Miners to be out tomorrow

Chile, in South America, is where 33
miners have been trapped for
two months. Image: Wikimedia.

CHILEAN MINER RESCUE

Tomorrow, 33 miners in San Jose, Chile are expected to see their families for the first time in two months.

That’s because they have been trapped, 600 metres below ground, in a mine shaft. They became stuck underground when some tunnels in the gold and copper mine they were working in collapsed.

After the accident, the Chilean government quickly drilled two small tunnels down to the miners to give them fresh air, water and food. However, they knew that it would take much longer to drill tunnels big enough to lift them out of the hard rock ground.

In the meantime, their families along with government officials and more than 1,200 reporters from around the world, built a camp aboveground to give the miners daily supplies and to communicate with them.

The miners had to co-operate to live in the small underground space. They set up daily routines for exercise, work (taking away rock debris from the tunnels) and recreation such as playing chess and cards.

It was originally thought that the miners wouldn’t be out in time for Christmas. However, the drilling has been quicker than expected. The first miners will be lifted out of the mine today.

The miners will have “new lives” when they come out. The whole world is interested in hearing the story of how they survived underground for so long. The Chilean government, and some newspapers and TV stations, will pay them a lot of money to tell their story. They will have to deal with reporters taking their pictures and asking them a lot of questions.

Their story is almost certain to be made into a movie. In fact, the miners have already started writing a book about what they have been going through. It began as a journal, in which they logged their meals and activities. It will have some interesting characters, including "the athlete," Edison, who jogs several kms a day in the tunnels, and "the electrician," Alex, who found a way to hook the miners' lamps to truck batteries to keep them charged.

The miners have also been watching videos on how to deal with reporters and avoid questions they don't want to answer. Most of the miners have already been offered plane tickets around the world to tell their story on TV shows.

The miners are expected to reach the surface around noon tomorrow.

Curriculum Connection
When we read, we are constantly working to understand what is written. One of the strategies that we use when we are reading is to determine what information is important. Use a highlighter or a pencil crayon to identify the most important pieces of information in the article.

How do you know that this information is the most important?

How do you think this strategy helps us as readers?

Primary
identify, initially with some support and direction, what strategies they found most helpful before, during, and after reading and how they can use these and other strategies to improve as readers (OME, Reading: 4.1)

Junior
identify the strategies they found most helpful before, during, and after reading and explain, in conversation with the teacher and/or peers, or in a reader’s notebook, how they can use these and other strategies to improve as readers (OME, Reading: 4.1).

Grammar Feature
Homophones are words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings. An example of a homophone is: miner and minor. A miner is a person who works in a mine. A minor is someone who is (in Canada) less than 18 or 19 years old, depending on the province.

As a class, think of some examples of homophones and discuss their different spellings and meanings.

Extensions
In order to survive, humans need food, water, air and shelter. But, is this enough? The miners who were trapped had all of their basic needs met, but they also required exercise, daily work, communication with the outside world and recreation in order to keep their minds and bodies healthy. What do you think you need in order to survive and to be happy in your own life?

Before the mine collapsed on the 33 men, they were ordinary people who were working hard to make a living. When they come out of the mine, they will be emerging as celebrities. If you were one of the miners who was trapped, how would you react to this drastic change in your life?

"Doc" Halladay pitches a no-hitter

FORMER JAYS PITCHER MAKES HISTORY

Baseball pitcher Roy Halladay has done something no other pitcher has done since 1956. The pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies pitched a no-hitter in the playoffs.

A no-hitter means that Halladay, whose nickname is “Doc,” pitched to 28 batters, and not one of them was able to hit their way to first base. It may not sound that hard, but it is -- and it doesn’t happen very often. Most pitchers go their whole careers without ever pitching a no-hitter.

And to do it in the playoffs is even rarer.

And here’s something even more incredible. This is Halladay’s second no-hitter this season. There haven’t been two no-hitters in one season since 1973. In fact, there have only been five pitchers ever in the history of the game to do that.

No wonder Phillies fans are calling this month, “Doc-tober.”

To get his no-hitter, Halladay threw 104 pitches. The main pitches he used were a fastball, a changeup and a curve ball.

Halladay used to be a Toronto Blue Jay. He pitched for the Jays from 1998 until 2009, when he was traded to the Phillies.

He got the nickname “Doc” from a Blue Jays announcer, who borrowed it from famous wild west gunslinger Doc Holliday.

Curriculum Connection
Today’s article states: “Most pitchers go their whole careers without ever pitching a no-hitter. And to do it in the playoffs is even rarer.”

Why do you think it would be more difficult to pitch a no-hitter during the playoffs?

Primary and Junior
make inferences about texts using stated and implied ideas from the texts as evidence (OME, Reading: 1.5).

Grammar Feature
In school, students are often taught that they need to write in paragraphs, which should be about five sentences long. This article (and most articles in newpapers, magazines and journals) doesn’t follow that rule. For example, in this article, some paragraphs are one or two sentences long.

Why do you think journalists write in this style? Do you think it is effective?

Extensions
Roy Halladay played for the Toronto Blue Jays between 1998 and 2009. Even though he was an excellent pitcher, many Americans had never even heard of him until he left Toronto and played for the Phillies.

If you were a professional athlete, would you choose to stay in Canada and play for a Canadian team, or would you choose to play in the United States?

Stink bugs in Mississauga?

Image: Lildobe, Wikimedia Commons

THIS BUG REALLY STINKS

Don’t accidentally step on a bug called the Halyomorpha halys. If you do, your running shoes will smell awful. When crushed, the bug emits an odour even worse than a skunk’s!

That’s probably why the bug is more commonly known as the “stink bug.”

There are more problems with the stink bug than just its odour. It also eats fruit and vegetable crops. In fact, it’s such a problem for farmers that researchers in the United States have spent nearly a million dollars to figure out what to do about it.

Until recently, the stink bug has been living – and bothering farmers – on the east coast of the U.S.

However, last week someone spotted a stink bug in the Greater Toronto Area. Square One shopping mall in Mississauga, to be exact.

A Western Ontario University student, who has been studying plants and animals that live in southern Ontario, noticed the stink bug at the mall. He said he also saw one last year around this time.

Mississauga’s pest control office says they haven’t had any other complaints about stink bugs, so it’s not likely that the bugs are going to pose a big problem any time soon in Toronto. But it’s something that farmers may want to keep an eye on.

In the meantime, people in Mississauga may want to consider this: in some parts of the world, the stink bug is considered delicious. It’s pounded together with spices, chillies and herbs and eaten as a side dish with rice. Yum.

Curriculum Connection

According to this article, workers at the pest control office in Mississauga and farmers in America and Canada dislike stink bugs because they ruin vegetable and fruit crops and they smell bad.

Retell this story from the point of view of the stink bug. Try to convince your audience that you are not a threat.

Primary
identify the point of view presented in a text and suggest some possible alternative perspectives (OME, Reading: 1.9).

Junior
identify the point of view presented in texts; determine whether they can agree with the view, in whole or in part; and suggest some other possible perspectives (OME, Reading: 1.9).
Grammar Feature
Draw students’ attention to the use of dashes in the following sentence: “Until recently, the stink bug has been living – and bothering farmers – on the east coast of the U.S.” Discuss why the dash is used in this sentence.
Extensions for Primary and Junior
Create a recipe featuring the stink bug as the main ingredient.
Craft the journey that the stink bug could have taken from the east coast of the United States to Mississauga.

Rowlings hints at possible new HP book

ANOTHER HARRY POTTER ADVENTURE?

Might Harry Potter be called into service again, to keep the wizarding (and Muggle) world safe from the likes of Voldemort and his accomplices?

The answer is: "maybe."

It's not much, but as anyone who's ever asked his parents for a new video game knows, it's better than "no."

Author J. K. Rowlings is open to the possibility that she may write another Harry Potter book. Or maybe even a few more.

That's what she told talk show host Oprah Winfrey in an interview recently.

The characters are still in her head, Rowlings said, and she "could definitely" write more books in the series.

The Harry Potter series, beginning with Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone and ending with the seventh novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, brought Rowling international fame. More than 400 million books have been sold worldwide. The series also made her one of the richest women in Britain, according to Forbes magazine.

With wealth have also come pressures, such as reporters searching through her trash and constant pestering from the paparazzi.

So will we see another Harry Potter novel in the very near future? Probably not very soon. Rowling says she's moved on to a new phase in her writing.

In the meantime, kids can always close their eyes, wave a wand... and make a wish.

Curriculum Connection
Today’s article contains several words and names that may be difficult for a young speller to pronounce. Identify and examine these words.

Primary and Junior
Predict the meaning of and rapidly solve unfamiliar words using different types of cues, including: semantic cues, syntactic cues, and graphophonic cues (OME, Reading: 3.2).

Grammar Feature
Alert students to the quotations around one and two word statements. Why does the author do this? What affect does it have?

"maybe."

"no."

"could definitely"

Extensions
Primary
The Harry Potter series is very famous. The author of this series has made a lot of money making these books and they have helped her become famous. After writing seven books, J.K. Rowling decided to stop writing these books.
If you are a fan of these books, what would you tell her to convince her to keep writing them?
If you do not like the Harry Potter series, what would you tell her to convince her that she should be writing different types of books?
Lastly, if you are unfamiliar with these books, why do you think someone would stop doing something that they are very good at?

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)

Mystery lottery winner in Burlington

WHO RIGHTFULLY OWNS $12.5-MILLION TICKET?
Someone in Burlington, Ontario may be $12.5 million dollars richer – and not even know it.

In 2003, someone from Burlington or St. Catherines bought a lottery ticket. After the lottery draw, they went to a store called Variety Plus in Burlington to see if they’d won anything.

They had – they’d won a free ticket. But they never received that ticket, presumably because the employee at Variety Plus lied and kept the ticket for herself.

That free ticket went on to win the jackpot - $12.5 million dollars.

The store manager’s sister claimed the prize, and in December 2003 was given $12.5 million.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) is the organization that collects the money people pay for lottery tickets, and gives out the prizes. They had no idea that the woman was not the true owner of the ticket.

She would never have gotten caught, except that in 2007 there were a lot of these kinds of thefts, with people who sell lottery tickets keeping the winnings for themselves.

That prompted the OLG to take a closer look at ticket sellers, and to put safeguards in place to stop such thefts. It also made them take another look at past winnings, and the OLG became suspicious about the 2003 case.

The woman, and two of her relatives, have been charged with fraud and money laundering and if they are convicted, may go to jail.

In the meantime, there’s someone out there who is the rightful owner of the $12.5 million lottery ticket. Who is it? Police are using sophisticated computer programs to figure that out. They’ll look at where the person bought other tickets in the past to figure out where he or she might work and live. They also have some other clues they’re not telling the public, which might help them find the person.

But it’s likely the person will never be found. So in the meantime… did you or your parents visit Variety Plus in Burlington in 2003?

Curriculum Connection
Why do writers use different types of sentences in their writing?

Short sentences: “They had – they’d won a free ticket.” (to make exact, clear points)

Long sentences: “The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) is the organization that collects the money people pay for lottery tickets, and gives out the prizes.” (to provide detailed information)

Questions: “So in the meantime… did you or your parents visit Variety Plus in Burlington in 2003?” (to create curiosity and interest in the reader)

Primary
Identify some elements of style, including voice, word choice, and different types of sentences, and explain how they help readers understand texts (OME, Reading: 2.4).

Junior
Identify various elements of style – including voice, word choice, and the use of hyperbole, strong verbs, dialogue, and complex sentences – and explain how they help communicate meaning (OME, Reading: 2.4)

Grammar Feature
Apostrophe: Highlight the different use of the apostrophe in the article.

“After the lottery draw, they went to a store called Variety Plus in Burlington to see if they’d won anything.” (contraction)

“The store manager’s sister claimed the prize, and in December 2003 was given $12.5 million.” (shows possession)

Discussion Topics
What could The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) do to prevent this type of fraud from happening again?

If you won 12.5 million dollars, what would you do with it?