NiE Eng 2017 (Vol 483)

Vol 483

WEDNESDAY 4 OCTOBER 2017

Elementary When disaster strikes Advanced Every life is precious BRATs Tribute to teachers

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

A gathering storm >9

Supported by the Ministry of Education

4 OCTOBER 2017

Elementary

Environmental disasters 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.

When disaster strikes

NO ONE can tell when and where a disaster will happen. Disasters are major events that disrupt our everyday lives. Apart from causing huge damage to things, disasters can also result in deaths. There are many types of disasters such as natural disasters, environmental disasters and man-made disasters. Natural disasters such as tornadoes, floods and droughts happen because of extreme changes in weather. Environmental disasters take place as a result of mankind’s actions which have negative effects on the environment. Nuclear explosions, widespread diseases and oil spills in oceans are some examples of environmental disasters. Some natural disasters can cause environmental disasters, too.

NiE Activity 1 Critical thinking ● Identify

● Reason

● Identify ● Reason ● Measure ● Organise

Creative thinking ● Imagine ● Brainstorm

A man wading through floodwaters from Hurricane Irma in a Florida neighbourhood. — AFP

A. Frantic search for Mexico quake victims (Sunday Star, Sept 10, 2017)

B. Mercury threat from fish (The Star, Aug 10, 2015)

C. Strangling haze plagues Klang folk (The Star, Aug 21, 2017)

D. Infectious diseases making comeback (The Star, July 19, 2017)

E. Drought leaves 237,000 people thirsty in central China (The Star, Sept 26, 2016)

F. Four missing after tsunami presumed dead (The Star, June 22, 2017)

NiE Activity 2 Critical thinking

Critical thinking

From the headlines given below, identify those that show natural disasters and those that show environmental disasters.

Answers:

-NiE ,

Natural disaster: A, E, F; Environmental disaster: B, C, D

2

● Identify ● Reason

Creative thinking

Problem solving

● Question

● Imagine ● Connect

Army roped in as storms cause chaos in NZ AUCKLAND: Christchurch, the largest city

on New Zealand’s south island, has declared a state of emergency amid a severe storm which has already seen hundreds of homes evacuated across the Pacific island nation, highway cuts and soldiers called in to help provide emergency services.

(Sunday Star, July 23, 2017)

Communicating ● Oral ● Written ● Aural

A. Where did the disaster take place? ________________________________________ ________________________________________ B. What type of disaster was this? ________________________________________ ________________________________________

Collaborating ● Listen ● Contribute respectfully

C. What do you understand by the phrase “a state of emergency”? ________________________________________ ________________________________________ D. What type of help would you need if you were a victim of this disaster? ________________________________________ ________________________________________

● Connect ● Invent

Problem solving ● Question

NiE Activity 3 Critical thinking ● Identify ● Reason

● Research ● Recreate ● Present

Communicating ● Oral

Natural disaster

In pairs, read the excerpt below and answer the questions that follow.

Creative thinking

Problem solving

● Question ● Research

● Imagine ● Brainstorm ● Connect

Communicating ● Oral ● Written ● Aural

Collaborating ● Listen ● Contribute respectfully ● Attain goal

In groups of four, look in The Star for an article featuring a natural disaster and another article featuring an environmental disaster. Cut out the articles and paste them on a sheet of A4 paper. Read the articles carefully to identify the victims and the help offered to them. Write down your answers. Then, discuss among yourselves what you could do as a group to help those affected.

The victims

Help offered

How you could help

The victims

Help offereded

How you could help

Paste article here

● Non-verbal ● Written ● Aural

Environmental disaster

Collaborating ● Listen ● Contribute respectfully

Paste article here

● Compromise ● Attain goal nie editorial manager: SHARON OVINIS senior nie executive: ROWENA CHUA writer: JAY MENON 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 Environmental disasters

Critical thinking ● Identify ● Reason

Creative thinking

Children lighting up candles during a vigil on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the industrial disaster in Bhopal.

— Filephoto

Match the types of environmental disasters with their correct definitions.

i. Caused by overfarming of lands

B. Health disaster

ii. Caused by radiation from nuclear leak

C. Agricultural disaster

iii. Caused by the introduction of a new species to the environment

D. Industrial disaster

iv. Caused by the spread of a fatal contagious disease

E. Nuclear disaster

v. Caused by factories that release harmful substances into the environment

Problem solving

● Reason

● Question

● Aural

● Research

Collaborating

Communicating ● Oral ● Written

● Listen ● Attain goal ● Contribute respectfully

In pairs, read the article on the right and answer the questions that follow.

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is responding to a chemical leak at 166 Kallang Way, which has injured nine people. The injured were sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, and Hazardous Materials (HazMat) officers are at the scene.

SCDF said in a Facebook post that it was “alerted to an incident at 166 Kallang Way” and deployed its resources there. It added in an update that it dispatched two fire engines, a fire bike, three support vehicles and two ambulances to handle a chemical leak incident, which it said was “contained within a sealed production room in the premises”.

“The leak has been shut off,” wrote SCDF. At around 3.15pm, SCDF officers were seen removing boxes from the premises. The company involved is a wafer production firm.

A 38-year-old engineer who declined to be identified said that the gas alarm was triggered due to a leak that happened on the third floor of the building.

“I was working on the second floor, and it happened in the clean room of a production area,” he said, adding that he could not smell anything.

He also said: “We were not worried, because we have had evacuation drills.”

SCDF said in its Facebook post that StarHub mobile subscribers within the immediate vicinity of the incident would have received an advisory message urging members of the public to stay away from the area.

A. List out five words that you do not understand from the article. Can you guess the meaning of the words? Next, look up the definition of the words using a dictionary. Did you guess the meaning correctly?

Word

Answers:

Nine injured in chemical leak incident in Singapore

Critical thinking ● Identify

E. ii

NiE Activity 1

D. v

A. Biodiversity disaster

C. i

Definition

B. iv

Environmental disaster

A. iii

● Connect

3

Banding together for a cause ONE of the worst environmental disasters in history is the Bhopal gas tragedy, which took place in Madhya Pradesh, India, in 1984. Poisonous gases were released into the air due to a leakage in Union Carbide, a chemical factory whose company is headquartered in Texas, the United States. Investigations showed that the leakage happened due to human carelessness.

Around 3,500 people were killed soon after the gas spread over Bhopal, while up to 25,000 died in the years that followed as a result of the effects. Those living near the factory who survived suffered related illnesses, while women gave birth to children with deformities.

Activity

4 OCTOBER 2017

My guess

(The Star, July 19, 2017)

NiE Activity 2 Critical thinking

Definition from dictionary ● Identify ● Reason

B. What do you think could be the reason for this incident? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ C. What are some steps that the company can take to prevent such an incident from happening again? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

● Measure

Creative thinking ● Imagine ● Connect ● Brainstorm

Problem solving ● Question ● Research

● Present

Imagine that the Social and Welfare Club in your school has launched a project to help victims of natural and environmental disasters. As the club has limited funds, it can only select one group of disaster victims to help. Your class has been chosen to do the selection.

In groups of four, look in The Star for an article about a disaster you feel strongly about and whose victims you think you can help the most. Cut it out and paste it on a sheet of A3 paper. Write down your points to support your choice.

Next, as a group, present your choice to the class and persuade them to choose it as the cause to champion. After all the groups have presented, take a class vote to decide which disaster victims to help. What were some things that your class considered before making their decision?

Communicating ● Oral ● Written

● Aural

Collaborating ● Listen ● Attain goal ● Contribute respectfully

A. Disaster: ______________________________ B. Place: ________________________________ C. Date: _________________________________ D. Cause: ________________________________ E. Victims: _______________________________ Paste the article here

F. Help offered: ____________________________ G. We feel strongly about this disaster because ____________________________________ ____________________________________ _______________________________ H. We can help the victims by _______________________________________________ ____________________________________ _______________________________ I. We feel that the Social and Welfare Club should choose to help these victims because _________ ____________________________________ _______________________________ ____________________________________ _______________________________

4

-NiE ,

4 OCTOBER 2017

INTERMEDIATE Our fragile planet

A little effort goes a long way

OUR planet is unique as the air and water composition makes it a perfect home for all types of living creatures, including us. This is the reason why we frequently refer to our planet as Mother Earth as she nourishes and gives us the sustenance that we need to live well. However, over the years, we have been greedily taking all the goodness that our planet has to offer and have sorely neglected to look after it.

Global warming, deforestation and pollution, which can all be attributed to our irresponsible actions, have made our once beautiful earth into a fragile planet. Don’t you think it’s time for us to do all that we can to save our home?

Sea ice melting on the Franklin Strait along the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. — AP

NiE Activity 1 Creative thinking

Critical thinking ● Identify ● Reason

● Measure

● Brainstorm ● Connect

Communicating ● Oral ● Written

● Aural

When you think of our earth, what are some words that come to your mind?

Give yourself one minute and write down as many words as you can that you associate with earth. At least three of these words must be taken from The Star. Then, get together in groups of four. Compare each other’s lists. Are there any similar words? Do most of the words give a positive or negative impression of our earth? What do you think the choice of words that you and your friends have written say about the condition of our planet?

NiE Activity 2

A. Creative thinking

Critical thinking ● Identify

● Reason

● Brainstorm ● Connect

Problem solving ● Question ● Research

● Recreate ● Present

Collaborating

Communicating ● Oral ● Written

● Aural

● Listen ● Attain goal ● Contribute respectfully

A headline often provides a good clue to the content of an article. In pairs, read the headlines given below, as well as the accompanying extracts. Based on the headlines and extracts, guess what the articles are about. What do you think the main theme is? Check the answers given to see if your predictions are correct.

Headline 1:

Headline 2:

(The Star, July 27, 2017)

(Star2, July 19, 2017)

OSLO: Scientists are sucking carbon dioxide from the air with giant fans and preparing to release chemicals from a balloon to dim the sun’s rays as part of a climate engineering push to cool the planet.

Backers say the risky, often expensive projects are urgently needed to find ways of meeting the goals of the Paris climate deal to curb global warming that researchers blame for causing more heatwaves, downpours and rising sea levels.

The United Nations says the targets are way off track and will not be met simply by reducing emissions for example from factories or cars. They are pushing for other ways to keep temperatures down.

In the countryside near Zurich, Swiss company Climeworks began to suck greenhouse gases from thin air in May with giant fans and filters in a USD$23mil (RM98mil) project that it calls the world’s first ”commercial carbon dioxide capture plant”.

If buried underground, vast amounts of greenhouse gases extracted from the air would help reduce global temperatures.

The new Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia Centre (PAM) in Kuala Lumpur leads the way in green design.

The open atriums promote cross ventilation, while squarish openings and skylights promote natural lighting, cool the building, and reduce the use of electricity.

The roof terrace is an area filled with greenery that contains the building’s solar system.

More importantly, the centre received the highest rating of platinum under the national Green Building Index (GBI).

The index is a rating system that was developed by PAM and the Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia in 2009.

Buildings are awarded ratings based on six key criteria: energy efficiency, indoor environment quality, sustainable site planning and management, materials and resources, water efficiency, and innovation.

“As PAM is behind the GBI, we have to walk the talk. Hopefully, this building will serve as a showcase for what we are capable of doing,” said PAM past president Saifuddin Ahmad.

The article is about _________________________________________________

The article is about _________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Green by example

Sucking carbon dioxide to cool planet

The main theme is _________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ What are some other ways your community can help to keep the earth’s temperatures down? In groups of four, brainstorm ideas and then design a mind map proposing at least five ways your community can play a bigger role in this regard. Use words and pictures from The Star to make your mind map more attractive. Next, present your ideas in class. Finally, after all the presentations are done, the class should decide on the five ways that are the most practical and effective.

Ways my community can help to keep the earth’s temperatures down

Answers:

The United Nations says the targets are way off track and will not be met simply by reducing emissions for example from factories or cars.

They are pushing for other ways to keep temperatures down.

Article 1 is about a method that scientists have invented to suck carbon dioxide from the air to overcome climate change; Article 2 is about a new building built by architects using green technology to set an example to others.

The main theme is about conserving and protecting our planet.

B.

-NiE ,

INTERMEDIATE Our fragile planet

4 OCTOBER 2017

9

An urgent wake-up call

WE have no one to blame but ourselves for the environmental damage we face today. Ironically, we also hold the solution to remedy some of the damage and stop further harm to our planet. The key is to educate everyone on the importance of conservation and most importantly, put it into practice in every aspect of our lives. For example, every household can make a difference by using less energy. We can also use renewable energy such as wind and solar power. If we manage our resources carefully, we will ensure the survival of the human race for generations to come.

NiE Activity Critical thinking ● Identify ● Reason

● Measure ● Organise

Creative thinking ● Imagine ● Connect ● Brainstorm ● Invent

Problem solving ● Question ● Research

● Recreate ● Present

Communicating ● Oral ● Written

● Aural

Collaborating ● Listen

Read the article below which has been adapted from Sunday Star.

A tropical cyclone left destroyed cars and houses in its wake. — Filephoto

This is happening, people

MANGAI BALASEGARAM star2@thestar.com.my In decades to come, Malaysia may become simply unlivable, with extreme, bakinghot temperatures, if we take no action against climate change – the slow warming of our planet from heat-trapping “greenhouse gases” released by industry and agriculture.

The report, released last month by the Asian Development Bank and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, predicts a 6°C rise in global average temperatures by the century’s end if humans do nothing about global warming.

This could cause “drastic changes” to the climate, the report says, with 50% more rainfall and more flooding, as well as more intense typhoons and tropical cyclones.

You can imagine the devastation to our fisheries and agriculture sectors.

Even with a 1.5°C temperature increase, 89% of coral reefs are expected to suffer from serious bleaching, the researchers point out.

We are already seeing changes in our climate. Heatwaves are on the rise.

Heatwaves in Western nations in recent years have led to tens of thousands of deaths.

In 2016, temperatures were super hot in the northern states. Temperatures rose to more than 39°C in Chuping, Perlis, and Alor Setar last year. The heat got so bad

people were advised to limit outdoors activities. There were also water shortages with dams filled at 50% less than capacity.

Sure, cities do feel hot because of the “urban heat island effect” from the loss of trees and the many buildings, but even taking that into account, temperatures are rising.

Last month, a massive iceberg – roughly the size of Bali – reportedly broke away from the Antarctica ice shelf. Although the melting ice at the poles is a common image of climate change, it’s the tropics that are going to get hit first, studies show.

Species physiologically designed to live in the tropics might not be able to cope with climate change.

Consider, even the human body only functions at a narrow range around 37°C. Heatwaves that can raise body temperatures can thus be extremely dangerous to health. Heat-related deaths in the region among the elderly are set to rise (to about 50,000 by 2050, says the World Health Organization), and more people may die of diseases spread by mosquitoes, such as malaria and dengue.

Some countries are doing better on renewable energy – which is now very affordable – than others. Why so? What’s holding us back? And how do we improve our energy efficiency? We waste far too much energy.

There isn’t much hope, and very little time left. We need to act. Fast.

(Sunday Star, Aug 13, 2017)

● Attain goal

● Contribute respectfully

Part A

Extreme, baking-hot temperatures

More intense typhoons and tropical cyclones

More rainfall and flooding

1. In groups of four, imagine how lives would be affected, if the following changes to the climate happened. Then, using pictures and words taken from The Star, design a flow chart for each change, to depict the various scenarios that could play out.

What conclusion can you derive from this activity? In not less than 150 words, write it down as a group.

Next, individually, make a pledge to combat climate change and global warming.

Group conclusion: _________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

Your pledge:

U N Based on the report cited in the article, Malaysia may become unlivable in decades to come, if we L take no action against climate change. Now, in I the same group, come up with an acrostic poem V using the word “unlivable”. Then, recite the A poem in class.

B L E

Part B

I _______________ (your name) pledge to

I _______________ (your name) pledge to

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

Part C

____ (your action). I hope that ____________

____ (your action). I hope that ____________

_________________________________

_________________________________

________________________.

________________________.

In pairs, look in The Star for three articles that highlight ways on improving energy efficiency. Cut out the headlines and paste them on a sheet of A4 paper. Then, write down the recommended ways or actions.

Next, reflect on the recommendations. Do you think they are useful? Rank each on a scale of one to five, with one being the most useful way to help our planet, and five being the least. Share your findings in class. Give reasons for your ranking. Do your classmates agree with you? End your presentation by persuading your friends to follow the recommendations.

I _______________ (your name) pledge to

I _______________ (your name) pledge to

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

____ (your action). I hope that ____________

____ (your action). I hope that ____________

_________________________________

_________________________________

________________________.

________________________.

Finally, as a group, present your work in class.

Article

Recommendation

Rank (How useful is it?)

10

-NiE ,

4 OCTOBER 2017

ADVANCED

Man-made disasters

Every life is precious

HAVE you watched the movie Deepwater Horizon? The movie is based on a true event that took place in 2010 aboard an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Methane gas was released in the process of drilling for oil and it ignited and exploded, killing 11 people and injuring many others. Apart from the human lives lost, massive damage was done to the environment as tonnes of oil spilt into the sea, making it the largest, marine oil spill to date.

As the oil spread, it affected the habitats of wildlife and marine life, killing countless of species. Although rescue operations were set up and people worked continuously to clean the beach areas, the devastating effects of this man-made disaster can still be felt today.

Fire boat response crews spraying water on the blazing remnants of the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig. — AP

NiE Activity 1 Critical thinking ● Identify ● Reason

● Organise

Creative thinking ● Connect

Problem solving ● Question ● Research

● Recreate ● Present

Communicating ● Oral ● Written

● Aural

Collaborating ● Listen ● Attain goal ● Contribute respectfully

Using articles, pictures and words taken from The Star, design a timeline chart to show man-made disasters that have taken place in the last five years. Write a short description for each of the disasters in the space given.

Work on this activity in groups of four. Discuss why these disasters happened. Do you think that they could have been prevented? Next, present your work in class.

NiE Activity 2 Creative thinking

Critical thinking ● Identify ● Reason

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

● Measure ● Organise

Problem solving ● Question ● Research

● Imagine ● Connect ● Brainstorm ● Invent

Communicating

● Recreate ● Present

Read the article below.

● Oral ● Written ● Non-verbal ● Aural

Collaborating ● Listen ● Attain goal ● Contribute respectfully

Mumbai building collapse death toll rises to 17 MUMBAI: Rescuers stepped up a desperate bid to find victims buried under the rubble of a collapsed building in Mumbai as the death toll rose to 17.

The disaster, which occurred in the northern suburb of Ghatkopar on Tuesday morning, was the latest to shine a spotlight on poor construction standards in India.

“Seventeen have died and 28 people have been rescued,” Tanaji Kamble, a disaster management spokesman for Mumbai’s civic administrative body, said.

Some bodies were found during the night. Rescuers, using diggers, sifted through the debris yesterday morning in the hope of finding more trapped survivors.

Building collapses are common in India, especially during the

monsoon season from late June to September.

India’s financial capital is particularly vulnerable with millions forced to live in cramped, ramshackle properties because of rising real estate prices and a lack of housing for the poor.

The city has been hit by several deadly building collapses in recent years, often caused by shoddy construction, poor quality materials or ageing buildings.

The chief minister of Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital, ordered an investigation into the latest incident after reports that renovation work was going on at the site at the time of the collapse.

In 2013, 60 people were killed when a residential block came crashing down in one of Mumbai’s worst housing disasters.

A dilapidated building left 12 people dead when it collapsed near

Parties responsible

Part A The city has been hit by several deadly building collapses in recent years, often caused by shoddy construction, poor quality materials or ageing buildings.

What do you think are some actions that the authorities in Mumbai can take to prevent such a disaster from happening again? Discuss in groups of four.

Part B Building collapses are common in India, especially during the monsoon season from late June to September.

Imagine that a non-governmental organisation has asked you to create a oneminute radio public service announcement (PSA) to raise awareness of building collapses, especially during the monsoon season. What would you include in the radio PSA? Discuss in groups of four. Then, perform the PSA in class, like how radio DJs do it.

the city in August 2015. Nine people died the same month when another old three-storey building collapsed in monsoon rain in the Mumbai suburb of Thakurli. — AFP (The Star, July 27, 2017) Rescuers searching for survivors on the second day after the building collapsed in the Ghatkopar area of Mumbai. — AP

Actions that can be taken

Shoddy construction Poor quality materials Ageing buildings

Tips:

Part C

● What message do you want

Imagine that you have been given a chance to interview a survivor of the Mumbai building collapse. What are some questions you would ask him? Brainstorm ideas in groups of four. Then, as a group, plan the survivor’s answers. Next, carry out the Q&A session before the class. Finally, as a class, vote for the most engaging interview.

to convey and who are your target audience?

● How would you draw your

listeners’ attention?

● Provide factual information

to support your message.

● Make your PSA short and

straightforward.

-NiE ,

ADVANCED

Man-made disasters

NiE Activity 1 ● Identify ● Reason

● Measure ● Organise

11

Weathering it out DISASTERS – natural or man-made – can happen at anytime and anywhere to anybody. What would you do if you were in such a situation? Do you know any survival methods that you can fall back on? Believe it or not, there are schools that teach the techniques of survival which can be used in any situation. The

Creative thinking

Critical thinking

4 OCTOBER 2017

Problem solving

● Imagine ● Connect ● Brainstorm

● Question

Imagine that you and three of your friends are having a holiday on a cruise ship. However, in the middle of the sea, a fire breaks out and the ship begins to sink. You and your friends manage to save yourselves using a lifeboat. However, none of you know where you are or how long it will take for help to reach you.

In groups of four, look in The Star for 10 items that all of you would need in such a scenario. Cut them out and paste them on a sheet of A3

Item

Rank

● Present

Communicating ● Oral ● Written

● Aural

oldest survival school can be found in Utah in the United States. The Boulder Outdoor Survival School (BOSS) was set up in 1968 and is known for its rigorous training in preparing its students for the eventuality of a disaster. Would you be interested in such a survival course?

Collaborating ● Listen ● Attain goal ● Contribute respectfully

paper. Then, rank the items according to the order of importance (with one being the most important and 10 being the least) for you to survive while waiting to be rescued. Give reasons for your answer.

Next, share your list with your classmates. Do all of you have similar answers? As a class, come up with a top-five list that all of you agree on.

Finally, write down the final list in the table below (complete with pictures and reasons).

Some essentials that would come in handy in times of trouble.

Reason

NiE Activity 2

1

Creative thinking

Critical thinking

2

● Identify ● Reason

● Measure

● Imagine ● Connect ● Brainstorm ● Invent

Problem solving ● Question ● Present ● Recreate

3 Communicating

4

● Oral ● Written

5

● Aural

Collaborating ● Listen ● Attain goal ● Contribute respectfully

In groups of four, read the article below, which has been adapted from StarMetro. Then, answer the questions that follow.

An app for quick updates on disasters

Registered CePAT users will receive updates on disasters within a 10km radius of their location.

KUALA LUMPUR folk can now get quick updates on disasters through a free service called CePAT, an app by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

“The main function of the app is to connect government agencies and the public to give information on disasters faster and in a more effective manner so that response can be quicker, more organised and effective,” said DBKL Socio-Economic Development executive director Datuk Ibrahim Yusoff.

He added that the app provided information on rainfall, air pollution index, warnings on floods, landslides, accidents, fires, fallen trees, earthquakes, tsunamis and temporary relocation of flood victims.

DBKL would be working with agencies such as the Meteorological Department, Department of Environment, Fire and Rescue Department, police, Road Transport Department and Public Works Department to get information and respond to incidents.

“The public can also help by reporting and giving us information on disasters if they are at the scene of the incident,” said Ibrahim.

To use the app, users need to download the Telegram app and search for @mycepat on the app. Users then click “start” and the system will instruct users to register their phone numbers.

Then, click “update location” to receive reports of any disaster within a 10km radius of their current location. Users would need to update their location on the app in order to receive updated reports.

Ibrahim said they would monitor the effectiveness of CePAT and then find ways to expand the app including integrating it with Waze.

“I want to see the response time of the emergency response team and revise the action plan if necessary,” he said.

Ibrahim urged the agencies involved to respond to reports such as accidents within five minutes.

(StarMetro, July 19, 2017)

NiE Activity 3

A. List the pros and cons of CePAT in the table below.

PRO

CON

Creative thinking

Critical thinking ● Identify ● Reason

● Organise

● Imagine ● Connect ● Brainstorm ● Invent

Communicating ● Oral ● Written ● Non-verbal ● Aural

B. Discuss four ways to improve the app to make it more efficient and user-friendly.

Then, do a short presentation on an improved version of the app. Ask your classmates for some feedback on your “product”. Which version do they prefer, the original one or yours?

Problem solving ● Question ● Recreate ● Research ● Present

Collaborating ● Listen ● Attain goal ● Contribute respectfully

Imagine that it is “Raise Awareness Week” in your school. Look in The Star for an article on a man-made disaster (including fires or accidents) that has occurred in our country. In groups of four, pick out information from the article that can help raise awareness among your schoolmates about the following: ● How man-made disasters can be prevented; ● What to do in these types of disaster; and ● Where to go to seek help.

Then, discuss how you would present the information to your schoolmates. For example, you can design a poster or perform a skit. Decide on the method of presentation and then carry it out.

12

Star-NiE

WEDNESDAY 4 OCTOBER 2017