-NiE ,
Intermediate Poem
Forces of destruction
THROUGH different personas, the poem Poisoned Talk conveys the message that the environment is slowly but surely destroyed by pollution. The personas admit their role in, or claim responsibility for, the destruction. Some of these agents of destruction like the worm and the fish are also victims of industrial pollutants like acid soil and mercury. Personification is a literary device where non-human objects are given human attributes and portrayed in a way that suggests they have the ability to act like human beings. In Poisoned Talk, non-human things like the wind and sulphur dioxide are personified and given “voices”.
NiE Activity
Critical thinking ● Identify
Problem solving ● Present
● Recreate
● Reason
Communicating ● Oral ● Written ● Non-verbal ● Aural
NiE Activity
Critical thinking ● Identify ● Reason
Problem solving ● Present
● Recreate
● Organise
Communicating ● Oral ● Written
● Aural
In groups of four, look for four non-human things (pictures or words) in The Star which you think are related in some way to environmental destruction. Cut them out and paste them on a sheet of A4 paper. Using personification, write five lines that may be said by each object concerning their role in environmental destruction. Take turns to present your work in class and prepare to ask and answer questions about your presentation.
Creative thinking ● Imagine ● Connect
EXAMPLE
● Invent
Who killed the river? I, said the bottle, With my plastic skin It was my rubbish bin I choked it from within.
Collaborating ● Contribute respectfully ● Compromise
● Attain goal
Poisoned Talk Who killed cock robin? I, said the worm, I did him great harm. He died on the branch of a withered tree From the acid soil that poisoned me. Who killed the heron? I, mouthed the fish, With my tainted flesh I killed tern, duck and drake, All the birds of the lake. Who killed the lake? I, boasted Industry, I poisoned with mercury Fish, plant and weed To pamper men’s greed. Who killed the flowers? I, moaned the wind, I prowl unconfined, Blowing acid rain Over field, flood and fen. Who killed the forest? I ensured that it died, Said sulphur dioxide And all life within it, From earthworm to linnet. – Raymond Wilson
ADVANCED
Creative thinking
Novel
● Imagine ● Connect ● Brainstorm
Group member 1:
Group member 2:
Group member 3:
Group member 4:
Collaborating ● Contribute respectfully
● Compromise
Minfong Ho’s Sing to the Dawn is about a young Thai village girl named Dawan who bravely overcomes her father’s objections, in her quest to pursue her studies in the city. In one part of the story, she passes through the marketplace to buy a lotus bud while on her way to the temple compound to see the chief monk. Here, she meets Bao, the flower seller who lets Dawan have one of her flowers for 10 cents. The following is an extract from the conversation between Bao and Dawan.
What is learning like for you?
Women whose achievements or positions are related to their formal education (from The Star):
“I’m going to the temple with this lotus, you see. I’m going to try to see the head monk today,” Dawan confided. “Really?” The other girl lifted her eyebrows curiously. “It must be pretty important if you want to see the head monk.” “Oh it is! It’s the most important thing that can happen to me,” Dawan whispered fervently. “What can be so important to girls our age, Sister?” the flower girl retorted. “It’s about my schooling,” Dawan explained hesitantly, ignoring her last remarks. “Your schooling, huh! You go to classes?” There was a grudging curiosity in the girl’s voice. “What’s it like anyway, learning… books and stuff?”
Brief description:
Paste picture here “Your schooling, huh! You go to classes?” There was a grudging curiosity in the girl’s voice. “What’s it like anyway, learning… books and stuff?”
If someone asked you that question, how would you respond? What is learning really like for you? In groups of four, discuss. Then, on a sheet of A3 paper, write down each of your opinions. Next, look for pictures of two women in The Star whose achievements or positions are related to their formal education. Cut them out and paste them on the same paper. Write a brief description of the women, their achievements and how it is related to their formal education.
12 APRIL 2017
Brief description:
Paste picture here
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