CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

1) Alternative class discussion

The group of pupils is divided in two. All the pupils are lawyers. The first group represents the father, the second group the victim. They have to discuss from that point of view. (defend father or victim). The teacher plays the role of judge and he or she can point those lawyers who are allowed to speak,... .

Statements can be:

  • If she really believed strongly, she wouldn't have chosen someone from another religion to marry.
  • The father has to be put in jail for life.
  • The boy, who caused all this trouble should be punished
  • Religion is no reason to kill your own daughter
  • parents always have to accept the lover of their children

OR...

The pupils have to make up their own statement on the news report and present it to the class themselves.

2) Improving the listening of the pupils:

  • pictures: pupils work in pairs. They all get a picture of something that is talked about in the news report. (The murder weapon, a religious object,...) they have to try and tell something more about the object in their picture after listening to the news. They have to relate the object to the news report. Afterwards; the teacher pretends he is a show host. He starts asking some questions to the pupils and they have to answer.
  • poems: the pupils get (in pairs or alone) a song text, a poem,.... First they read the poem. Then they have to listen to the news report. After listening, they have to relate their piece of text with the news report.

Poems / song texts

(see: improve listening activity)

poem: freedom

Things would be funny
viva this
kicking ass and watching the Man run
viva that
But he’s baaad
the People
real bad
are the makers
and he don’t mess around
of history
But neither do the People
all Power
when they put their minds to it
Right on
Brothers and Sisters
better believe it
We the People
united
can do anything
will never
May take some time
be defeated
Because fear/fire/deceit and self-hatred
slow/scare/silence and bring us down
gambatte
But we know
si se puede
love is patient
truth constant
and freedom...
Well, freedom begins now

poem marriage

By Karen DeLuca

By these vows I covenant

our bond as man and wife

I pledge that God has joined us here

for now and all my life.

By these vows you now possess

my honour, heart and hand

my help, my home, my love, my life,

yours always to command.

By these vows I ask you

to be steward of this gift

to keep as sacred all the love

that He has blessed us with.

If sorrow, pain and sickness

come into our married life

By these vows and with God's strength

we'll conquer every strife.

By these vows I marry you

in reverence, hope and faith

May God in heaven consecrate

our union with His grace.

song: I will always love you

If I should stay

I would only be in your way.

So I'll go but I know

I'll think of you

Every step of the way.

And I will always love you.

I will always love you.

You my darling you, mmm ...

Bittersweet memories,

That is all I'm taking with me.

So goodbye, please don't cry.

We both know I'm not what you, you need.

And I will always love you.

I will always love you.

Instrumental

I hope life treats you kind

And I hope you have

All you've dreamed of.

And I wish for you joy

And happiness.

But above all this, I wish you love.

And I will always love you.

I will always love you. (4x)

I, I will always love you.

You, darling I love you.

I'll always, I'll always love you.

song: true love

While I give to you
And you give to me
True love, true love
So on and on
It will always be
True love, true love
For you and I have a guardian angel
On high with nothing to do
But to give to you
And to give to me
Love forever true
But to give to you
And to give to me
Love forever true
Love forever true

poem childhood

Childhood

The innocence I once had as a child is now gone.

Now I work and labour all day long.

The games I used to play.

Are memories pushed deeper within each day.

The scent of flowers in bloom.

Is the memory of my mother’s sweet smelling perfume.

My childhood gone with the blink of an eye.

Now away from my home do I fly.

Flying away from years of games.

Flying farther and farther away.

As I mature and become what I am to be.

My life is a book for all to read.

As I struggle in adulthood.

I remember the things of my childhood.

I wish I could be as I once was.

To once again hear my mothers [sic]sweet songs of love.

But cherished memories I left behind.

Will stay with me the rest of my life.

The innocence I once knew.

Should be kept safe in a flower's bloom.

Held so close to my heart.

Warming all it parts.

So it is better not to wish such things.

For all those memories are still with me.

The memories never gone.

Even when I labor all the day long.

Pictures

These are some examples. We’ve put some larger pictures in at the end of this paper.

3) Writing skills

The pupils have to write a letter to the Prime Minister of England. In their letter they have to react to what happened with Heshu or Ana-Marie (they can choose on which topic they give their comments).

The pupils have to put 2 essential parts in the letter:

1. They tell the Prime Minister why they are against this activity.

2. They offer solutions to make sure this will never happen again.

Afterwards some pupils can read their letters and the other pupils can comment on the solutions the pupils offer in their letters (do the others agree, what would they change about the solutions,…). They can discuss their solutions and talk about how you can put this to an end.

4) Using the internet

Before you watch the video with your pupils, you can also give them a pre-assignment. You can give them some questions about the Muslim culture. The pupils have to look for answers on the internet.

This way, pupils already know something about the Muslim culture. They get to know that culture and have a bit more background about it before they watch the news report about Heshu.

Worksheet: questions on the Muslim culture
Answer these questions by using the internet.
  1. Give the name of the Muslim “god”.
  2. Give the name of the holy Muslim book.
  3. Who was Mohammed?
  4. There are 5 important things Muslims must do in their lives. Name those 5 things and explain them briefly.
  5. Where is Mecca and why is it important?
  6. What do Muslims say about Jesus?
  7. What is the position of women in the Muslim culture?
  8. What is “jihad” and what have you heard about it on the news?