Tools for Primary Learning

Exercise 6: Adapted from 'Drought Leaves Ethiopia Facing Food Crisis' 12th Feb 2016 by Sean Banville Several international charities have issued a warning about a looming humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia.  The North African country has been hit by  its worst drought in 50 years.  It is widely expected that emergency food aid for 10 million Ethiopians will run out  unless more funds can be raised.  John Graham, the head of the charity Save the Children  said, "The international community has less than three weeks to raise  $245 million to fund the charity's emergency food aid programme to prevent  a likely increase in severe malnutrition cases."  The money will go towards supplying food  for the starving Ethiopians.  He added, "If the funds do not come  in time, there will be a critical shortage in the food supply and many Ethiopians will die from hunger ." Ethiopia, with a population of over 102 million, is Africa's secon...

Exercise 5: The Balinese Puppeteer Bali is an island of Indonesia visited by throngs of holidaymakers.   The Balinese shadow playing otherwise known as wayang kulit , is a good portrayal of Bali’s rich culture.   The man behind the wayang kulit is more than a mere puppeteer controlling the puppets which cast the shadows depicting the characters and story.   He also needs skills that are difficult to come by today. The puppeteer, or dalang has to be dexterous with his fingers , as all ten of them are put to use to control his intricately decorated leather puppets.   He has to cause them to spring at each other, give gestures or stand at a corner - whatever the story demands.   A good dealing must have a good knowledge of Balinese folk stories to draw a crowd.   Dalangs who hardly know of an appealing story would not be able to make much of a living as every member of the audience is required to pay to watch the performanc...

Exercise 4: Dementia  Dementia is an illness that affects the brain and its ability to function.   It is not a normal part of ageing and is worse than forgetfulness.   It is an illness that leads to the decline of the brain and its abilities in judgement, language, planning and behaviour.   It can affect adults of any age, although it is more likely to occur in those above sixty years old. There is no cure for dementia.   However, being able to detect dementia from its onset and seeking the right help early can make a positive difference in the lives of people with dementia and their family members.   Moreover, early detection and treatment can slow down the profession of the condition and is important for the effective management of dementia. People with dementia may ask a question repeatedly because they cannot remember that you have given them the answer.   They often forget things they have just been told or done. ...

Exercise 3: Sports | Rugby   Rugby is a game that uses an oval-shaped ball.   Many people believe that rugby developed from football.   In 1823, William Webb Ellis from Rugby School carried the ball during a football match .   This ball-carrying play by Ellis spread to a number of other English public schools.   In 1839, students at Cambridge University tried it and called it ‘Rugby’s game’, referring to the name of the school Ellis attended. Today, the game is most popular in countries like Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the United States, Italy, Argentina and France.   The game is played with 15 men on each side . The aim of the game is for each side to attempt to ground the ball beyond their opponent’s goal line and score the most points in the match. A rugby match is played on a field that extends no more than 100 meters in length from one goal lines to the other.   A goalpost stands in the centre of...

Exercise 2 :  Biography of Albert Einstein Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany in 1879.   He is still regarded as one of the greatest scientific and mathematical geniuses in history. Einstein began schooling in Munich around 1886.   As well as violin lessons, which he took from age six to thirteen, he also had religious classes at home where he was taught Judaism. Two years later, he entered an educational institution.   He loved to stud y Mathematics as he had a passion for the subject. Einstein attended secondary school at Aarau, before moving to Zurich where he studied Mathematics and Physics for four years.   He graduated in 1900 as a teacher in these subjects.   After temporary teaching positions , he joined the patent office in Bern as a technical expert. Einstein worked in this patent office from 1902 to 1909, holding a temporary post when he was first employed .   However, by 1904 the position was made permanent . ...

Exercise 1 : Historic background of badminton Do you know how badminton came about?  It evolved from a 5th century Chinese game that involved kicking a shuttle.    A later version of the sport was played in ancient Greece and India with rackets. British army officers brought a revised type of the game back to Britain from India in the mid-19th century.   In 1873, the Duke of Beaufort introduced the game to royalty at his country estate, Badminton House, and the sport became known as badminton.   Four years later, the Bath Badminton Club was formed and the game played by its members formed the basis for the game played today.   Badminton soon spread beyond Britain to the rest of Europe and to countries around the world.   It became especially popular in Asia and North America, where the game was often played.   The only major change through the years was in the playing equipment.   Lightweight rackets made of al...