A 20-minute news discussion activity for upper-primary pupils

What you’ll need

Allow about twenty minutes for this activity, adjusting to your group. You’ll need the scenario below, paper and something to write with. Pupils will identify facts, explain a preference and listen to a different view.

You can use it without an account or subscription. You may reproduce our original scenario and prompts for your own class with credit to The Comic Scoop. This permission doesn’t cover republishing comic artwork. The activity isn’t an official assessment or endorsed lesson.

Read this fictional scenario

A school has an unused corner beside its library. Some pupils suggest a quiet reading space. Others suggest a table where groups can make things together. The school asks pupils what they would prefer and why. No decision has been made.

Read it aloud, then ask pupils to reread it and underline the facts. Has the school already chosen a reading space? Do we know how many pupils want a making table? Neither answer is in the scenario.

Discuss it in pairs

Give everyone a moment to choose an option and write or draw a reason.

One pupil explains their choice. Their partner repeats the reason in their own words before responding. Together, they identify something they would need to find out before deciding. Then they swap roles.

They might ask who would supervise the making table or whether it would disturb nearby readers. These are questions about the proposal; the scenario doesn’t supply the answers.

Check their reasoning

Ask pupils to complete “My view is … because …” or “I want to find out … before deciding.” Can they distinguish a fact from their own suggestion? Either preference is fine if they can explain it.

Show the two options visually or let pupils rehearse with a partner if they need support. For a group ready to take it further, ask whether a combined proposal could work and what problems it would need to solve. Quiet pupils may show their understanding in writing even when they don’t volunteer to speak.

Repeat with a news comic

Preview a sample story and check its date, language and permissions before using it with your group. Ask pupils to point to the words or panels that support a factual answer, then discuss their responses and questions. You can ask what happened or what pupils want to know next.

For classroom access, see the educator options. A family subscription and permission to distribute comics to a group are different arrangements.