River valley civilizations

Winner:

According to ancient history, there were four main civilizations. They were Mesopotamian civilization, Nile Valley civilization, Indus Valley civilization and Hwang-Ho civilization. All these civilizations were based on rivers.

The Mesopotamian civilization was based on the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, the Nile civilization on the River Nile, the Indus civilization on the River Indus and Hwang-Ho civilization on the Huwang-Ho River.

The Mesopotamian civilization which has a history of over 5,000 years was located on western Iran and eastern Syria.

The two rivers connected to this civilization commence their journey from the mountain range of Central Asia.

They flow through Iraq into the Persian Gulf. Sumerians are the people who lived during this era. Their method of administration was introduced by a great leader named Hammurabi. Because of the rules he introduced he was known as the ‘First Lawyer of the World’. Trade was carried out and taxes too collected in an organised manner. The people worshipped the sun, the moon, rain, wind and water. The temples were known as zhighurath.

Their cultural features were based on the river valley. They obtained clay from the rivers and made clay pots, flower vases, utensils and even built clay houses.

The legacies left by them for future civilizations are knowledge of science and technology, the use of bronzes, methods of measurement, architectural creations, knowledge of medicines and herbal plants.

Ancient civilizations are a great help for future civilizations.

Sewmini Diyagama,
Sussex College,
Kalawana.

Archaeological sites in Sri Lanka

Winner:

My country has a cultural heritage of over two thousand years. My country is very beautiful and many foreigners visit it. The archaeological sites attract most of these tourists. The ancient cities which are in ruins today were once the capitals of our ancient rulers, the kings.

Archaeological cities such as Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, Panduwasnuwara and Yapahuwa are full of ruins. Archaeologists believe these ruins were those of palaces of the ancient kings. And these cities had been very popular in the olden days. Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura had been the most popular among them because, many kings had lived and ruled in these cities. The other reason is that these cities were rich in natural resources, which added to the beauty of these places.

It is our paramount duty to safeguard these valuable cities and resources for our future generations.

M. Fernando,
Grade 7D,
St. Lawrence’s Convent,
Wellawatta,
Colombo 6.

Importance of saving!

Winner:

“Put by something for a rainy day.”

This proverb emphasises the need of saving money which is an important component in our life.

All of us have money, but it is the management of it that helps us save it. As students we get pocket money to buy things such as snacks, stationery, books and for computer games. But we should also make it a habit not to spend all our pocket money.

We can save some of it in a till or even in a bank account.After sometime we could collect a fair amount of money which can be used for various other purposes. We should be thrifty and not spend money on buying unnecessary things.

This will help ease the pressure on parents. Saving is a great habit. Let’s save a portion of our pocket money for our future.

Fathima Hafsa Samsudeen,
Grade 7,
Amana International School,
Kurunegala.

Birds and animals

Winner:

There are many animals
Females and males
They are living beings
Just like you and me
The big, big elephants
And the small insects
The proud peacock
And cunning fox
Cat eats a mouse
Dog guards the house
There is a honey bee
Fish in the blue sea
The blind bat
Loves to eat a rat
The rabbit is white
The oriole is bright
They are all our friends
They are a part of life

P. Dilakshi Shalini Jayasinghe,
Grade 9G,
Swarnapali Girls’ School,
Anuradhapura.

Teachers, the builders of the nation

Winner:

Teachers are fairies who make our wishes come true,
They are rays of sunshine on our weak days too.

Teachers guide us to what is right and wrong,
They make sure our ignorance doesn’t last long.

Teachers are the ones who try their level best,
So we students also must.

Teachers are the great ones who make us fly,
And we too must try.

I remember all my teachers with gratitude and say,
Am I too late to wish you all
“A happy Teachers’ Day?”

Shazna Irfan,
Grade 9 E,
Muslim Central College, Kalutara.

Let’s be happy, everyday!

Everybody likes to be happy. However, real happiness is not derived from victory, rewards or praise.

If we want to sustain our happiness we should have a deep concept and understanding of it.

Happiness is an essential quality that we should try to maintain in our lives. We all have desires, expectations and bonds.

We like to achieve so many things in our lives. But we should not aim too high or seek too many things.

This is because sometimes we do not have sufficient money or facilities to achieve these expectations. Then we become depressed and frustrated. So, we must be careful not to have such desires. Then we can be happy.

It is necessary to be happy with whatever we have in life. We should not always think about having more.

If we practise this quality in our lives, I think it is the most precious thing we would have.

If a person is sad always, he may suffer from a mental disorder. Sometimes long periods of mental stress lead to many diseases. High blood pressure is an example.

Everybody has problems. We should learn to face them and overcome them.

All great people in the world succeeded in their lives by facing many problems. So, we too should face problems like them and reach our goals in life.Happiness also makes us pleasant. Let us be happy, everyday.

“Happiness is not something external. It should spring up within us.

Madhawe Nisansala Sewwandi Alwis,
Grade 9F,
G/Southlands College, Galle.

Dangers of landslides

A landslide takes place when large amounts of rock, soil or mud slip down a slope. Landslides can change the Earth’s surface very rapidly. They often happen without any warning at different speeds. A landslide can move trees, cars, lorries, animals and people too. Landslides can happen all over the world, usually where there are steep slopes. They can happen at any time of the year, but they are more common during the wet seasons.

Some landslides can lead to other natural disasters. One of the most common natural disasters caused by landslides is flooding. It is important to predict landslides, so people can be prepared.

In certain areas, landslides are a constant threat. People who live in such places prepare for it in different ways. In areas threatened by landslides, people should know what to do in an emergency.

It is very difficult to prevent natural disasters such as landslides. The only way to avoid landslides is to live in a place where there aren’t slopes or hill sides, but this is not always possible.

People can prevent some landslides by being more careful about the way they use the land. For example, they should let trees grow on hillsides. Many landslides start because of natural causes, such as earthquakes or heavy rain and we cannot do anything about them. People are always ready to escape if they have to.

Rukaiya Samsudeen,
Grade 9,
Hejaaz International School,
Mt. Lavinia.