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Year 5 Spring 2 Reading Challenge

Mrs Latham

Hi Year 5,

Your challenge is to read through this article (click on the link): http://www.theguardian.com/environment/live/2014/aug/27/do-dams-destroy-rivers

The article is on whether dams destroy rivers – you need to read it through all the way to the end (you may need to look up any words you are unfamiliar with). This is a challenging piece, but it is an opportunity to push yourself.

BRONZE CHALLENGE:

Identify the facts and opinions in the article.

SILVER CHALLENGE:

Identify the opinions and write the alternative viewpoints for each opinion.

GOLD CHALLENGE:

List the facts present and then use these to write a balanced argument about whether dams are good thing or not. You need to explain your answer, using the facts you have listed.

Try your absolute best because the bets ones will win prizes!

23 responses to “Year 5 Spring 2 Reading Challenge”

  1. Muhammad S.

    Bronze:
    ‘Ultimately dams change rivers.’ I strongly believe that this is an opinion. I have concluded this as the subheading is ‘My Verdict’ and a verdict is an opinion therefore I believe this is an opinion.
    ‘The richer they are, the more change they induce.’ is an opinion.
    ‘We can say that people change their environment.’ is a fact.
    ‘Change the world and its natural environment.’ is a fact.
    Silver:
    ‘ Dams can possibly help the environment.’
    Gold:
    I think dams are good and bad in my perspective. As dams can benefit the world they may have a downside on rivers as they might stop the river from forming its shape in its most natural way and it may cause harm to animals, however, the good side of dams are that they can stop the river from bursting its banks. Therefore I can’t decide whether they are good or bad for the environment.

  2. Tana I.

    bronze
    fact-indeed dams do change the world and is a natural enviroment
    Dams can help the enviroment but can also kill rivers

  3. Zahra D.

    Silver
    ‘Indeed dams do change the world’ ‘Dams can help the environment ‘
    ‘So do cities, roads, airports, chemical industries and agriculture.‘ ‘Dams can help more than the nature environment. They can help with a variety of things.’
    Gold
    Indeed dams can change the world massively. But they also damage things a lot. Dams can prevent flooding from happening but they can also knock down many peoples home because of it. Because dams are big, they cause farmlands to submerge under the lake.

  4. Maddox B.

    Bronze
    “Indeed, dams do change the world and its natural environment. So do cities, roads, airports, chemical industries and agriculture. In general, we can say that people change their environment. The richer they are, the more change they induce. In the course of that they also create species, but that is not often measured or mentioned.

  5. Billing Karanbir

    The article dosent work for me

  6. Retaj Ismail

    Bronze
    Fact/Indeed, dams do change the world and its natural environment.
    Fact/The notion that some static measure of biodiversity is good and any change is bad is not substantiated by natural history.
    Opinion/But that WE is not a small group of North American environmentalists and their friends. 
    Opinion/What we need to take from this debate is the realisation that we now live in an anthropocene world.

  7. Zahraa Y.

    Bronze:
    -Dams could kill rivers
    -it changes so much so do cities roads airports chemical industries and agriculture
    -any change to all this is bad.
    -it has given an huge change to the world.
    Silver:
    Opinion:I think that WE is no where near a small group because we can still make a team with anyone as long as we tried,Teams can be made.
    Opinion:in the end,Dams really do change rivers.

  8. Bakary

    Bronze
    These are the two facts
    Indeed, dams do change the world and its natural environment.
    We can say that people change their environment.
    These are the two opinions
    The richer they are, the more change the induce.
    Ultimately dams do change the rivers.

    Silver
    You should try to give money because rivers may be needed to have dams and it might improve us but it makes us better citizens its like helping a poor person or a charity we should give money because its not different to giving money to the charities or poor people and more others so we should help a be proud of ourselves.

    Gold
    This may be good for the environment because it says Indeed, dams do change the world and its natural environment. Maybe this could mean help the dams and dams could make the world a better place and it would be good for the environment.
    It also says that it ultimately helps us and it says In general, we can say that people change their environment.

  9. Isah C.

    Bronze

    Facts
    The biodiversity alarm bells are ringing because developing countries are, well, less developed. Therefore they have some of the least impacted river basins.

    And Some commentators argued today that the benefits that hydroelectricity

    Many of the dams built in the last century were poorly designed and many are now in the process of being removed.

    Silver

    cities, roads, airports, chemical industries and agriculture

    My verdict
    Ultimately dams change river

    The biodiversity alarm bells are ringing because developing countries are, well, less developed

  10. Ramarni J.

    Bronze-
    “Indeed, dams do change the world and its natural environment.
    So do cities, roads, airports, chemical industries and agriculture.
    In general, we can say that people change their environment.
    The richer they are, the more change they induce.
    In the course of that, they often destroy species; they also create species, but that is not often measured or mentioned.
    Sliver-
    “Many of the dams built during the 20th century have proven to be river killers. Examples are numerous and notorious.”
    However he also notes the positive impact dams have had in reducing the sum of human misery and encouraging development.

    “For example, the drought in the Horn of Africa was a disaster that cost the lives of millions, but the High Assam Dam spared Egypt from a drought that would have been truly catastrophic,” says Thorne.
    Many of the dams built in the last century were poorly designed and many are now in the process of being removed. He says the evidence so far is that nature bounces back surprisingly well after dam removal.

    -found from text.

  11. Noah J-S.

    Bronze
    Fact:
    Dams change the world.
    So do we.
    We often destroy species.
    Opinion:
    Sustained from our decisions.

  12. Aro M.

    the river is very important to plants 🌱 and
    animals a lot of pollution as bin happening dont
    grow oil in the rivers

  13. Xlexben F.

    Bronze:
    Fact ; There are a new type of inventions called dams that people say destroy the rivers .
    Fact ; There have an impact in the river (the dams) .
    Opinion ; “Indeed dams do change the world and its natural environment.”
    Opinion ; Ultimately dams change rivers.
    silver : Dams actually saves people instead of ruining rivers . For an example , it prevents from flooding . Dames might change the rivers and make it harder for tourist harder to come through.
    Silver
    I think that WE is not small because a team can be made of 10000 people and can still can still be called we.
    Gold
    Dams may save the World one day if the water current flows to high and without a dam an entire Country could be filled with water and dams makes us if knows if we need to limit the water issues or not.
    But a disadvantage may be that if the water current goes over the dam we cant change anything because if we were to break it it would damage other people and may join the water and rise and the place would be flooded.
    I agree that Countries should build more dams to keep the world safe and generate more electricity for other people.

  14. Awais W.

    Facts
    A new study has found links between dams and the declining health of river systems.
    Dams do change the world and its natural environment. So this could be like how the icebergs are dissolving and the animals are dying or it could be good for the environment and and be making the planet better.
    Opinion
    They play a big role in providing water for flooding by detour the river water into various canals or pipelines. Dams are important because they provide water for settled, industry and irrigation purposes.
    silver
    Dams save people instead of ruining rivers.for instants it stops flooding wich is very useful.Dames might change the rivers and make it harder for tourist harder to come through.
    Gold
    I think that dams are good and bad because I don’t know if they hurt the world because it says that dams do change the world and its natural environment.

  15. Adam J.

    Bronze
    Facts
    Humans destroy species but create them
    Dams save us from floods.
    Opinions
    WE is not small
    Nature bonces back He said.
    Silver
    I think that WE is not small because a team can be made of 10000 people and can still can still be called we.
    I disagree with Nature bounces back because without nature we will die.
    Gold
    Dams may save the World one day if the water current flows to high and without a dam an entire Country could be filled with water and dams makes us if knows if we need to limit the water issues or not.
    But a disadvantage may be that if the water current goes over the dam we cant change anything because if we were to break it it would damage other people and may join the water and rise and the place would be flooded.
    I agree that Countries should build more dams to keep the world safe and generate more electricity for other people.

  16. Rayyana M.

    Dams can be proven to be river killers such as dams in the 20th century. It also destroys species of animals and ruins habitats and in general destroys nature. However some well build dams damage the rivers but doesn’t destroy or kill the completely. If we do t have dams this can cause millions of lives being at a high risk like what happend in the horn of Africa where millions of people lost there precious lives, but in Egypt a massive catastrophe didn’t occur because of a dam. So in my opinion dams do effect nature but it is necessary to save human lives.

  17. Ammara K.

    Bronze
    Fact=”Indeed, dams do change the world and its natural environment.
    Fact=”We can say that people change their environment.
    Opinion=”The richer they are, the more change the induce.
    Opinion=”Ultimately dams do change the rivers.

    Silver
    However much money you have you should try help the environment in different ways
    Dams may be good for the rivers

    Gold
    This may be good for the environment because it says “Indeed, dams do change the world and its natural environment “and this could mean something bad or good.
    It also says that ultimately dams do change the rivers but this could be in a good way.

  18. Haroon K.

    Bronze
    Fact- “Indeed, dams do change the world and its natural environment”.
    Fact – “The nation that Some Stactics measure of biodiversity is good and any change is bad not substained by natural history”.
    Opinion- ” In general we can say that people change their environment”.
    Opinion – “The richer they are the more change they include”

  19. Elyas A.

    Bronze
    They change the world fkr the evionment
    Dam destroy rivers
    Dams change the waters
    Silver
    Optian Dams save people

    1. Mrs Habib

      Well done Elyas, remember to use full sentences. Please complete this on paper and send it in. Don’t forget to use your best handwriting.

  20. Tipian I.

    Bronze:
    Fact ; There are a new type of inventions called dams that people say destroy the rivers .
    Fact ; There have an impact in the river (the dams) .
    Opinion ; “Indeed dams do change the world and its natural environment.”
    Opinion ; Ultimately dams change rivers.
    silver : Dams actually saves people instead of ruining rivers . For an example , it prevents from flooding . Dames might change the rivers and make it harder for tourist harder to come through.

    1. Yunus R.

      There are dams that can destroy rivers where the scientists investigated.
      Dams do set the world differently by the link of environment,(dissolves)
      Dams change the natural rivers.
      Silver
      (safe)⬅dams could possibly save people but instead of the ruining fresh river.

  21. Hanfaa N.

    Facts
    A new study has found links between dams and the declining health of river systems.
    Dams do change the world and its natural environment. So technically this could be like how the icebergs are dissolving and the animals are dying or it could be good for the environment and and be making the planet better.
    Opinion
    They play a major role in providing water for flooding by diverting the river water into various canals or pipelines. Dams are important because they provide water for domestic, industry and irrigation purposes.
    Gold
    I think that dams are good and bad because I don’t know if they hurt the world because it says that dams do change the world and its natural environment, but is it in a good way or bad?

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