and the remedies. Each group presents to the class their discussion. ⭐
New Year Resolution – Classroom Communities! – For English & CCE, Level 2 DOWNLOAD
Groupwork. To gain a deeper understanding of just and caring classroom communities. Students form seven groups. Each group discusses 2 of the 14 children’s quotes in the final instalment of “Fitting In” and suggests how they may be applied in their 2026 classes. Followed by a whole class sharing. 🔶
Singing songs of hope in war (page 9)
The heartwarming story of a music teacher who taught kids to sing along with the sound of drones in Gaza. More on artistic genius, a closer look at M C Escher “Creating magical art from mathematics” (page 14–15). Fast forward to the present and we have the “‘Aura farming’ boy who dances on a racing boat” (page 18–19) in Indonesia.
Songs of Hope – For Music & Art. Level 2 DOWNLOAD
Groupwork. To better appreciate the peace-making power of music. Students (1) watch videos of two well-known hope-filled songs (2) answer reflection questions about them. In groups, they follow guidelines to (1) imagine they are releasing an album to support a crisis (2) create an album design and playlist of their favourite peace-promoting songs (3) present their album cover art and play one song from their playlist. 🔶
Magical Mathematical Art – For Art & Math. Level 2 DOWNLOAD
Pairwork. To create art inspired by Escher’s impossible art and tessellations. Students (1) answer questions about any one of Escher’s artworks featured in the article (2) follow an instructional video to create tessellation art (3) share their works in a class mini exhibition. 🔶⭐
“Social media is turning places into selfie hotspots (page 16)
About the challenges locals face when too many tourists congregate at selfie hotspots in their neighbourhoods, at the expense of experiencing the culture. Tourists are not the only ones who want to capture memories — Tee & Boba (page 28) do too as they watch the seasons go by. Their capacity to enjoy the simple joys of life is shared by another cartoon character. The lovable superhero, “Dog Man gets our readers’ vote” (page 23–24) as the Most Popular Comic Character!
Flip-O-Rama Memories – For English & Art, Level 2 DOWNLOAD
Individual activity. To capture memories through Flip-O-Rama art. Extends from the selfie-hotspots and Dog Man stories. The student follows video instructions to create a Flip-O-Rama booklet and shares it with the class. 🔶
A Smell Map of Our School – For Art & Social Studies, Level 2 DOWNLOAD
Groupwork. To enjoy creating a smellscape. An extension of the selfie-hotspots article and Tee & Boba. Following a video on smellscapes, the group (1) records smells and associated memories as they walk around school (2) compiles their findings in the provided table (3) creates a visual smellscape (4) compares and contrasts their smellscape with the other groups’ (5) reflects on 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.
🔶 Activities suitable for end of the school year.
