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Aki Ra
Changing Lives
One land mine at a time
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It is a listening activity and then a writing activity.

Here is an outline of what we will be doing:
1.
Brainstorm vocabulary
2.
Share vocabulary
3.
Listen to the paragraphs
4.
Listen to the paragraphs again – taking notes and words
5.
Listen to the paragraphs – try to write down more words and phrases
(filling in the missing pieces)
6.
With a partner, rewrite the paragraphs as close to the original as
possible.
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It is a listening/writing activity to help increase your writing ability.
It can help you identify key language objectives that you can use in
your own writing.
You don’t have to rewrite the paragraphs perfectly.
Mistakes are okay (as always but do try your best).
Don’t be afraid to share your brainstorming and writing.
Do not write
anything down.
This time write
down notes to help
you re-write the
passage.
Do not try to copy
everything down.
Notes and words
are okay.
Write down more
words and notes to
help you complete the
passage. You are
trying to re-write the
passage the best you
can. It does not have
to be perfect, but you
should try to get as
much down as you
can.
 After
the final reading, in pairs, rewrite the
passage as close as possible to the original
using your notes
 The writer has given us three reasons why Aki
Ra is a hero. Identify these reasons and
write three bullet points to explain them
 At your tables, identify three persuasive
techniques that you feel are very effective
and justify your reasons for choosing them
 Be ready to discuss the effective uses of
persuasive language with the class
He was a child soldier in Cambodia. He fought in three armies and knew nothing except war until
he was in his early 20s. The Khmer Rouge killed his family, took him to live with them, and taught
him how lay the silent, sleeping, deadly monsters that upon waking devour the limbs of bodies,
children of families, parents of children. He didn’t know the difference between right and wrong.
He was taught to hate.
No one is perfect. All of us are flawed and in need of redemption in one way or another. Some of
our indiscretions are small and usually an apology can set things right. But other acts are so
painful that redemption seems nearly impossible.
In such cases, it takes the strength of a hero, a champion, brave enough to try to right a wrong.
This is what Aki Ra does every day in Cambodia. He quietly walks through the villages searching
the ground, getting on his hands and knees to clear landmines. Landmines that he was forced to
bury as a child soldier for the Khmer Rouge.
How has this child soldier filled with hate become a defender of children? Growing up, he
witnessed numerous children being hurt by landmines. The physical and emotional scars of this
country thirst for his care, for his love. This man is helping rebuild his country, one land mine at a
time, one child at a time. So far, he has removed a staggering 50,000 mines.
But that is not all he does. When he walks through the villages, he meets children who have lost
limbs and parents to mines. So he built a home for 30 orphans, and said, “I will love you as my
own”. Every child who is brought in to the center will have a better life.
Is it possible to erase the past? Can the skeletons in our closets escape our minds, souls? Last
year his organization put 2,400 people back on land they had been killing in the past. He cleared
63,000 meters of land. With every land mine destroyed, a life is saved. Redemption is beautiful,
dangerous and never-ending work and a hero never fears it.
Why is Aki Ra a hero?
He was a child soldier, he fought in three armies, and he knew nothing except war
until he was in his early 20s. The Khmer Rouge killed his family, took him to live
with them, and taught him how lay the silent, sleeping but deadly monsters that
upon waking tear limbs from bodies, children from families, parents from children.
He didn’t know the difference between right and wrong. He was taught to hate.
No one is perfect. All of us are flawed and in need of redemption in one way or
another. Some of our indiscretions are small and usually an apology can set things
right. But other acts are so painful that redemption seems nearly impossible.
In such cases, it takes the strength of a hero, a champion, brave enough to try to
right a wrong. This is what Aki Ra does every day in Cambodia. He quietly walks
through the villages searching the ground, getting on his hands and knees to clear
landmines. Landmines that he was forced to bury as a child soldier for the Khmer
Rouge.
How has this child soldier filled with hate become a defender of children? Growing
up, he witnessed numerous children being hurt by landmines. The physical and
emotional scars of this country thirst for his care, for his love. This man is helping
rebuild his country, one land mine at a time, one child at a time. So far, he has
removed a staggering 50,000 mines.
But that is not all he does. When he walks through the villages, he meets children
who have lost limbs and parents to mines. So he built a home for 30 orphans, and
said, “I will love you as my own”. Every child who is brought in to the center will
have a better life.
Is it possible to erase the past? Can the skeletons in our closets escape our minds,
souls? Last year his organization put 2,400 people back on land they had been
killing in the past. He cleared 63,000 meters of land. With every land mine
destroyed, a life is saved. Redemption is beautiful, dangerous and never-ending
work and a hero never fears it. Aki Ra, a former Khmer Rouge child soldier turned
landmine activist: hero.
Persuasive techniques
He was a child soldier, he fought in three armies, and he knew nothing except war until he
was in his early 20s. The Khmer Rouge killed his family, took him to live with them, and
taught him how lay the silent, sleeping but deadly monsters that upon waking tear limbs
from bodies, children from families, parents from children. He didn’t know the difference
between right and wrong. Like an angry dog, he was taught to hate.**
No one is perfect. All of us are flawed and in need of redemption in one way or another.
Some of our indiscretions are small and usually an apology can set things right. But other
acts are so painful that redemption seems nearly impossible.
In such cases, it takes the strength of a hero, a champion, brave enough to try to right a
wrong. This is what Aki Ra does every day in Cambodia. He quietly walks through the
villages searching the ground, getting on his hands and knees to clear landmines.
Landmines that he was forced to bury as a child soldier for the Khmer Rouge.
How has this child soldier filled with hate become a defender of children? Growing up, he
witnessed numerous children being hurt by landmines. The physical and emotional scars
of this country thirst for his care, for his love.** This man is helping rebuild his country,
one landmine at a time, one child at a time. So far, he has removed a staggering 50,000
mines.
But that is not all he does. When he walks through the villages, he meets children who
have lost limbs and parents to mines. So he built a home for 30 orphans, and said, “I will
love you as my own”. Every child who is brought in to the center will have a better life.
Is it possible to erase the past? Can the skeletons in our closets escape our minds, souls?
Last year his organization put 2,400 people back on land they had been killing in the past.
He cleared 63,000 meters of land. With every land mine destroyed, a life is saved.
Redemption is beautiful, dangerous and never-ending work and a hero never fears it. Aki
Ra, a former Khmer Rouge child soldier turned landmine activist: hero.
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Repetition with words, structures
Personification
Metaphor
Rhetorical question
Card stacking (careful selection of facts)
**Compare and contrast
** Exaggeration
Simile