Look Closer
FirstNews
Issue 410
25th April - 1st May 2014
CRAZY BUT TRUE
A glowing
journey
JUST when you thought you’d heard it all, the Netherlands go and unveil a glow-in-the-dark road!
A 500m stretch of road in the country has been marked
with a special paint that helps to guide drivers at night.
The paint contains a photo-luminescent powder, which
charges up in daylight and then releases a green glow
in the dark. If the paint is charged throughout the day, it
can glow for up to eight hours!
The exciting project is the idea of designer Daan
Roosegaarde, who teamed up with a civil engineering
company called Heijmans to turn it into a reality.
The glow-in-the-dark markings stop the need
for streetlights and save on energy. They are being tested
on the road right now and will be upgraded throughout
the month.
Daan also wants to create weather symbols that
appear on the road to reflect certain temperatures or
conditions. For instance, when it’s icy outside, snowflake
symbols would appear (see the picture above right).
Sounds pretty cool to us!
Tell us what you think at firstnews.co.uk.
SCIENCE
A proper remote-controlled car
A NEW concept car revealed by
Land Rover can be steered from
outside by a driver using a tablet or
smartphone.
The Discovery Vision Concept is bursting
with new ideas. Some of these could be in use
within the next year or two, while others are
just proposals.
The most eye-catching trick up the car’s
sleeve is its remote-control drive feature. This
means that the driver can get out and steer
the car at low speeds, such as when you need
to reverse into a tight space or hook up to a
trailer. It also means that the driver wouldn’t
need to get in and out while opening a gate.
There’s also a ‘transparent bonnet’, so the driver can see what’s on the road right in front of the car. Cameras on the
grille project images onto the windscreen, making the bonnet appear see-through.
Gestures can also be used to control the indicators, close the doors and tint the windows if it gets too sunny.
Learning through news
www.FirstNews.co.uk/forschools
Look Closer
CRAZY BUT TRUE & SCIENCE
25th April - 1st May 2014
Carefully read the Crazy but True and Science stories and then answer the following questions:
Q1) What two themes link these two articles from this week’s First News? (AF3)
Look at the article ‘A glowing journey’.
Q2) What has Daan Roosegaarde invented?
(AF2)
Q3) What are the benefits of this invention?
(AF3)
Q4) Find the answers to complete these sentences: (AF2)
The ‘magic’ ingredient in the paint is ___________-_____________ __________.
In the dark the paint releases a ______ glow.
The paint can glow for up to ______ hours.
In the fourth paragraph, the writer describes Daan’s project as “____________”.
Q5) Daan teamed up with a company called Heijmans to make this product. How do you think the
company helped with the invention? (AF3)
Q6) Look at the lead paragraph (in bold text). Why does the phrase ‘glow-in-the-dark’ have hyphens
between each word? (AF5)
Because in this sentence ‘glow-in-the-dark’ is a…
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
Look at the article ‘A proper remote controlled car’.
Q7) Find three different innovations included in this concept car. (AF2)
Q8) Why could it be useful for a driver to move a car by remote-control?
(AF2)
Q9) The writer says that the concept car is “bursting with new ideas.” The writer could have just said the
car “includes many new ideas”. Why do you think the journalist has chosen the first phrase? (AF5)
Q10) Of all the different innovations mentioned in the two articles, which do you think will be most
successful and why? (AF3)
Learning through news
www.FirstNews.co.uk/forschools
Look Closer
CRAZY BUT TRUE & SCIENCE
25th April - 1st May 2014
Carefully read the Crazy but True and Science stories and then answer the following questions:
Q1) What two themes link these two articles from this week’s First News? (AF3)
...............................................................................
...............................................................................
Look at the article ‘A glowing journey’.
Q2) What has Daan Roosegaarde invented?
(AF2)
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................
Q3) What are the benefits of this invention?
(AF3)
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................
Q4) Find the answers to complete these sentences: (AF2)
The ‘magic’ ingredient in the paint is ___________-_____________ __________.
In the dark the paint releases a ______ glow.
The paint can glow for up to ______ hours.
In the fourth paragraph, the writer describes Daan’s project as “____________”.
Q5) Daan teamed up with a company called Heijmans to make this product. How do you think the
company helped with the invention? (AF3)
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................
Q6) Look at the lead paragraph (in bold text). Why does the phrase ‘glow-in-the-dark’ have hyphens
between each word? (AF5)
Because in this sentence ‘glow-in-the-dark’ is a…
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
Learning through news
www.FirstNews.co.uk/forschools
Look Closer
CRAZY BUT TRUE & SCIENCE
25th April - 1st May 2014
Look at the article ‘A proper remote controlled car’.
Q7) Find three different innovations included in this concept car. (AF2)
1. ..............................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................
2. ..............................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................
3. ..............................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................
Q8) Why could it be useful for a driver to move a car by remote-control?
(AF2)
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................
Q9) The writer says that the concept car is “bursting with new ideas.” The writer could have just said the
car “includes many new ideas”. Why do you think the journalist has chosen the first phrase? (AF5)
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................
Q10) Of all the different innovations mentioned in the two articles, which do you think will be most
successful and why? (AF3)
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................
Learning through news
www.FirstNews.co.uk/forschools
Look Closer
CRAZY BUT TRUE & SCIENCE
25th April - 1st May 2014
Extension Activities
A) INNOVATION
Imagine you are working for the innovation team at a big car manufacturer.
• Can you think of five fantastic innovations that you would like to see on a new car in the next
few years?
• Now come up with five ideas for a car of the future.
• Are your ideas very different?
B) ADDING OPINION
Journalists usually write articles in a neutral tone and don’t give their own opinion. Crazy
But True articles are light-hearted and in ‘A glowing journey’ the journalist does makes
some positive comments
about this invention.
Can you rewrite the article
to make it sound as if the
journalist has a very negative
opinion about this project?
What sort of words and
phrases have you had to
include?
Extension Activities
A) INNOVATION
Imagine you are working for the innovation team at a big car manufacturer.
• Can you think of five fantastic innovations that you would like to see on a new car in the next
few years?
• Now come up with five ideas for a car of the future.
• Are your ideas very different?
B) ADDING OPINION
Journalists usually write articles in a neutral tone and don’t give their own opinion. Crazy
But True articles are light-hearted and in ‘A glowing journey’ the journalist does makes
some positive comments
about this invention.
Can you rewrite the article
to make it sound as if the
journalist has a very negative
opinion about this project?
What sort of words and
phrases have you had to
include?
Learning through news
www.FirstNews.co.uk/forschools
Look Closer
CRAZY BUT TRUE & SCIENCE
25th April - 1st May 2014
The teacher answers are intended to provide a guide as to the AF strand of the question and possible responses
from pupils working at different levels. In the level 4/5 answers we try to provide the most complete answer
possible in order to provide teaching points when discussing the answers with pupils.
1) What two themes link these two articles from this week’s First News?
AF3 – deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts
Possible answers:
L3 – simple inference
• cars
L4/5 - more complex inference with explanation
• Both articles are about driving and innovations, or new products.
Look at the article ‘A glowing journey’.
2) What has Daan Roosegaarde invented?
AF2- understand, describe, select, retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use quotation and reference to the text
Possible answers:
L3 – identifying obvious points
• A glow-in-the-dark road
L4 – identifying relevant points
• Paint which glows-in-the-dark and is used to make road markings.
3) What are the benefits of this invention?
AF3 – deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts
Possible answers:
L3 – simple inference
• It lights up the road.
• It saves energy.
L4/5 - more complex inference with explanation
• This paint helps to guide drivers at night because it glows and makes the road markings stand out.
• Making the markings clearer will make it safer to drive.
• The markings also save energy because streetlights aren’t needed.
4) Find the answers to complete these sentences:
AF2- understand, describe, select, retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use quotation and reference to the text
Possible answers:
L3 – identifying obvious points
L4 – identifying relevant points
• The ‘magic’ ingredient in the paint is photo-luminescent powder.
• In the dark the paint releases a green glow.
• The paint can glow for up to eight hours.
• In the fourth paragraph, the writer describes Daan’s project as “exciting”.
5) Daan teamed up with a company called Heijmans to make this product. How do you think the company helped with the
invention?
AF3 – deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts
Possible answers:
L3 – simple inference
• They turned it into a reality.
• They made it.
L4/5 - more complex inference with explanation
• The journalist says that Daan had the idea and the company helped “to turn it into a reality”. This suggests that they helped to make
the paint. They are a civil engineering company, so they probably had knowledge of paint and chemicals and helped to come up
with the ingredients which would make the paint glow.
Learning through news
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Look Closer
CRAZY BUT TRUE & SCIENCE
25th April - 1st May 2014
6) Look at the lead paragraph (in bold text). Why does the phrase “glow-in-the-dark” have hyphens between each word?
AF5 – explain and comment on the writer’s uses of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level
Possible answers:
L3 – a few basic features of writer’s use of language identified
Because in this sentence ‘glow-in-the-dark’ is an…
• adjective
Look at the article ‘A proper remote controlled car’.
7) Find three different innovations included in this concept car.
AF2- understand, describe, select, retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use quotation and reference to the text
Possible answers:
L3 – identifying obvious points
L4 – identifying relevant points
L5 – most relevant points clearly identified (from different places in text)
Any of:
1. Remote-controlled driving: the car can be steered from outside using a tablet or smartphone.
2. Transparent bonnet: cameras project images onto the windscreen so that drivers can see right in front of the car.
3. Hand gestures can be used to control parts of the car, such as indicators, doors and can tint windows.
8) Why could it be useful for a driver to move a car by remote-control?
AF2- understand, describe, select, retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use quotation and reference to the text
Possible answers:
L3 – identifying obvious points
• It might help with parking and with gates.
L4 – identifying relevant points
• Being able to move the car from outside might mean the driver can see what is around the car more clearly. This might help when
moving into a tight space.
• It might stop the driver having to get in and out the car so much. If a gate needs opening, the driver can get out, open the gate and
then finish parking by remote control.
9) The writer says that the concept car is “bursting with new ideas.” The writer could have just said the car “includes many new ideas”.
Why do you think the journalist has chosen the first phrase?
AF5 – explain and comment on the writer’s uses of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level
Possible answers:
L3 – a few basic features of writer’s use of language identified
• It sounds more interesting.
• It’s better than the other phrase.
• Because the car has lots of ideas.
L4/5 – basic/various features identified with simple/more complex comment
• This phrase sounds a lot more interesting than simply saying the car “includes many new ideas”.
• It gets across the idea that the car is absolutely packed full of new ideas – so many they might burst out.
• The word “bursting” expresses a sense of energy and excitement.
10) Of all the different innovations mentioned in the two articles which do you think will be most successful and why?
AF3 – deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts
Possible answers:
L3 – simple inference
• The glowing road because it will really help drivers.
• The remote control car because I think it would be brilliant to be able to control a car with a phone.
L4/5 - more complex inference with explanation
• I think the glow-in-the-dark road will be most successful because if the tests prove that it works, this could help with safety and save
energy. This would also save money, so it could be very popular.
• I think being able to control your car remotely will be most successful. The glowing paint doesn’t sound very safe because if it’s not
sunny the road might not be marked very well at night. It would be useful to be able to move your car short distances using your
phone.
Learning through news
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