Teacher Toolkit

These follow-up guides help teachers and parents support children as they listen, ask questions, share ideas and learn how news can affect their communities.

The guides should be used alongside the Grade 3 learner materials. Adults do not need to give children every answer. Instead, they should help children slow down, return to the information and explain what they understand in their own words.

The News Nobody ExplainedListen · Question · Check

In this material, Leila hears a report about plans for new homes near Meadow Park. She understands part of the report, but she still has questions.

Children practise:

• listening for important information;
• identifying who, what and where;
• asking a useful question;
• explaining what a council does;
• using new vocabulary and spelling words.

How adults can help

Read the story aloud slowly.

After reading, ask:

What did Leila hear?Who was mentioned in the report?Where might the new homes be built?What does Leila still want to know?

Allow the child to speak, point, draw or plan an answer in another language before responding in English.

Do not tell the child what to think about the new homes or the park. The first goal is to help the child understand what the report actually said.

Useful adult reminder

A child may say:

“The council is taking away the park.”

Return to the report and ask:

“Did the report say that the whole park will be taken away, or did it say that the council is discussing new homes on part of the park?”

This helps the child separate what was heard from what has been assumed.

Listen · Think · Share

In this material, Leila tells her classmates about the report. Her teacher helps the class slow down and separate three important things:

• what the news said;
• what someone thinks or feels;
• what the class still wants to know.

Children practise identifying:

Fact

Something the news said that can be checked.

Opinion

Something a person thinks or feels.

Question

Something that is not yet known.

How adults can help

Ask the child to retell the story before completing the written activities.

Use these questions:

What did Leila tell the class?What did the original news report actually say?What did some people think about the new homes?What does the class still need to find out?

Encourage the child to listen to different opinions without laughing at, interrupting or dismissing another person.

Useful adult reminder

Children may confuse a strong feeling with a fact.

For example:

“The new homes will destroy the park.”

Ask:

“Was that stated in the report, or is it something someone is worried might happen?”

The aim is not to stop children from expressing concern. The aim is to help them explain whether they are sharing a fact, opinion or question.

Introduction

This teacher guide supports Senior One English – Food, Unit 1: A Taste of Uganda.

The unit combines Food with Finding Information, helping learners practise reading, summarising, listening, speaking, research and writing through one connected theme.

The guide includes teaching notes, suggested answers, a model summary, video and listening support, and guidance for the final scenario task.