Topical Tuesdays: Aid for Pakistan - Key Stage 2 News Story and Reading and Writing Activity Sheet from The Week Junior

On 30 August, Pakistan and the United Nations launched an emergency appeal asking countries for £138 million to help people in Pakistan who have lost their homes in record-breaking floods.This resources pack includes an article from The Week Junior magazine, along with a sheet of activities designed to get children thinking, talking and writing about what the story means to them.

Oracy

The floods in Pakistan are devastating, and of course our instinct is to help those affected by them in any way we can. But why should it take a disaster of this scale before wealthy nations step in to support poorer countries? Shouldn’t everyone have their basic needs taken care of, no matter where they happen to have been born? Or is it right that individual governments should look at taking care of their own citizens first? What do you think?

Writing skills

Imagine that you are a UN ambassador, visiting the leader of a very rich country in the hope of convincing them to give aid to Pakistan. Write a speech in which you explain why it is important to help, and what the benefits would be for everyone involved. Make sure to use a formal tone, and your most persuasive language.

OR

Think of a time when you helped someone, or when someone helped you – perhaps by lending something that was needed, or simply being a good friend. Write a poem about how it felt. It doesn’t need to rhyme, but it should include at least one simile or metaphor.

Investigate

Flooding is just one kind of natural hazard that can lead to a natural disaster such as the one happening in Pakistan at the moment. Can you find three other types of natural hazard? In each case, give an example of where it has occurred in the world, and what the impact on the local community has been.

Find the entire series of Topical Tuesday resources to download in our Topical Tuesdays collection.

What is The Week Junior?

The Week Junior magazine looks at current affairs and helps children make sense of the world, provides context and clarity to complex issues, improves general knowledge and encourages discussion and debate.

To find out more about The Week Junior and to download its free resources, please go to The Week Junior website.

• News story
• Activities sheet