Pictures of cartoon characters on the walls of a children’s centre have been painted over, following orders from a Member of Parliament (MP). It happened at the Kent Intake Unit in Dover, England.
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
They were only child-friendly pictures. So isn’t it rather chilling to order them to be painted over? What harm can a few pictures do?
Do young people from around the world really seek asylum in the UK, partly in order to see cartoons on walls?
Or is it right to make our immigration assessment centres seem less welcoming? Don’t we do enough for them just by listening to their cases? Isn’t it one of the many ways we can help to reduce the number of people trying to enter our country illegally? What do you think?
Writing skills
What do you think the cartoon characters would have felt about being painted over? Write a short, imagined dialogue between two of the characters shown in the photo that accompanies the article. Make it as humorous or serious as you like but remember to use the features of a playscript.
Or
Imagine people really felt drawn to this country because of the artwork on the assylum centre walls. Write a mock entry for a tourist guide to the UK as if the artwork were a major attraction. Remember to use powerful descriptions and persuasive language.
Investigate
Mickey Mouse is obviously a well-known cartoon character but his name has also acquired another meaning. Find out what that meaning is, then write a dictionary definition for it, including a couple of examples of sentences showing how it might be used.
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.