Welcome

Welcome to Mrs. Couchman`s blog.

On this blog you will be able to share in the work that your child is doing in class.

Each half term you will get on overview of the work we are doing in class as well as links to useful websites that will enhance your child`s progress.

This will enable you to share and discuss what we are doing as well as giving you an understanding of the overall focus of each unit of work.

Whilst lessons will be planned to personalise the learning of individual students, the final assessment will be the same for all students with questions and tasks aimed at all abilities, and so enabling an accurate assessment of your child`s ability.

Thank you for sharing in this learning experience.

Mrs. Couchman

Year 8 Exam Prep

Reading Paper

Persuasive Techniques - A FOREST

Alliteration
Facts
Orders - or imperative eg 'Phone now...'
Rhetorical questions - Repetition
Emotive language
Second person - direct address ie 'you'  eg 'Could you help the life of a child...?'
Triplets - the grouping together of three ideas, words to impact on the reader eg Give more.  Give now.  Give hope

Don't forget to point, evidence and explain!

Remember to think about the pictures and headlines together!

Writing Paper

Writing to engage, entertain using descriptive writing

Colours
Adjectives
Sentence variety
Senses - sight, sound, smell, touch and taste
Imagery - metaphors, similes, alliteration, personification, onomatopoeia, pathetic fallacy

Don't forget your spelling, punctuation and grammar!

paragraphing:

Change of:

• topic
• time
• place
• character

new speaker, new line, 66" and 99"

Year 7 Poetry Unit

Poetic techniques

 

For you assessment, you must be able to identify poetic techniques with confidence AND be able to explain their effect on the reader (you)

 

You must remember your PEE paragraphs at all times

 

 

In your next lesson (not your LSC lesson) you will be given a test to see if you can remember how to spell each of the following terms AND to see if you can explain them in your own words.  You will also be asked to provide your own example of each. This is not your assessment.  This is to ensure that you are building your knowledge and confidence.

Alliteration  Where two or more words close together start with the same letter or sound

• It was a dark and dreary December morning.

Personification  Where something that is not human does a human action

• The leaves danced in the wind.
• Lights were blinking in the distance.

Pathetic fallacy  Where the weather in a story/poem helps to create a feeling

• Rain creates a sad feeling
• Sun creates a happy feeling
• Thunder creates a scary feeling

Simile  Where something is compared to something else using like (or as…..as) 

• The frost on the trees sparkled like diamonds.

Metaphor  A comparison like simile, but doesn’t use like

• The fog was a thick white blanket covering the town.

Onomatopoeia  A sound word

• The tree crashed to the ground.
• I jumped into the pool with a big splash.

Levels for R&J

Level 5

—You use key words from the question

—Your paragraphs contain a point, a piece of evidence/quote and an explanation of the quotation (PEE)

—Your quotes clearly support the point you are making

—You analyse key words or phrases form the quotations and discuss their significance and effect

—You are discussing the whole play

Level 6

—All paragraphs are linked (connectives) and being referred back to the question

—You use PEE and your explanation analyses the language

—You use terms like soliloquy, oxymoron, foreshadowing, simile, metaphor, alliteration and comment on their effect

 

¢Level 7

—Your paragraphs include detailed analysis of the effects of language: you can make two or more different comments about he effects of the quotation (Furthermore, An additional effect...)

—Your essay included some of your own ideas
you are showing that you are thinking about the relevance of the play as a whole and why Shakespeare wrote it

R&J Essay Plan

Romeo and Juliet – Year 9 Essay Plan-
Click here if you don't have a copy of the play

Question:  How does Shakespeare present love in Romeo & Juliet?

Introduction

·         When written

·         By whom

·         Brief summary

·         Love/tragedy

Paragraphs

·         How is love shown (happy/sad/madness/love at first sight

·         Write about the scenes we have studied

o   The prologue – a sonnet/words about death/foreshadowing

o   Act 1, sc i - unrequited love/love as madness/love causing sadness/oxymoron

o   Act 1, sc v – The Capulet ball – first meeting/sonnet shared/words shared/love at first sight

o   Act 2, sc ii -  the Balcony scene – Romeo’s soliloquy/words about light/ name not important/agree to marry after a few hours

o   Act 3, sc 5 – after their night together – metaphor (birds for day and night)/Juliet’s premonition (foreshadowing)

o   Act 5, sc iii – The Tomb – words about death and darkness

o   You must write PEE+ paragraphs

o   You must give quotes “...”

o   You must explain what point Shakespeare was making about love in each scene

o   Try and link to other points

Conclusion

o   Summarise the presentation of love in the play

o   Is it the romantic story many people see it as?

o   What do you think the play says about love – is it different for a modern audience?

o   Is the play still relevant?  Why/Why not?

Romeo and Juliet - PEEL Grid

Way love is shown/portrayed	Evidence from the play	Explanation of importance	link to the context/history
Love is shown as linked to fate/destiny. The person you will love has been chosen by the stars	Prologue	Through dramatic irony, the audience know from the prologue that Romeo and Juliet’s love will end in a tragic way.
Love is shown in a very crude/rude way. Also funny.	Act 1, sc.1		Important that Shakespeare had something for all people in the audience as he needed to make money from his plays.
Romeo is shown engaged in ‘courtly’ love. He is shown loving someone who does not love him back.			Courtly love was once seen as ideal, or perfect. The admired woman was seen as if she were almost a goddess – above normal (real) women.
Love at first sight. Romeo and Juliet fall in love the first time they see each other.		Romeo and Juliet move from talking to touching and kissing very quickly. This is very different to his relationship to Rosaline.
Love is shown as less important than marriage. Juliet is expected to marry who her parents chose.	Lady Capulet: “Well think of marriage now. Younger than you, Here in Verona, ladies of esteem, Are already mothers made.” Act1, sc.2, 69-71.

7x3 - Ton-Up Challenge

KEEP READING!

We are doing really well and I firmly believe that, at this rate, we will reach our target of 100 books read before Easter!

Please continue to read over the holiday and remember to make a note of your book title and author in your planner ready to write out your book spine in the new term!

This has been such an exciting challenge and I already have my eye on a potential prize winner! 

Is it you?