2
-NiE ,
11 OCTOBER 2017
Elementary Mystery and imagination Note to the teacher
Unusual suspects NiE Activity 1
century learning skills
OUR children are riding the great wave of technology today. They now have facts and procedures at their fingertips. Teachers have to equip their students with new skills that allow them to thrive in today’s global economy. The activities in The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education pullout combine literacy skills with current content to build this set of skills. The key below indicates the skills integrated into the activities in this pullout.
DO you enjoy reading stories where mysterious events take place and every page you turn fills you with more suspense? Perhaps it is a story about a criminal investigation with a very smart detective hot on the trail of a murderer. A really good mystery can keep you guessing until the very end. Some mystery writers leave clues throughout the story to make the reader play a part in solving the mystery. At times, misleading clues are used to keep the reader guessing. These misleading clues are called red herrings.
Critical thinking ● Identify
● Reason
Communicating ● Oral
● Written
Creative thinking ● Imagine
● Invent
Problem solving ● Question ● Recreate
Collaborating ● Contribute ● Attain goal respectfully
In groups of four, choose a cartoon strip from the Comics pages of The Star. Cut it out and paste it on a sheet of A4 paper. Imagine that there is some mystery connected with the storyline. Create a question on the same page based on the “mystery”. Cut out a picture or phrase from The Star to be used as a “clue” and paste it next to the question. Exchange papers with another group. The group will have to write down an answer or response to the question. (Your group will have to do the same, as well.) When the assignment is completed, hand the sheet back to the original group. Remember that there are no right or wrong answers. Just have fun with this activity.
EXAM PLE
NiE Activity 2 Critical thinking ● Identify
Question
Clue
Response (from another group)
Critical thinking
● Reason
Creative thinking ● Imagine
Problem solving ● Question ● Recreate
● Connect
Communicating ● Non-verbal ● Written
● Identify
Collaborating
● Reason
● Contribute ● Compromise respectfully
● Measure ● Organise
Creative thinking ● Imagine ● Brainstorm ● Connect ● Invent
Problem solving
Some of you may prefer scary stories that involve spooky, supernatural beings like ghosts, zombies and werewolves. Scary stories can centre on normal everyday objects that somehow have acquired creepy, supernatural properties. For example, it could be a computer that is haunted by the ghost of its former owner and writes nasty and
threatening e-mails to people! In groups of four, look for three objects from The Star that you think could be used in a scary story. Cut them out and paste them on a sheet of A4 paper. Write a description of each object as it appears in the scary story. Then, exchange worksheets with another group.
Each group must complete the third column with pictures of people featured in The Star. They will represent the owners of, or people related to, these objects. Create creepy names for these characters and write down something they may have said or done in the story. Finally, hand the worksheet back to the original group.
EXAMPLE Object from The Star
Description
Related person/Owner
● Question ● Research ● Recreate ● Present
Communicating ● Oral ● Non-verbal ● Written ● Aural
Collaborating ● Listen ● Contribute respectfully ● Compromise
Writers often use imagery to create mental images in the reader and set the mood of the story. Words and phrases used in scary stories are very important because they can help the reader see and feel the author’s story more realistically. Examples of phrases found in scary stories are: the howling wind, the creaking of a door, drawers that shut and open, and cats’ eyes gleaming in the dark.
● Attain goal nie editorial manager: SHARON OVINIS senior nie executive: ROWENA CHUA writer: DR MALLIKA VASUGI layout designer: SHOBA illustrator: HASSAN BAHRI To order The Star for NiE lessons, call: Sundarrajan 03-7967 1388 ext 1437 or 016-288 3682 We welcome feedback; write to: Star-NiE, Star Media Group, 15 Jalan 16/11, 46350 Petaling Jaya or e-mail us at: starnie@thestar.com.my