Topical Tuesdays: Here we go again… – KS2 News Story and Reading and Writing Activity Sheet from The Week Junior

On 5 November 2020, new lockdown rules came into force in England. The restrictions were introduced because of rises in the number of people with Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. But was this really necessary?

Of course, we have to protect vulnerable people such as the elderly but surely the rest of us could just carry on, as long as we take the sensible precautions of wearing masks, keeping our distance and washing our hands.

Are the rules simply over the top – or is this situation much too serious to take any chances with?

This resources pack includes an article from The Week Junior newspaper about the new lockdown, plus an activities sheet designed to get children thinking, talking and writing about what the story means to them.

Activities include:

• Debate whether another lockdown is really necessary? We know so much more about the virus now. Of course, we have to protect vulnerable people such as the elderly, but surely the rest of us could just carry on, as long as we take the sensible precautions of wearing masks, keeping our distance and washing our hands? Or is this situation much too serious to take any chances with? What do you think?
• One of the most famous poems about this season is To Autumn by John Keats. Write your own poem about this coronavirus autumn, based on the first verse of this Keats classic.
• Imagine you are back in the first lockdown of last spring. How did you cope? Write a letter to your autumn self, giving words of comfort and encouragement and offering tips on how to survive this latest surge in infections.
• Research the last great pandemic, sometimes known as the Spanish Flu, which began in 1918. Write a fact file about it, including any factors that made it more dangerous than this year’s coronavirus outbreak.

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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• News story
• Activities sheet