Ireland facing bankruptcy

A PROUD NATION FORCED TO ASK FOR MONEY

Ireland is a proud, independent nation. Historically, it suffered a long and painful struggle for independence from Britain.

This week, however, Ireland’s government had to admit that it’s going broke. Its banks are close to bankruptcy, nearly 200,000 homeowners may lose their homes and more than 13 per cent of its population is unemployed.

The country will have to borrow money—from Britain and other lenders—to stay afloat.

A team of 12 officials from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) arrived in Dublin, Ireland last week. They went over the country’s finances to figure out how to get it out of debt.

They decided that many of the countries in Europe would lend Ireland money, to the tune of $110-billion. Ireland will use that money to boost its businesses and kick-start its economy again.

In the meantime, however, having to go cap-in-hand to other countries is something many Irish people will consider shameful. The Irish Prime Minister denies that there is anything to be embarrassed about, but the proud Irish people, who would prefer to stand on their own two feet, feel differently.

In an editorial last week, the newspaper The Irish Times said that after having obtained independence from Britain, “we have now surrendered our sovereignty” to European lenders and the IMF.

This crisis may spell the end for the Irish Prime Minister, who faces an election on Nov. 25.

Source: Based on an article by Doug Saunders, The Globe and Mail.

Writing/Discussion Prompt: Metaphors
This article has tons of them: “stay afloat,” “kick-start its economy,” “cap-in-hand, “ “to the tune of $110-billion,” “stand on their own two feet,” “spell the end,” etc. Why are metaphors used by writers? What impact does a metaphor have on its reader?

Curriculum Prompt
Retelling, or summarizing, is a really difficult skill. Here’s an effective way to summarize a news article. Using a highlighter, highlight the five most important facts in the article (make sure that your facts are chosen from the beginning, middle, and end). Next, rewrite the facts you’ve highlighted in your own words.

Junior
Demonstrate understanding of a variety of texts by summarizing important ideas and citing supporting details (OME, Reading: 1.4)

Grammar Feature: “However”
Sentences with the word “however” in the middle must be preceeded and followed by a comma.

“This week, however, Ireland’s government had to admit that it’s going broke.”

“In the meantime, however, having to go cap-in-hand to other countries is something many Irish people will consider shameful.”

Peace Prize winner in Chinese jail

Liu Xiao Bo is the winner of the
2010 Nobel Peace Prize.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE AWARDED TO LIU XIAO BO

Each year, the person who has done the most to help world peace is given what is perhaps the globe's highest honour: The Nobel Peace Prize. Last year's winner was U.S. President Barack Obama.

The winner receives not only the respect and admiration of people around the world, but also a cash prize of over $1-million.

Last week, the winner for 2010 was announced. His name is Liu Xiao Bo and he was chosen because of his long history of non-violent protests for peace.

Unfortunately, Liu Xiao Bo may not even know he has won one of the world's most important awards. That's because he is in a prison in China.

Liu is serving an 11-year prison sentence for speaking out against the Chinese government. As the prize was being read out, Liu was likely sitting in the prison cell he shares with five other prisoners, reading a book.

The Chinese government blocked the news of the award on the Internet from the country's 1.3 billion citizens. In China, anyone who searched for "nobel peace prize," for instance, would get an error message saying the page could not be found. Any television station that mentioned his name or the prize was blacked out in China.

What did Liu do to deserve such treatment? He wrote documents saying that China should become a democracy and respect human rights. In some countries, such as China, speaking out against the government in this way can force you to be imprisoned or even tortured.

Shortly after the announcement, Liu's wife visited him in prison. She said she was going to tell him that he'd won the prize, but that has not been confirmed: right after her visit she was put under "house arrest" -- meaning she cannot leave her home -- and her telephone has been cut off.

Here are some official facts about the Nobel Peace Prize.

Curriculum Connection
How does hearing a similar article read aloud help you when you read a new article independently?
How does knowing specific words or phrases from speaking or listening help you as a reader?
How do discussions with the teachers or classmates in conferences help you as a reader?
What do you know about writing that helps you as a reader?

Primary
Explain, initially with some support and direction, how their skills in listening, speaking, writing, viewing, and representing help them make sense of what they read (OME, Reading: 4.2).

Junior
Explain, in conversation with the teacher and/or peers or in a reader’s notebook, how their skills in listening, speaking, writing, viewing, and representing help them make sense of what they read (e.g., using a particular form when writing enhances understanding when reading texts of a similar form) (OME, Reading: 4.2).

Grammar Feature
Use a comma to show introductory material. In this article several sentences begin with introductory material that is separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma. Read each sentence to your students, first with the introductory material and then without. Highlight the sentences that still make sense without the introductory material but now have less detail.

“Each year, the person who has done the most to help world peace is given what is perhaps the globe's highest honour: The Nobel Peace Prize.”

“Last week, the winner for 2010 was announced.”

“Shortly after the announcement, Liu's wife visited him in prison.”

Extension
Liu Xiao Bo has peacefully fought to spread democracy throughout China for a long time. Democracy is the belief that each person should be able to vote, and that there should be fair courts of law and basic human rights. What is a right? What rights do you think people should have? What should someone do if they are not being given those rights?

Canada gets a new Governor-General

Canada's new Governor-
General, David Johnston.

DAVID JOHNSTON APPOINTED GOVERNOR-GENERAL


Canada and the United States originally left England on very different terms. The United States broke ties with England completely, whereas Canada continued to be an English colony, accepting the British king or queen as its own.

Canada’s connection to Britain is maintained by a special head of state known as the Governor-General.

The Governor-General is the link between Canada’s Prime Minister and Britain’s Queen. To this day, when certain Acts of Parliament are passed, it is the Governor-General who obtains the Queen's signature. The Governor-General is also the Queen’s representative at official events such as military ceremonies.

The Governor-General is appointed by Queen Elizabeth II, on a recommendation from Prime Minister Stephen Harper. In reality, Stephen Harper chooses the person and Queen Elizabeth signs off on the appointment—and although it is unlikely that she would say no, technically she does hold that power.

There is no set time limit for a person to hold the office of Governor-General, but it’s usually about five years. There is a Canadian tradition of alternating between French-Canadian and English-Canadian Governors-General.

Since 2005, Canada’s Governor-General has been Michaelle Jean. However, she recently stepped down. Last Friday, Canada appointed its 28th Governor-General: David Johnston.
The former university professor said that his priorities as Governor-General will be supporting families and children; learning and innovation; and encouraging philanthropy and volunteerism. He said that we need to “cherish our teachers.” Johnston has a wife, Sharon, and five children, all of them girls.

Related Links
Here is the Governor-General's official website. On the site, notice the "coat of arms" that has been created specifically for  him.

Curriculum Connection

A previous Governor-General, the Marquess of Lorne, believed that the position of Governor-General was very difficult. He explained: "It is no easy thing to be a Governor-General of Canada. You must have the patience of a saint, the smile of a cherub, the generosity of an Indian prince, and the back of a camel."

Explain what the Marquess of Lorne means by his statement. Discuss what characteristics you think are important for Governors-General to have.

Primary
Express personal opinions about ideas presented in texts (OME, Reading: 1.8).

Junior
Make judgments and draw conclusions about ideas in texts and cite stated or implied evidence from the text to support their views (OME, Reading: 1.8).

Grammar Feature
Discuss the different ways in which words are made plural.

“To this day, when certain laws are passed, it is the Governor-General who goes to the Queen for her signature.” (add an ‘s’)

“The former university professor said that his priorities as Governor-General will be supporting families and children; learning and innovation; and encouraging philanthropy and volunteerism.” (change the ‘y’ to an ‘i’ and add ‘es’)

“There is a Canadian tradition of alternating between French-Canadian and English-Canadian Governors-General.” (exceptions to the common rules)

Extensions
Primary
Many previous Governors-General have backgrounds in politics. Michaelle Jean, who was the former Governor-General, was a journalist and broadcaster who did not have experience in politics. Do you think it is important for the Governor-General to be a politician?

Junior
One of the main roles of the Governor-General is to be “the link between Canada’s Prime Minister and Britain’s Queen.” This role is controversial because some people believe that Canada should separate itself from Britain; whereas other people think Canada should maintain its ties to the commonwealth. What is your opinion? Do you think the role of Governor-General is important, or do you think it is irrelevant?

21,000 free Metropasses

Image: Wikimedia Commons,
Adam E. Moreira

SHOULD THESE PEOPLE HAVE TO PAY TO RIDE THE BUS?

Recently, Toronto Mayoral candidate Rob Ford complained that more than 21,000 people in Toronto receive free TTC Metropasses. He said this was a case of wasted money and that these people should have to pay for their own bus and subway tickets.

At first, this number sounds shocking. It seems terribly unfair that more than 21,000 people in Toronto get to ride the buses and subway for free when the rest of us have to pay. But wait—looking at the individual numbers, we can see that there may be some grey areas.

Thirteen thousand (more than half) of those free Metropasses are given to TTC workers who fix and maintain the subway, streetcars and buses. Drivers use them to get to the appropriate stations to start and end their shifts. Without the free Metropasses, the TTC would have to pay for these people to take the TTC anyway.

Another 4,700 Metropasses are given to TTC retirees who have worked more than 10 years for the company. It's in their contract when they began working for the TTC that they would get this benefit. If the TTC didn't give them these passes, they would be sued.

Next, 3,700 passes are given to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) to give to its clients who are sight-impaired.

Eighteen Metropasses are given to war amputees—people who have lost limbs during wartime, fighting for Canada.

And 45 are given to the Mayor and City Councillors of Toronto. Those passes are in their contract as part of their pay.

There are some other passes given out to similar workers and employees of the TTC as well as a group that investigates the safety of the TTC and advises the Mayor about accessibility issues for physically challenged riders.

So while at first sight 21,000 free Metropasses seems like a waste of money... is it, really?

This article was based on an editorial by Carol Goar in the Toronto Star. Here is a link to her editorial, which has more information about the free passes.

Curriculum Connection
1. Is Councillor Ford treating Torontonians fairly by making everyone pay for the bus and subway? Or, is he treating many Torontonians unfairly by taking away important access to buses and subways for the people who need it most?

Primary
Express personal opinions about ideas presented in texts (e.g., identify traits they admire in the characters; comment on actions taken by characters) (OME, Reading: 1.8).

Junior
Make judgments and draw conclusions about ideas in texts and cite stated or implied evidence from the text to support their views (OME, Reading: 1.8).

Grammar Feature
The long dash (or "em-dash"): Highlight the use of the long dash throughout the story.

“But wait—looking at the individual numbers, we can see that there may be some grey areas.”

“Eighteen Metropasses are given to war amputees—people who have lost limbs during wartime, fighting for Canada.”

Extensions
1. Do you think the author of this article agrees with Councillor Ford, why or why not?

Primary
Express personal opinions about ideas presented in media texts (OME, Media Literacy: 1.3)
Junior
Evaluate the effectiveness of the presentation and treatment of ideas, information, themes, opinions, issues, and/or experiences in media texts (OME. Media Literacy:1.3)

Toronto's mayoral race

WHO WILL BECOME TORONTO'S NEXT MAYOR?
That's the question voters will answer on October 25, when they elect a new mayor to replace retiring Toronto Mayor David Miller.


Will Rob Ford be Mayor Miller's
successor, or will he be overtaken?
Stay tuned until Oct. 25!

It has been an exciting race so far, largely because of a former Toronto city councillor named Rob Ford. Ford has a "big personality" and doesn't hesitate to speak his mind. Many people thought that such a big and boisterous candidate could never succeed in the race to become mayor, but Ford came out as the early leader and has maintained that position.

In fact, if the election were to be held tomorrow, Ford would win with about 28 per cent of the voters choosing him. In second place would be another former councillor, George Smitherman, with 23 per cent of the votes.

How do we know who might win an election? Before most elections, companies are hired by the media to take "polls" to find out who people are thinking of voting for. They call hundreds or thousands of random voters and ask them, "If the election were held today, who would you vote for?" That way, we get an idea of who the front-runners are and who's not likely to be in the running.

In the Toronto election the main candidates are: Rob Ford, George Smitherman, Joe Pantalone and Rocco Rossi.

About 25 per cent of Toronto residents are either voting for someone else or still undecided about who they're going to choose. And that's a large margin of error - this election is still a toss-up. Stay tuned!

Curriculum Connection
1. How does the headline on this article help you understand what the article is about?
Primary and Junior
Identify text features and explain how they help readers understand texts (OME, Reading: 2.3).

2. Why do you think the headline was written as a question rather than a statement?
Primary and Junior
1.5 Use stated and implied information and ideas in texts to make simple inferences and reasonable predictions about them (OME, Reading: 1.5).

Grammatical Feature
Colon: Highlight the use of a colon within the article.

In the Toronto election so far the main candidates have been: Rob Ford (28%), George Smitherman (23%), Joe Pantalone (10%), Rocco Rossi (7%) and Sarah Thomson (7%).

Discussion Topics
Each mayoral candidate has put forward several ideas to improve the city. Some ways in which they propose to improve the city: increasing public transit, focusing on the environment and decreasing homelessness. In your opinion, what are the most important issues facing people living in Toronto?

Primary and Junior
1.6 Extend understanding of texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge and experience, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them (OME, Reading, 1.6).