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Kind language

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                                                                 https://manninglive.com/stories/manning-high-school-students-using-text-program-to-send-positive-messages,20818 What do you see in the picture? What do you notice? Can you predict what this story is about? A High school in South Carolina USA noticed students were using unkind language at school and home. Students were choosing to use negative comments and the effect on the school community was... What do you think the effect was? The school felt all the  negative comments were making their children feel unhappy. Why do you think that was? One of the teachers, Leila McCoy, was concerned her students were just being unkind to each other.  Miss McCoy says she talked abut her mother; "I was always told by my mother that everything is doable and everyone i...

Dancer

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                               https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jun/08/experience-i-am-a-one-legged-tap-dancer What do you see in the picture? What do you notice about the person in the photo? What do you think their job is? Evan Ruggiero is a professional dancer. He has worked in theatres around the world and in 2018 danced at the Oscars. He was nominated for 'Outstanding actor' at the' Drama Desk awards. Is there anything in the photo that surprises you about Evan being a dancer? In 2010 Evan had to have his right leg amputated following an illness. He says, "I was self conscious in the early days, especially when people would draw their children away from me."  What is self conscious? Why do you think people would draw their children from him? What does that show about some people and attitudes towards difference? What would you say to those people? Evan quickly adjusted to his new life;...

Football

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                                     https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/nov/08/friendships-forged-football-terraces-fans What do you see here, where are they, what do you you notice, what do you think this story is about? The photo shows Caroline and Mickey at the Birmingham City football ground. Mickey is 70 years old and he used to sneak under the turnstiles as a child to get in to matches. He met a friend, Bill, who he would stand next to.  When he was 18, Mickey joined the official supporters club and could go to the home and away matches with his friend, Bill. Bill had white skin and Mickey had brown skin. 50 years ago in the 1970s, some people said Bill shouldn't be friends with Mickey because they had different skin. What do you think Bill said?  Caroline is Bill's daughter and remembers going to matches with her Dad and Mickey as a child in the 1970s. Caroline remember...

Remembrance day

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  What do you see here? Where do you think it is, what is it for? What is this story about? The photo shows poppies cascading down a church wall, for Remembrance day. What is Remembrance day? This week people across the country are remembering the soldiers who died in World War 1, World War 2 and other conflicts. It is a time to give thanks to all those who gave service. How long ago were the world wars? Why do we still remember people who were in a war over 100 years ago? At 11:00 on 11th November, people across the UK observe a two minute silence.   Why do we do this? Lots of people wear poppies and there are ceremonies and march in London where a poppy wreath is laid at a war memorial by the King. Why do people wear poppies? The reason we wear poppies is because after World War 1, poppies grew on fields where the battles were held. The poppies have become a symbol of remembrance, not just to those who died in World War 1, but for all those who have died on behalf of th...

Winner

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  What do you see here? What do you think is happening, who do you think they are, what have they just done, what is the story here? This photo went viral over summer. It shows a boy standing on the winner podium and wearing a medal after wining a race.  But there is something unusual about the photo and what the boy is doing; can you spot it? There are three people on the winners podium. Why do you think this is, can you think of an explanation? After his race the boy was awarded first place and two other boys were awarded second and place. They each had a podium to stand on showing the first, second and third place. But the winner did something different; what did he do? The winner invited his competitors to stand with him on the top place and put his his arms around each to make sure they didn't fall off. Why did he do that? Should you stand on the winners podium if you came second or third? Is that fair? One comment said, "This simple but powerful gesture showed that for h...

Mountain

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  https://thedailyguardian.com/world/japan/the-102-year-old-who-dared-mount-fuji-but-did-he-truly-conquer-japans-tallest-peak-649904/ What do you see in the picture? Do you know the name of this or where it is? What might the story be here? This is mount Fuji in Japan. Mount Fuji is 3,766m tall and one of the tallest mountains in the world.  What kind of person do you think you have to be to climb this mountain? What does a mountaineer look like? This year Kokichi Akuzawa broke a world record to become the oldest person ever to climb Mount Fuji.  Thinking about how fit you have to be to climb that high and that far, how old do you think Kokichi was? Kokichi was 102 years old. Kokichi says, "I was really tempted to give up half way through  but my friends encouraged me. I managed to get through it because  so many people supported me." How do you think his friends supported him? What might they have said when he wanted to give up? Kokichi trained for 3 months to ...

super diversity

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                                    https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/white-handsworth-trader-blasts-derogatory-32628305 What do you see in the picture, who do you think this is? What is he doing, what do you think this story might be about? David Volante is a store manager in Handsworth, Birmingham.  Where is Birmingham? Birmingham is one of the most diverse cities in the UK, which over one million people call home. It is known as an area of super diversity. What does diversity mean? What do you think super diversity means? Many of those people were born in Birmingham, some moved here. Every single resident is unique. What does unique mean? The photo shows David Volante outside his store in Handsworth, a part of Birmingham where there are many different ethnicities living together.  David says he has encountered "nothing but respect" from the residents of Handsworth sin...