School trips and family holidays were badly disrupted after coaches, cars and lorries at the Port of Dover, in south-east England, were stuck in long queues that started on 31 March. 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
You would be forgiven for thinking that politicians can’t give an honest assessment of Brexit. Those who were against it seem to want to blame it for every problem we have faced since then. Those who were for it, on the other hand, say that any difficulties we have encountered are pure coincidence. So, in this debate, we wanted to see how Brexit has affected you and your family personally. Do you think that things have got worse, what with higher prices, poor service in shops because of the lack of staff and no sign of the promised money for the NHS? Or is your family feeling the benefit of fewer rules, booming business due to better global trade and the sense that we have taken back control of our country? Or have you not noticed any difference and feel that any problems are due to unrelated issues such as the pandemic and the war in Ukraine? What do you think?
Writing skills
Imagine you were going on holiday with your classmates but spent most of it on a coach waiting to board your ferry at Dover. Write a postcard to friends or relatives, describing your experiences in the traffic jam as if they were a wonderful part of the whole holiday package.
Or
Just for fun (or as practice for being a politician) write a short speech arguing passionately for something that no one could possibly approve of, such as chopping down all the trees in our country or changing our national language to French. Remember to use your most persuasive language and include specific benefits, such as money saved or increased convenience.
Investigate
Write a fact file about Dover. Aim to research and briefly outline between five and ten interesting points about the town and its surrounding area.
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.