The people of Libya want to be rid of their leader, Moammar Gadhafi. He has been a brutal dictator for many years and they want him to step down.
They have been taking to the streets in protest.
However, Gadhafi (pronounced Ga-da-fee)* refuses to leave. He said that he is “loved” by the Libyan people and he will never go.
He has ordered the military to fight the protesters to get them to stop. Now, a group of protesters has formed its own army, called the “rebels” because they are rebelling against the government. A small war in Libya has broken out between the rebels and the government’s military.
They are fighting near Libya’s capital, Tripoli.
Canada has been getting all Canadians out of Libya. It is no longer safe for Canadians to be in the country because they could get caught up in the war or be kidnapped.
The Libyan people are full of courage. They are not backing down until Gadhafi leaves, even in the face of terrible danger.
*As we mentioned in an earlier article, there are more than 127 ways to spell “Gadhafi.” We are using the spelling that Gadhafi himself used when he wrote a note to some grade-two students in Libya.
This is a “breaking news story,” meaning that new things are happening in Libya every day. Now that you know something about what’s happening in Libya, you can follow this story in your local newspaper, radio and TV stations’ newscasts.
Related Links
Mass Protests in Arab Countries
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
Writing/Discussion Prompt
What is the role of nations, for instance Canada or the United States, when another country is having a war between the government and a group of its people?
Reading Prompt
Knowing that Tunisia and Egypt were able to replace their leaders, what do you think will happen in Libya? Will it be similar or different? Why do you think so?
Primary
Make inferences about texts using stated and implied ideas from the texts as evidence (OME, Reading: 1.5).
Junior
Use stated and implied ideas in texts to make inferences and construct meaning (OME, Reading: 1.5).
Grammar Feature: Abstract Nouns
An abstract noun is a word that names a feeling, idea, quality, or characteristic. For example,
“The Libyan people are full of courage.”
Circle the words below that are abstract nouns (there are at least 6 ).
radio, mercy, album, horse, Toronto, towel, tree, generosity, clean, man, bird, small, patience, face, Jim, below, against, fear, honesty, brown, house, bed, tooth, shirt, baseball, happiness, gold, jump, music.
