On 5 January, four people were found not guilty of causing criminal damage to a statue of Edward Colston. Colston was a 17th century slave trader. The four helped roll the statue into the harbour during protests in Bristol, England, in 2020. 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.
Debate
Why do we still need statues of once-famous people? Many of them are put up to celebrate people and events that no longer matter to our lives. Worse still, some honour individuals whose values we now disagree with. Surely, they do nothing to enhance our public spaces. Or are they actually an important part of our culture? Do they provide a useful introduction to aspects of our history, good and bad? What do you think?
Writing challenges
Think of someone who should have a statue put up in their honour. Write a persuasive article explaining why they deserve it, using paragraphs to organise your ideas.
OR
Write an imagined dialogue between a statue and a pigeon that lands on it. Make it as serious or humorous as you like but remember to use the conventions of a playscript.
Investigate
What is the nearest statue to your school or home? Research the person it represents and write a fact file about them and their achievements.
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 https://schools.theweekjunior.co.uk.