Topical Tuesdays: Acts of Kindness During Covid – KS2 News Story and Reading and Writing Activity Sheet from The Week Junior

In amongst all the stories about isolation, infection, panic-buying and closures that accompanied the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, this positive and uplifting report takes a look at just a few of the amazing acts of generosity and community spirit that the current crisis is inspiring – from postcards offering neighbourly support in Cornwall, to communal singing in Italy and exercise classes on Spanish balconies.

This PDF resource includes this article, as well as accompanying activity ideas:

• Find your five favourite kindness quotes from throughout history and don’t forget to mention who said them. Challenge: pick your absolute favourite and write a paragraph about why you think it is a particularly powerful message.
• Write a letter to a grandparent or any other person you know who is over 70 and has had to isolate themselves in order to stay safe. Make sure you give your letter a kind, reassuring tone that will make them feel hopeful, remembered and entertained.
• Write an acrostic poem where the first letter of every line spells out the word K I N D N E S S when you read it down the page.
• While it is admirable that people have tried to help each other, there is always a danger of them doing something that might accidentally put others at risk, even if they never meant to. Therefore, should we leave all acts of care and support to state run organisations such as the Police, NHS and Social Services? That way, everyone would get a fair share of what is available. Or is it better for people to help out where they can, as long as they follow government guidelines? Even if we are staying away from each other, there is still plenty we can do. What do you think?

Find the entire series of Topical Tuesday resources to download here.

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 schools.theweekjunior.co.uk.

This resource is part of the News Activities Archive collection.
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