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Terrorism prevention / Counter-terrorism (reading activity and virtual session with an expert))

*Based on Manual Kesedaran Sivik Sekolah Menengah - Tajuk: Keamanan sejagat

Objective: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to comprehend the main ideas and details of an article on the most serious terror threats in Malaysia and the Philippines. They will also develop critical reading skills and engage in visible thinking routines to analyze the text.

Skills: Reading and writing

Materials:

The article "The most serious terror threats in Malaysia and the Philippines" and 'How to prevent terrorist attacks

Copies of the article for each student

Small squared pieces of paper


Warm-up (5 min):

Ask students what they know about terrorism in Southeast Asia. Have they heard of any terrorist groups in the region? What do they know about them? Write their answers on the board.


Pre-Reading (10 min):

Ask students to look at the title and the picture in the article. What do they think the article is about? What do they expect to learn from it?

Introduce the close and critical reading strategy by explaining that they will be reading the article twice, the first time to get a general idea of what it is about, and the second time to analyze the text in more detail.


First Reading (10 min):

Have students read the article silently.

After they finish, In groups, ask them to summarize what they read in one or two sentences. Write their answers on the board.

Ask students to share any questions they have about the article or any words or phrases they didn't understand. Clarify any misunderstandings.


Visible Thinking Routine (10 min):

Provide small square papers to students and write the prompts on the board:

Connect: Ask students to think about how the article connects to their prior knowledge and experiences. Prompt: What do you know about terrorism before this?

Extend: Ask students to think about what they would like to extend their knowledge on, based on what they have read. 

Prompt: What did you learn after reading the article?

Challenge: Ask students to think about what challenges or questions they have after reading the article. 

Prompt: What questions do you have regarding terrorism?

Evidence:








Second Reading (15 min):

Ask students to read the article again, this time more slowly and carefully.

Have them underline or highlight any important information, keywords, or phrases.

After they finish, ask them to answer the following questions in writing:

What are the most serious terror threats in Malaysia and the Philippines?

What are the names of the terrorist groups mentioned in the article?

What actions are the governments of Malaysia and the Philippines taking to combat these threats?


Wrap-up (10 min):

Ask students to share their answers to the questions from the second reading.

Summarize the main points of the article and review any new vocabulary or concepts that came up during the lesson.

Ask students to reflect on what they learned and how it connects to their prior knowledge and experiences, using the "Connect-Extend-Challenge" routine. Provide small squared papers and collect them afterward.


Homework (or can be done during the next class) - a 200 - 250 word essay:

Terrorism prevention:

- Specific strategies and actions that can be taken to minimize the risk of terrorist attacks. 

- Consider the challenges that remain in preventing terrorism

- The role that each of us can play in creating a safer and more secure world.


Follow-up activity (optional):

Invite an expert on counter-terrorism who has knowledge and experience in the field to give a short talk on counter-terrorism efforts in the country. After the talk, encourage students to ask questions about terrorism to the expert. This can be done virtually. During the presentation from the expert, instruct the students to take down any new vocabularies that they heard from the presentation and Q&A session. After the virtual session has ended, go through the new vocabulary with them. This can either be the teacher telling them the meaning in their native tongue or instructing them to look them up in the dictionary on their own.




For my class, I invited Amanda Thomas who is a former digital counter-terrorism analyst from SEARCCT which is placed under Malaysia Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If you would like to invite her, contact her at:

amandasthomas21@gmail.com or amanda.thomas@teachformalaysia.org


After the virtual session, ask students this question:

How did the virtual session enhance your understanding of counter-terrorism? What new insights or information did you gain?

How do you think the knowledge gained from the virtual session can be applied in real-life situations? Can you think of any examples?


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