-NiE ,
NiE Activity Critical thinking ● Identify ● Reason
● Measure ● Organise
Creative thinking ● Imagine ● Brainstorm
● Connect ● Invent
Problem solving ● Question ● Recreate ● Research ● Present
Communicating ● Oral ● Written ● Non-verbal ● Aural
Collaborating ● Listen
● Compromise
● Contribute ● Attain goal respectfully
Equality versus equity THERE is a difference between equity and equality. You may feel angry when you see that a peer has something you don’t have, when the reality is that your peer may need that additional help to get by. Something may be equal but something that is equal may not always be fair. Imagine this scenario: Everyone is asked to sit in a circle. Everyone has to throw one shoe in. After a while, a pile of shoes grows. Now, your teacher is going to randomly distribute the shoes to everyone once again. It won’t matter whose shoe it is. What are some problems you may encounter when you get a shoe? That’s right, it may be too big, too small, of a different colour or a
different design! Well, wasn’t your teacher being fair? Yes, she was! Everyone received a shoe and your teacher treated everyone equally! But wait! You want the shoe that best suits you as an individual, you say? Well, in the end, we all want to have the right shoes that fit us. That is the difference between equity and equality. Equality denotes that everyone gets exactly the same outcome – which are two shoes, without regard for individual differences. Equity means that everyone gets the same quality of outcome to fit his individual needs.
Here is an activity you can have some fun with. In groups of four, read this folk tale from Bangladesh entitled The Two Sisters. The story is only partially complete. Your group’s task is to take on the role of the clever barber who imparts valuable advice to the foolish sister. What would the barber say to her so that justice and fairness reigns in this story? When you have worked through your ideas in groups of four, take turns performing your story in class.
The Two Sisters Once upon a time in Bangladesh, there lived two sisters. They were named Tetan Buri and Boka Buri. Tetan was very cunning and sharp while Boka was very foolish and credulous. The sisters shared three common things: a wrap or blanket called a kantha, a cow and a mango tree. Tetan told Boka that they would share everything. She would use the kantha in the night while Boka would have it in the day. To this, Boka agreed. As a result, Boka would shiver through the cold nights while Tetan slept soundly with the wrap. Needless to say, this left Boka tired all the time. As for the sharing of the cow, the clever old sister suggested that the front portion belonged to Boka while the hind part of the cow was hers. This, too, was agreed upon. As a result, Boka had to feed the cow and give her water while Tetan took all the milk and made yoghurt and butter. Needless to say, this left Boka hungry all the time. And what now of the mango tree? As you would have guessed, Tetan said to Boka, “The mango tree! I will have the top half of the mango tree and you will have the bottom half!” To this, Boka nodded her head and agreed. So day in and day out, Boka watered the tree and weeded its base. Tetan came by only to pick the delicious fruits. But not once had she offered any of her pickings to Boka.
When every group has completed its account of the story, pick your group’s favourite version. Now, imagine that you were reporters who witnessed the second half of the story (after Boka returns home to carry out the barber’s advice). Write a news report on the tale and its amicable solution. Use the inverted pyramid style to convey your news story (see diagram) and provide a suitable headline.
This left the foolish old woman starving. She had no choice but to go out to the streets to beg for a little food. One day, she approached the barber of another village for some food. Now, barbers are known to be very shrewd and clever. He asked her why she was begging when she had a cow and a mango tree that were bountiful. So, Boka told him her troubles. The barber smiled and told her what she ought to do to get her fair share of everything. (Continue your story from here through your role play.)
The inverted pyramid style for newspaper reports Main points of article using the five Wh- and How- questions. Always start with an interesting lead-in sentence
Important info and interviews
Less important info
The actual ending of the tale:
Fairness and justice
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He told Boka to soak the wrap in water when handing it over to Tetan in the night. He told Boka not to feed the cow but yell and scream at it. Finally, Boka was to look for an axe and cut the mango tree in half. The advice resulted in Tetan shivering through the night in a wet wrap while the unfed, frightened cow kicked Tetan when she tried to milk her. It was in the nick of time that Tetan stopped Boka from cutting the mango tree. Tetan realised that there were people who were more cunning than she was and who were looking out for her sister. So, the sisters agreed to a fair arrangement. Tetan and Boka shared the kantha at night, sleeping next to each other to keep themselves warmer. They shared the butter, yoghurt and mangoes. They even had much left over to sell to the villagers and earn some money.
ADVANCED
24 MAY 2017