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-NiE ,
27 SEPTEMBER 2017
Elementary Courage
Note to the teacher
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.
Critical thinking
In the line of fire DAN Rather is an 85-year old American journalist. He is well-known in the American and global television news networks because he once worked as an anchor for the American CBS Evening News. This journalist was once quoted as saying, “Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow.” Rather definitely knew what he was talking about. Being a journalist is no easy feat! Think of the role of a photojournalist and a reporter. How do you get the stories that fill the newspaper or social media sites? When dangers – like bomb blasts and wars – take place, these reporters are there to tell you the story. When danger happens, people run as far away as possible, but these journalists run in the opposite direction of the crowd – towards the bad spot. Why? To see, to hear, and to capture the story or image in order to show the world what is going on. Wearing a flak jacket, protective helmet and gas mask, a photojournalist wades through a cloud of tear gas amid a demonstration by activist groups in Caracas, Venezuela. – AFP
NiE Activity 1
NiE Activity 2
Critical thinking ● Identify ● Reason
● Measure ● Organise
Creative thinking ● Imagine ● Connect ● Brainstorm
Communicating
Collaborating ● Listen
● Oral
● Contribute respectfully
Example Picture / word
What other types of jobs do you know of that need courage? There are some obvious ones like being a policeman or a fireman. But think deeply about other types of jobs where danger may not be so obvious at first glance. In pairs, scan The Star for occupations and photographs of people who hold such jobs. (Remember to use the classifieds, too.) Are there jobs that appear safe on the surface but still require courage to go on? Cut out as many such jobs as possible, and paste them on a sheet of A4 paper. Think of one reason why a person needs courage to carry out each of these jobs. Next, share some unique jobs you have found and tell your friends why courage is needed to get these types of jobs done.
Occupation / Job
You need to be courageous because…
● Identify ● Reason ● Measure ● Organise
Creative thinking
Critical thinking ● Identify
Problem solving ● Question
Communicating ● Oral ● Written
Just because you are not in the workforce doesn’t mean that you don’t need courage to get through life on a daily basis. What are some things that you face that need courage to “still push on”? A few have been listed for you below. In pairs, add to the list. Look in The Star for at least three activities (in the form of words, phrases or pictures) that require courage to learn.
Example
● Imagine ● Brainstorm ● Connect ● Invent
Problem solving ● Question ● Research ● Recreate
NiE Activity 3 Creative thinking ● Imagine ● Connect ● Brainstorm ● Invent
Problem solving ● Research ● Present ● Recreate
● Present
Communicating ● Oral ● Non-verbal ● Written ● Aural
Collaborating ● Listen ● Contribute respectfully
Pick one example (from NiE Activity 2) that you found from The Star. Join forces with a partner. Can you and your partner write a simple five-line poem about having the courage to take up the feat? Use a free verse poem to speak of the courage needed to do this task. Then, take turns reading the poem out to the rest of your classmates. (Your teacher can select two pairs per day to read out their poems of courage just before the start of the English language lesson.)
Communicating ● Oral
● Written
Example
* Free verse poems do not follow any rules. They have no rhyme or rhythm, but they are still considered an artistic expression.
● Compromise ● Attain goal nie editorial manager: SHARON OVINIS senior nie executive: ROWENA CHUA writer: S. SIVAM 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