th Tuesday 28 ​ April 2020 ​ WALT plan a news report

This week, we will be writing a news report recounting Philippe Pettit’s audacious performance.

Today, you will write notes about Philippe’s early life and the preparations he undertook.

Write these headings in your book. You will write notes under each one.

1. Where and when was Philippe born? 2. What did he enjoy doing when he was young? 3. What inspired Philippe to climb the towers? 4. What preparations did Philippe make?

Click on the link below to hear the event recounted in the children’s picture book, entitled “The Man Who Walked Between the Towers”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEDT8mCOfM4

Use the book to help you write notes.

Now, read half of an example news report on the next page and use it to add to your notes.

Next Page

Headline:

Introductory Paragraph

th ,​ 1974 was a cold, grew New York morning and many daily commuters were arriving for ​ work at the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre, central New York. They were totally oblivious to the spectacle that was about to unfold. Suddenly, at 7am (New York time), all eyes were fixated on a remarkable sight: a figure clad in black walking 1350 feet up in the air!

The black-clad figure was French man, travelled to Australia to walk between the 300 Philippe Petit, a 24-year old tightrope walker. feet high pylons supporting the bridge over Born in 1949, in Nemours, France, Petit had Sydney Harbour. first stepped on a tightrope wire at the age of 16. He told a reporter: “Within one year, I taught myself to do all the things you could do In 1974, Petit travelled to New York to set his on a wire.” plans into action. Dressed up as construction workers, Petit and his accomplices noted every detail in order to prepare for the big The Dream Begins day.

At the age of 18, Petit learned about the construction of the two identical towers in the centre of New York city. The Twin Towers, as they were to later to be called, were to be two of the tallest buildings in the world, standing at 541 metres tall. He immediately set his sight on between the two towers.

Six Years of Planning

After, 6 years of training and planning ensured. Petit is no stranger to petrifying feats. In , in France, Petit tightrope walked between the two 200 ft hight towers of Notre Dame de Paris, (a medieval ​ ​ cathedral located in Paris). In 1973, he

Well done. Tomorrow, you will read the rest of the report and continue your notes.

For an extension, you could do your own research and find out more about this event. END ​