Making our voices heard. Identifying facts, opinions and speculation.

Master facts, opinions, and speculation! Critical ELA practice.

Watch the video about Shannen's Dream. New vocabulary invest to spend time, money or energy on something you think is good or useful the masses the ordinary people in society indigenous people the first people to live in a country (noun phrase) aboriginal referring to the first people to live in a country (adjective) inspirational describing a person, feeling or thing that makes you want to do something or gives you exciting new ideas representative a person who has been chosen to speak or act for somebody else or for a group Listen to the radio programme about Attawapiskat Elementary School (click here). Who are the First Nation people? Kate thinks that Shannen is very famous around the world. true false Shannen believed that children needed education as preparation for life. true false Shannen wrote to children all over Canada and asked them to support her campaign. true false The announcement from the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs in 2008 was probably very disappointing for Shannen. true false The Attawapiskat community cancelled the school trip in order to pay for their representatives to travel to Ottawa. true false Shannen thought that the First Nation children had special rights to education. true false Shannen moved to New Liskeard because the school there had better facilities. true false The new school in Attawapiskat will probably not have a gym or a music studio. true false When you listen to people discussing, it is important to identify and distinguish between facts, opinions and speculation. Sort out the following statements. FACTS (what you know is true) Shannen asked children to write letters. The Attawapiskat community cancelled the school trip in order to pay for their representatives to travel to Ottawa. Shannen moved to New Liskeard because the school there had better facilities. The government spent $400,000 on the environment last year. The government spent $5 million on education last year. OPINIONS (what you think or feel about something) Shannen BELIEVED that children needed education as preparation for life. Kate THINKS that Shannen isn't very famous around the world. Shannen THOUGHT that all children had a right to education. IT'S MY VIEW THAT the government didn't spend enough money on environment last year. SPECULATION (opinions about something without knowing all the details or facts) The announcement from the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs in 2008 was PROBABLY very disappointing for Shannen. The government MAY focus on education in the next year. The new school in Attawapiskat MIGHT have a gym or a music studio. PERHAPS the government will invest more money in education next year. Match the halves to form phrases. building design learning environment press conference government's decision cancel a graduation trip Fill in the gaps with appropriate prepositions. Do you believe in me?You remind me of him.I can always rely on you.They suffer from corona virus.Why are you laughing at her?Don’t yell at them! depend on along in against hope about for over of campaign about for over of protest against in of on agree over along with towards concentrate in for on to shout at on to against smile at on to towards Open cloze - think of one word that fits the gap. Bob: I have Kate Hagan in the studio today, author of Twenty-One Great Young People of the Twenty-First Century. Kate and I are going to talk aboutsome inspirational young people. Kate, let's start withShannen Koostachin. Tell us something abouther. Why is she inspirational?Kate: Yes, hello, well it's amazing that Shannen isn't more famous, really. She should be! Shannen Koostachin belonged tothe First Nation community which lives inthe Attawapiskat Reserve in Ontario, Canada. Formany years, the school in Attawapiskat wasn't ina proper building. The children learned in temporary classrooms withbad heating and lighting. And what's more, the classrooms were right on top ofsome badly-polluted field. The government made several promises torebuild and improve the school, but nothing ever happened. Shannen believed inher community's right toa proper education. Inher opinion, children rely ona decent education toprepare them forlife. She was determined to fight for that education.Bob: So, what did she do?Kate: She set upa campaign and asked children fromaround Canada towrite to the government and support her community's demands fora new school. She made YouTube videos and used Facebook. Thousands ofchildren wrote tothe government, but then, in2008, the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs announced that there wasn't enough money fora new school.Bob: I'm sure that was a huge disappointment forShannen. She had a huge amount ofsupport from her community though, didn't she?Kate: Yes, she did. The Attawapiskat community cancelled its graduation school trip to Niagara Falls and used the money to send three school representatives, including Shannen, to Ottawa. The children insisted on meeting with officials to protest against the government's decision. At a press conference there, Shannen said, 'All students in Canada deserve a learning environment that they are proud to attend, that gives them hope. We want the same hope as every other Canadian student.'Bob: They were amazing children. Tragically though, Shannen died in 2010, didn't she?Kate: Yes, Shannen was killed in a tragic car accident in 2010. She was only fifteen years old. At the time, she was no longer living in her community. She moved to New Liskeard, Ontario in 2009 because she wanted to attend a school with decent facilities. But she still cared about her community in Attawapiskat and she never stopped fighting for that school. Shannen was the face of a new generation of First Nation people. She made sure that the First Nation children were not forgotten. And now there's a campaigning group called 'Shannen's Dream'. They are still fighting for better educational facilities for First Nation people in Canada.Bob: And will there be a new school in Attawapiskat?Kate: Yes, there will! The government has finally approved the building design, which includes plans for a gym, a library, a music room, a café and a computer lab.Bob: Great news! Let's move on to the next ... Who was Shannen Koostachin? Why was she inspirational?