NiE Lit 2017 (Vol 476)

Vol 476

WEDNESDAY 9 AUGUST 2017

Elementary Weaving words Advanced Before anger turns deadly Earn Your Band 6 Facing up to bullies

Tel: 03 7967 1388 Fax: 03 7955 4039 thestar.com.my/education

Supported by the Ministry of Education

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-NiE ,

9 AUGUST 2017

Elementary Poem

Note to the teacher

century

Weaving words HAVE you wished that you could write a poem of your own instead of just reading the ones written by other people? Or maybe you have written your own poems! There are many kinds of poems and almost anyone can write a poem if they want to. Some poems rhyme, some don’t. Some are short while some are long. Here, you will find a few types of poems that you can try writing by yourself.

a word poem A. Repeat You can create this kind of poem by repeating a chosen word

or phrase. The word that is repeated can be in the beginning, middle or end of the poem. Here’s a poem where the word “friends” is at the beginning of every line.

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.

Friends

you need it Friends tell you the truth when es Friends stick up for you at all tim are not watching you en Friends watch out for you wh ind your back Friends never talk about you beh s and ice cream cones Friends let you share their burger ys Friends never forget your birthda star k roc Friends make you feel like a your friends Friends always know they are

NiE Activity 1 Critical thinking

Creative thinking

● Identify ● Organise

Problem solving

● Brainstorm ● Connect ● Invent

● Recreate ● Present

In groups of four, choose a word or phrase to be repeated in a poem that you are going to write. Then, write your poem comprising at least eight lines (each person in the group has to write two lines). Your poem must contain at least 10 words from The Star. Illustrate your poem with relevant pictures. Use a sheet of A4 paper to work on this activity. Finally, take turns to read it out in class after you are done.

Critical thinking ● Identify

Communicating ● Oral ● Written ● Aural

Collaborating ● Listen

● Contribute respectfully ● Attain goal

● Reason ● Measure ● Organise

Creative thinking ● Imagine ● Brainstorm

B.

Question poem

Another poem that you can try writing is the question poem. Question poems are made up of a series of questions and may all be related to one theme. Here’s an example of a question poem.

● Connect ● Invent

Problem solving ● Question ● Research ● Recreate ● Present

Communicating ● Oral ● Non-verbal ● Written

Holidays

Do you like riding a bicycle in the park?

Do you like ghost stories told in the dark ?

Do you like hot cocoa steaming in your cup?

Do you like the smell of pancakes when you wake up?

Do you like spending time with your best friend?

Do you like listening to your favourite boyband?

Do you like sitting down with nothing to do but dream?

Do you like holidays where you may feel like a queen?

NiE Activity 2 Critical thinking

Creative thinking

● Identify ● Organise

Problem solving

● Imagine ● Brainstorm ● Invent

● Question ● Recreate ● Present

In groups of four, choose a picture from The Star. Cut it out and paste it on a sheet of A4 paper. Based on the picture, write the first two lines of a question poem. You may start with “Have you”, “Will you”, “Did you”, “Do you” or “Are you” (change the pronoun “you” to “he”, “she”, “they” or “I”, if you want). Then, pass the paper to another group who will add two more lines to your poem before they pass it to another group. Take turns to read your poem out in class at the end of the activity. Your poem should comprise at least 10 lines.

● Listen ● Contribute respectfully

● Oral ● Written ● Aural

Collaborating ● Listen

● Contribute respectfully ● Attain goal

DID YOU KNOW? ●

The oldest surviving great work of literature is the Epic of Gilgamesh from Babylon. The poem is about 4,000 years old and tells the story of a king, Gilgamesh, who was half-man, half-god.

●

The oldest poem in English is Beowulf, written in the 8th century AD. This 3,000-line epic is about a Scandinavian hero, Beowulf. He saves the Danes from three monsters – Grendel, its mother and a firebreathing dragon.

(Adapted from factmonster.com)

● Aural

Collaborating

Communicating

● Compromise ● 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

-NiE ,

Elementary Poem

9 AUGUST 2017

Capturing imagination C.

Acrostic poem

To write an acrostic poem, you have to first choose a title. The title can be based on a theme. It can also be the name of a person, place or special event. Begin each line of your poem with a letter from your title. Here are two examples of acrostic poems.

Brown Big and comforting Remembering the images Of my daddy’s hands When he tucked me in bed at Night

NiE Activity 1 Critical thinking

Creative thinking

● Identify ● Organise

● Connect ● Invent

Problem solving ● Recreate ● Present

Communicating ● Oral ● Written ● Aural

Collaborating ● Listen ● Contribute respectfully ● Attain goal

EXAMPLE

D. Haiku A haiku is a Japanese poem which

Claire she harming c d n a e Carefre nce in the sunshine re Loves to da people who know her a And all the her grace, Inspired by d the essence of her Rhythm an l enthusiasm Exceptiona

In groups of four, choose different pictures from The Star to represent each of you. Cut them out and paste them on a sheet of A3 paper. Then, on the same paper, create an acrostic poem for each group member using his name. When you are done, display your work on the classroom walls and do a gallery walk.

EXAMPLE

can be written on many themes. It consists of three lines and 17 syllables. Each line has a set number of syllables:

Line 1 (five syllables)

Line 1: five syllables Line 2: seven syllables Line 3: five syllables

Line 2 (seven syllables)

Line 3 (five syllables)

NiE Activity 2 Critical thinking

Creative thinking

● Identify ● Organise

● Imagine ● Brainstorm ● Invent

Problem solving ● Recreate ● Present

Communicating ● Oral ● Written ● Aural

Collaborating ● Listen ● Contribute respectfully ● Attain goal

In groups of four, design a bookmark with a haiku poem on it.

First, decide the size and shape of your bookmark, using a sheet of A4 paper.

Then, create a haiku on the theme of nature using at least five words from The Star.

Write down your haiku on the bookmark.

To make it more attractive, decorate it with pictures from The Star.

When you are done, present your bookmark to another group.

DID YOU KNOW? ● Considered the greatest master of the haiku, Matsuo Munefusa, known as Matsuo Bashō, was a 17th century Japanese poet. He was born to a samurai family and became a servant to a local lord.

When his master died, he decided to devote himself to a literary life.

His haikus included characteristics of nature and the four seasons.

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-NiE ,

9 AUGUST 2017

INTERMEDIATE Poem

Facing your fears My Hero My dad’s as brave as a dad can be, I rate him Number One, He’s not afraid of the dead of night, Or anything under the sun.

He’s not afraid of a late-night film, Full of horrors on the telly, And is he afraid of skeletons?

Not dad, not on your Nelly!

He’s not afraid of meeting ghosts, He’d even smile and greet ‘em, And things that scare most dads the most, My dad could just defeat ‘em.

He’s not afraid of vampires, Or a wolf-man come to get him, If Frankenstein’s monster knocked on our door, He wouldn’t let that upset him.

THE dad in Willis Hall’s My Hero seems to be a real hero in the eyes of his child. He is not at all afraid of things that would scare most people, especially kids. He is not in the least bit fearful of ghosts, monsters, vampires, skeletons or late-night horror films. There is one thing, though, that is puzzling. Whenever there’s a spider in the bath, why does he call for Mum to come and deal with it?

The things that people are fearful of are not always the

My dad’s as brave as a dad can be, And he’s always ready to prove it.

So why, when a spider’s in the bath, Does Mum have to come and remove it?

– Willis Hall

same. In fact, some people seem to be afraid of many more things than others. The dad in the poem is not afraid of the things that seem really scary to his child, like ghosts and vampires. But he seems to be afraid of spiders in the bath, which can be quite a nasty experience. Having spiders or other bugs crawling in your tub is definitely not very pleasant but we can get rid of them rather easily if we want to.

Activity Critical thinking ● Identify ● Organise

NiE Activity 2 A phobia is an extreme and unreasonable fear of something. To some people, the fear of spiders can become so intense that it becomes a phobia, known as arachnophobia. In the table below, you will find a list of phobias. Match the phobias with their meanings correctly.

Problem solving ● Question ● Research

Phobia

Meaning

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

a. Fear of speaking in public b. Fear of flying c. Fear of enclosed spaces d. Fear of blood e. Fear of being out of mobile phone contact f. Fear of fire g. Fear of foreigners h. Fear of heights i. Fear of darkness j. Fear of thunder

NiE Activity 1 Critical thinking ● Identify ● Reason

Creative thinking ● Brainstorm ● Connect

A hero is someone we admire or look up to for many reasons. The child’s dad is his hero in the poem because he seems to be totally unafraid of anything (except for spiders in the bath).

In groups of four, think of 15 words that can be associated with heroes. At least five of these words must come from The Star. Cut out these words and paste them on one half of a sheet of A4 paper. Exchange your list with another group. Using the list that you now have, look for someone in The Star (in the form of a picture or name) whom you think fulfils the criteria for at least seven words from the list.

Problem solving ● Question ● Recreate

● Identify ● Reason

Creative thinking ● Imagine ● Brainstorm ● Connect ● Invent

Problem solving ● Recreate ● Present

Communicating ● Oral ● Written ● Aural

Collaborating Imagine if a ghost or monster knocked on your door, what would your reaction be? Also, how would you react if you saw a cockroach ● Listen ● Contribute in your bathtub? In groups of four, look for pictures of four people respectfully from The Star to represent a family (mum, dad, brother and sister). ● Attain goal Cut them out and paste them on a sheet of A4 paper. In the column on the right, write down what they would say if a monster knocked on the front door. In the column on the left, write down what they would say if they saw a cockroach in the bathtub. When you are done, display your work on the classroom walls and do a gallery walk.

EXAMPLE

ANSWERS 1. j 2. g 3. c 4. i 5. a 6. d 7. h 8. b 9. e 10. f

Tonitrophobia Xenophobia Claustrophobia Lygophobia Glossophobia Haemophobia Acrophobia Aviophobia Nomophobia Pyrophobia

Critical thinking

Communicating ● Oral ● Written ● Aural

Paste the Collaborating picture or name ● Listen on the same ● Contribute paper. Then, respectfully write a brief ● Attain goal description of the person, including reasons why you see him as a hero. Your description must include the seven words you have chosen from the list. When you are done, exchange papers again and comment on the work done by the other group.

Cockroach in the bathtub

Family member

Monster at the front door

-NiE ,

INTERMEDIATE Poem

What Is Red? Red is a sunset Blazing and bright.

Red is feeling brave With all your might.

Red is a sunburn Spot on your nose.

Sometimes red Is a red red rose.

Red squiggles out When you cut your hand.

Red is a brick And the sound of a band.

Red is hotness You get inside When you’re embarrassed And want to hide.

Fire-cracker, fire-engine Fire-flicker red – And when you’re angry Red runs through your head.

Red is an Indian, A Valentine heart.

The trimmings on A circus cart.

Red is a lipstick Red is a shout Red is a signal That says: ‘Watch out!’

Red is a great big Rubber ball.

Red is the giantest Colour of all.

Red is a show-off, No doubt about it – But can you imagine Living without it?

– Mary O’Neill

9 AUGUST 2017

Evoking emotions with colour A METAPHOR is a word or phrase that writers sometimes use when they want to make a comparison between two things that share a common characteristic.

In Mary O’Neill’s poem, you will find a number of metaphors as the colour red is compared to many things, ranging from the sunset to a rubber ball.

NiE Activity 1 Creative thinking

Critical thinking ● Identify ● Reason

● Organise

● Imagine ● Connect

Problem solving

● Invent

● Recreate

Communicating

● Present

Many images, feelings or memories can be associated with a certain colour. Some of the feelings mentioned in the poem include bravery, embarrassment and anger. In groups of four,

WHAT COMES TO MIND

COLOUR

● Oral ● Written

Collaborating

● Aural

● Listen ● Attain goal ● Contribute respectfully

complete the following table on a sheet of A4 paper.

Write down what comes to your mind when these colours are mentioned. (You can change the colours named in the table if you want to.)

GREEN

YELLOW

BLUE

Image Feeling Phrase (from The Star) Occasion or event Person (from The Star) Something in this colour (from The Star) Then, rewrite eight lines of O’Neill’s poem using the comparisons you have made of a colour. Illustrate your work with pictures or words from The Star. When you are done, take turns to present your work in class.

The Day the Bulldozers Came The day the bulldozers came Rooks were building Crazy egg baskets in the oaks; Green flies sizzled by the pond And a cold-eyed toad Waited for them.

David Orme’s poem depicts the innocence and helplessness of nature against destruction planned by Man. The animals are going about their usual activities, completely unaware that something big is going to change their lives.

The day the bulldozers came Squirrels were scattering Up tree trunks, And leapt from branches That were hardly there.

EXAMPLE

The fox Stirred in his sleep As the ground trembled.

‘Ha ha!’ he thought, ‘I’m quite safe, Deep down in the Earth, No one can get me here.’

Then the bulldozers came.

– David Orme

NiE Activity 2 Critical thinking ● Identify

The fox Stirred in his sleep As the ground trembled.

‘Ha ha!’ he thought, ‘I’m quite safe, Deep down in the Earth,

● Reason

Creative thinking ● Imagine

This stanza tells us the danger of becoming too secure in our comfort zones. We can become less alert and fail to watch out for danger signs. The fox believes that he is safe in his hole beneath the earth. He is thus completely unprepared when the bulldozers arrive.

In groups of four, look for an article or news report from The Star depicting a situation which could have been prevented, had people been more careful. Cut it out and paste it on a sheet of A4 paper. Discuss the situation and write down the measures that could have been taken to either prevent the situation from happening or minimise the negative effects. When you are done, take turns to present your work in class

● Connect

Problem solving ● Question

● Recreate

Communicating ● Oral ● Written

● Aural

Situation

Paste article here

Collaborating ● Listen ● Attain goal ● Contribute respectfully

Measures that could have been taken

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-NiE ,

9 AUGUST 2017

ADVANCED

Before anger turns deadly

Poem

A Poison Tree I was angry with my friend: I told my wrath, my wrath did end.

I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I watered it in fears, Night and morning with my tears; And I sunned it with smiles, And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night, Till it bore an apple bright; And my foe beheld it shine, And he knew that it was mine,

WILLIAM BLAKE’S poem depicts the possible harm that people who hold on to anger can cause. In the first stanza of the poem, the persona talks about how he resolved a situation with his friend after they had straightened things out. However, in a situation with another person (whom he considers a foe), the persona chose to remain silent about his anger. This caused feelings of resentment and bitterness to grow deep within him. He put on a false front, pretending all was well. He then planned for revenge, which ended with his unsuspecting foe being destroyed in the end.

NiE Activity 1

And into my garden stole When the night had veiled the pole: In the morning glad I see My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

– By William Blake

Critical thinking ● Identify

● Reason

Problem solving

Creative thinking ● Imagine ● Brainstorm

● Connect

● Question

Communicating

● Present

● Oral ● Written

● Aural

Collaborating ● Listen

● Attain goal

● Contribute respectfully

In the morning glad I see My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

In the last two lines, the persona is pleased to find that his plan to destroy his foe has succeeded. How long do you think this feeling of “gladness” will last?

What do you think is the best way to deal with someone who has caused you hurt?

In groups of four, look for an article from The Star

depicting a situation where a person (or persons) has caused harm to another person. Cut it out and paste it on a sheet of A4 paper. Discuss how the victim(s) should deal with the situation. Write brief notes on the same paper and take turns to present in class.

NiE Activity 2

NiE Activity 3

Critical thinking ● Organise

● Imagine ● Connect ● Brainstorm

Communicating

Collaborating

● Identify

● Oral

Creative thinking

● Written

● Listen ● Contribute respectfully

The Star’s SMS Your Views column is for readers to comment on current issues and topics. Imagine that A Poison Tree was published in The Star by the persona of the poem. In groups of four, create a text message of not more than 140 characters, in response to his post. Write it down on a sticky note and then paste it on the classroom noticeboard. Take turns to view all the comments.

● Attain goal

Problem solving ● Question

● Recreate

Critical thinking ● Identify

● Reason

Creative thinking ● Imagine

● Connect

Problem solving ● Question

● Recreate

A symbol is a literary device that writers sometimes use to convey concepts, ideas or meanings that are not obvious. It is also used to represent something else like a mood or emotion that can’t be shown.

In A Poison Tree, the apple is used as a symbol to represent the persona’s unresolved anger and bitterness, which resulted in the destruction of his foe.

Imagine that the persona decided to confront his foe and resolve the matter in a peaceful way. What symbols could he use as a gesture of reconciliation? In groups of four, look for an object from The Star to represent this gesture. Cut it out and paste it on a sheet of A4 paper.

Write down a description for it. Finally, display your work on one side of the classroom walls to form a Wall of Peace.

EXAMPLE

Communicating ● Oral

● Aural

Collaborating ● Listen ● Contribute respectfully

● Attain goal

-NiE ,

ADVANCED Novel

9 AUGUST 2017

Carving a new path

MINFONG HO’S Sing to the Dawn is about Dawan, a young Thai village girl. After learning that she has been placed first on a government examination, which earns her a scholarship, she is very excited. Her dream of studying in a city school is about to come true. But her brother, Kwai, who comes in second in the same examination, is very disappointed. He had been hoping to win the scholarship himself and is resentful that it should go to his sister. Not just that, Dawan’s father does not believe in having girls further their studies. Dawan is, however, determined to fulfil her dream. She seeks the support of others, including her timid mother, a Buddhist monk, a flower girl named Bao and a cousin who has lived in the city. Her grandmother also provides much needed encouragement. Despite the many obstacles that stand in her way, Dawan remains strong. She eventually breaks down her father’s resistance and also receives her brother’s blessing.

NiE Activity 1 Critical thinking ● Identify

● Reason

Creative thinking ● Brainstorm

● Connect

Problem solving ● Question

In the novel, Dawan fights for her right to education. In the end, we see her begin her journey towards her goal.

The right to education should be available to everyone.

● Present

Communicating ● Oral ● Written

● Aural

Collaborating ● Listen

● Attain goal

● Contribute respectfully

In groups of four, read the following extract, which is taken from an article in The Star about juveniles who are continuing their education in prison.

I DID not think I would get to continue studying when they sent me to prison.

“Actually, I did not even want to study,” says 21-year old Viknesh* who is under remand for murder and currently placed in Kajang Prison.

He has been sitting behind bars since December 2015. He was enrolled in Sekolah Integriti two months later.

The school, located within the prison, provides formal education to prepare juvenile inmates for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations.

After nine months of lessons from a team of dedicated teachers, Viknesh sat for the national examination and was the top scorer in the school with straight As in all seven subjects.

Armed with his SPM certificate but with not much chance of leaving prison anytime soon, Viknesh says he wants to pursue his diploma in business management, offered by Open University Malaysia for prison inmates.

– The Star, July 9, 2017

If Viknesh (not his real name) finishes his jail sentence and completes his diploma, what jobs do you think he could get when he is released from prison? On a sheet of A4 paper, list down three jobs that Viknesh could work at. Alternatively, name three companies that would be likely to employ him. Cut out at least one of these jobs from The Star and paste it on the paper. On the same paper, write down five qualities that you think are important for Viknesh to have in order to be employed after he is released. Take turns to present your work in class.

NiE Activity 2 Critical thinking ● Identify

● Reason

Creative thinking ● Brainstorm

● Connect

Problem solving ● Question

● Present

Communicating ● Oral

● Written

Collaborating ● Listen

● Attain goal

● Contribute respectfully

Dawan’s grandmother is a source of encouragement for Dawan. The following is an excerpt from the novel.

Dawan looked timidly at her father and this time their eyes met and interlocked. There was a long pause, then he spat out, “You took your own brother’s chance away from him!” He flung down the hammer he had been holding, and stalked away to the rice-fields.

The grandmother, mother and daughter all watched him stride away… For a while no one stirred, then the grandmother, putting a palm flat on each knee, slowly straightened up from her tree stump, and walked with slow careful steps over to Dawan.

“Child,” she said, touching her granddaughter’s hand lightly, “I’m proud of you.”

In groups of four, scan The Star for four people whom you think would be most likely to encourage Dawan in her pursuit of education. Cut out their pictures and paste them on a sheet of A4 paper. Write down a reason for each of your choices next to the pictures. Describe how these people can be supportive of Dawan. Display your work on the classroom noticeboard and take turns to view it.

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9 AUGUST 2017

Episodes 22 and 23

By: Dean Pitchford When the man said he had a gun, I just froze in me shoes.

Thank goodness the little guy wandered in.

That night, I dreamed that Chris was sitting on the edge of my bed, flipping through one of my schoolbooks.

Yesss!

Mum says my colour’s returning.

How’re you doing, Captain?

Little guy?

Whoa, Chris!

How are you?

Heist

A robbery (especially when money, jewellery or valuable art is stolen).

Armed Ferocious the Ferret was the mascot of the Fillmore Ferrets.

Carrying or having weapons.

On the way home, we had trouble.

One lucky student will get to take Ferocious home overnight!

Flipping

What is that?

Looks like a big long rat.

Turning over or turning through (pages).

Please welcome our mascot…

Ferocious the Ferret!

It’s got to be Captain Nobody.

Awesome!

It’s not a rat.

It’s a ferret.

Mascot

A person, animal or thing adopted by a group as its representative symbol and to bring good luck.

He’s their mascot, right?

In the mad scramble, the cage door opened and Ferocious shot up into the air.

Let go!

Stop it!

Dodged

g! n i o

Moved quickly to avoid being hit by something or someone.

B

Snorting

!

Honk

Omigosh!

Honk!

I watched in horror as Ferocious dodged and bobbed through the lanes of snorting cars and motorists.

Ferocious, come back!

Making a sudden harsh and explosive sound.

Honk!

Honk

!

Stop!

Stop!

!

Honk

QUESTIONS 1. What was Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan’s opinion about the person who had helped them during the attempted robbery?

2. What did Ricky Ratner want Newt to do for his cousin Reggie?