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-NiE ,
23 AUGUST 2017
The voice of conscience
INTERMEDIATE Honesty
IS there such a thing as telling a little lie or a big lie? How many lies do you get to tell before you are called a liar? Now, now, answer truthfully. In the story entitled The Adventures of Pinocchio, the Blue Fairy gives life to a little wooden puppet. (For a synopsis of the story, turn to page 2.) To make certain that he knows right from wrong, she bestows a tiny cricket with a huge responsibility. He becomes Pinocchio’s conscience – you know, that voice you hear in your head; the one that tells you if you are doing something right or wrong. This “conscience” goes by the name of Jiminy Cricket. In the animated cartoon by Disney, the Blue Fairy says to Jiminy Cricket: “I dub you Pinocchio’s conscience, the high keeper of right and wrong, counsellor in moments of high temptation, and guide along the straight and narrow path.” Now that’s a colossal job for a little fellow. Thank goodness we all don’t have little irritable crickets in our heads! But we do hear whispers of do’s and don’ts in our ears? Yes, we all have a conscience.
NiE Activity 1 Critical thinking ● Identify
● Reason
Creative thinking ● Imagine ● Connect ● Brainstorm ● Invent
Communicating ● Oral ● Aural ● Non-verbal
Conscience is sometimes symbolised in many cultures by different objects. Do these look familiar? In groups of four, discuss how they represent the voice of conscience.
Next, in a group of four, craft an image that you think best represents the voice of conscience. Use words and pictures from The Star to design this symbol of yours. Do this on a sheet of A4 or A3 paper. Present your final piece to your classmates, explaining the symbolism in your piece. Next, paste your work on the noticeboard. The class will then do a gallery walk. Everyone is encouraged to draw a star on his favourite piece.
NiE Activity 2 Critical thinking ● Identify ● Reason
● Measure
Creative thinking ● Connect
Problem solving ● Question ● Research
● Recreate ● Present
Communicating ● Oral
● Written
There are many people in society who are sometimes the voices of society’s conscience. You don’t need to be someone famous like Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr to put forth your ideas and speak your mind. All it takes is to be humane. Look through the Views section of your copy of The Star. Read the letters to the editor. Pick one that resonates with you. Then, complete the task below.
Fill in the relevant information where applicable. You can carry out this activity in your exercise book. ● The person who wrote this article. ● His position or the organisation he represents. ● Introductory background information, including any accomplishments. ● Can you draw any conclusions on the impact he has had on society? ● Write an inspirational or meaningful quote you gained from reading the article. ● Based on the article, list four adjectives you would use to describe this person (explain why). ● Share a few interesting, surprising or unexpected facts you learned about this person’s life and experiences by reading the article. ● What new insights did you gain as a reader? ● Do you think that you must be famous to lead a purposeful life? Explain.