There is a Primary (Grades 1-3) version of this article available here.
The people of Egypt have been protesting against their President, Hosni Mubarak. He has been in power for 30 years, and the people want him out. They say he hasn’t done enough for the country or the people.
Mubarak wants to stay in power. However, because so many people were angry with him, he now says he will not run for president again in September. (September is when an election is supposed to be held.)
Mubarak told everyone that he had planned to leave in September, anyway.
But that was not good enough for the thousands of protesters who have been filling Cairo’s streets for more than a week. They want Mubarak to leave the country now. They shouted in the streets, “Leave! Leave! Leave!”
The President of the United States, Barak Obama, has finally spoken out. He says the United States supports the Egyptian people.* He spoke to President Mubarak on the phone and told him things cannot keep going the way they are.
Now, a new fight has started in the streets of Cairo. Yesterday, the Mubarak’s supporters came out of their homes and shouted in the streets: “Stay Mubarak, don’t leave!” These people believe the President is doing a good job and they want him to stay.
The two groups – for and against Mubarak – are now fighting each other. They turned over a truck. Fires were started in several buildings and thick black smoke filled the air of Cairo. Many people have been injured.
Egypt’s military is trying to control the fighting. They say they will not hurt the protesters and want life in Egypt to go back to normal.
*Many people have different opinions about President Obama’s position on this issue. Make sure to talk to a parent, teacher, or an adult you trust before you make your opinion.
Related articles:
Protests in Egypt
Protests in Egypt – Primary version
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
Writing/Discussion Prompt
The conflict described in today’s article between the people who like the president and the people who do not is becoming violent. Imagine you were Hosni Mubarak. What would you do to keep the Egyptian people from fighting each other? As you answer this, remember that you want to stay in power until September.
Reading Prompt
Did you read TKN’s previous article about the crisis in Egypt? If so, how did that prior knowledge help you understand today’s article and further develop your opinion?
Junior
Identify a variety of reading comprehension strategies and use them appropriately before, during, and after reading to understand texts (OME: Reading, 1.3)
Grammar Feature: Intro material
Sentences that start by stating a time are separated from the rest of the sentence with a comma. For example, look at the two sentences below from today’s article:
Now, a new fight has started in the streets of Cairo. Yesterday, the Mubarak’s supporters came out of their homes and shouted in the streets…
Write three sentences and have each one start with a time. Make sure to follow these times with a comma. Words you may want to start your sentence include: First, Then, Tomorrow, Many years ago, In the future, etc.
