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Topical Tuesdays: Thank you, Ma’am - Key Stage 2 News Story and Reading and Writing Activity Sheet from The Week Junior

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On 8 September, it was announced that Queen Elizabeth II had died at the age of 96. She had been Queen for 70 years and was Britain’s longest-serving monarch (king or queen). 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

Queen Elizabeth II reigned for 70 years. Many people have praised her dignity, humour and sense of duty. But is it asking too much to expect anyone to do the same job for that long? Isn’t it time to set an age limit after which they are expected to resign (abdicate)? Or is being monarch a different sort of job – one which does not follow the expected norms? What do you think?

Writing skills

Imagine you are a lady-in-waiting to a queen or an equerry to a king. Write an internal monologue (like a speech but one that details what you are thinking instead of what you would say out loud) as you follow them around on one of their official duties.

OR
Write a letter of application to be King or Queen of the United Kingdom. Make sure you show that you have a good understanding of what the job involves and explain why you think you would be perfect for the role.

Investigate

Our national anthem will now change from God save our gracious Queen to God Save our gracious King. Most of us know the first verse by heart but do you know the second and third verses? Find out what they are, copy them out, then annotate them, suggesting which lines or words you might change and why.

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
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