Year 11 - extend your reading skills

As discussed in class today, the exam questions tend to be fairly standard in that the skills the exam boards want to examine you on do not vary.

The following questions are very typical of the type of question you could be asked and therefore, I urge you to consider these every time you read a newspaper/magazine/web article:

Explain in your own words what you find out about ...

How are facts and opinions used in this item?

Year 11 - Half Term

Please complete the exam paper in 'real time'.

Then...

If you have not finished, make a note of where you got up to and complete the rest of the paper.

The English Department would greatly appreciate it if you took great care of these papers and returned them unharmed after half term.

On a separate note,

Please do not worry if you are finding the poetry a bit tough.  I just want you to ensure that you are as familiar as you can be with each of the poems ready for January.

Year 9 - Half Term Work

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliette

The Prologue

Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

The prologue is in the form of a sonnet.

What is a ‘sonnet’?

Why would someone write a sonnet?

What is the form/structure of a Shakespearean sonnet?

Extension:  find out some basic facts about the poet Petrarch – who was he, when/where did he live?  What ldo think is the ink between Petrarch and Shakespeare?

Write a short paragraph defining and explaining sonnets.

Extra challenges:

1                 learn the prologue by heart – prize if you can recite it when asked!

2                 Can you write your own sonnet?  Here are the first two lines (but you can choose your own setting if you want to).  There will be a prize for the one that the English Department judge to be the best!

Two classrooms, quite unlike in atmosphere,

Inside this building, (where I write this rhyme),

Yr 7 - Long term holiday and extension homework

The book challenge begins.

As a class, we will undertake the challenge of reading 100 books between now and July 2013!

100 I hear you cry!  Let's think about it and do some sums.

There are 31 students in our class.
There are 3 terms in the academic year

If each student reads 1 book per term, the sum would be: 31 x 3 = 93.

If  I read 1 book per term, the sum would now be: 32 x 3 = 96.

If we asked Mr Marshall to join in, the sum would now be: 33 x 3 = 99

Only 1 book left over and we will reach our 100!  Easy!

Some authors you might like to consider are:

David Almond
Ian Serraillier
Michell Magorain
Helena Pielichaty
Philppa Pearce
Sally Gardner
Michael Morpurgo
Francesca Simon
Sharon Creech...

Please visit Mrs Charles and Mrs Daniels in the LRC as they will be able to support you in making suitable choices.

Still stuck for an enjoyable read? Click here and whizz off to find some wizard ideas

Happy reading

Mrs Couchman

PS - Did I mention a prize?  Oh dear, I am getting forgetful!

Year 11 - Due in on Thursday

Find either a magazine or web based article.

Analyse the article for language and presentational devices.

What is the intended impact on the reader?

You should aim to be prepared to speak about your article to the class - if asked to.

Year 11 Message

Dear Year 11

All the poetry information published on the blog is also available in the student shared folder on the school system:

student shared/english/moon on the tides

Enjoy yourselves

Mrs Couchman

Year 11 - What to Loook For Table

Headings	Tips
What the poems are about	All the poems are about relationships but there are different types of relationships here, and different feelings attraction, uncertainty, anger, love, and so on.  Which poems seem to have similar attitudes or types of relationships?
Beginnings/endings	Find examples of lines that look a bit similar, but where there’s a difference too.  For example, both ‘Hour’ and ‘The Farmer’s’ Bride’ use repetitions at the end.  How are they similar or different in effect?
Length	You might notice some distinct similarities of differences.  Include the number and length of stanzas, if there are any.
Rhyme	You need to look a little more carefully now.  Is there a regular rhyme scheme?  Does it change?  What is the effect of rhyme in the poem?  It’s very different in ‘Sonnet 43’ and ‘In Paris with You’ for example.
Rhythm	Are there any poems with a strong rhythm, or a sudden change in rhythm?  Look at the change at the end of ‘To His Coy Mistress’, for example.  Are any of the others similar to this?
Language	Some poems make considerable use of repetition of words and phrases, but others hardly use repetition at all.  Look for repetition, why do you think the writer made that choice?
Imagery	Some poems are rich in imagery, such as metaphors and similes, while other might seem quite plain.  Make a note of some obvious similarities and differences.

Year 11. Key poetic terms - ensure you understand thier meaning

Personification	Stanza
Alliteration	Caesura
Simile	Repetition
Metaphor	Rhythm
Onomatopoeia	Dramatic monologue
Sibilance	Enjambment
Plosive	End stop
Imagery	Assonance

Year 11 - Relationships MITSL grid

You may find it helpful to save an electronic version of this (see also student shared) and fill it in as you need to.

Moon on the Tides Anthology - Relationships

Title of Poem Contemporary Poems	Meaning My	Imagery Itchy	Tone Toes	Structure/Form Smell	Language Lovely
Man Hunt
Hour
In Paris With You
Quick Draw
Ghazal
Brothers
Praise Song for my Mother
Title of Poem Pre-1914 Poems	Meaning My	Imagery Itchy	Tone Toes	Structure/Form Smell	Language Lovely
Sonnet 116
Sonnet 43
To His Coy Mistress
The Farmer’s Bride
Sister Maude
Nettles
Born Yesterday

Year 8 due Next Tuesday

Please ensure that your radio/TV advert is ready for Tuesday.

You must also have your presentation ideas scripted, ready to practise during the first 10 minutes of our lesson.

Remember, your assessment must take place on Tuesday.

7x3 - Due Wednesday 24th October

Please complete the grammar sheet that you received in class today.  Don't forget to put your name on it.

Plus:

Mnemonic:- a word/phrase or sentence that helps us to remember something eg

BECAUSE = Big Elephants Can't Always Use Small Exits.  This sentence helps us to remember how to spell the word 'because'.  The sentence is the 'mnemonic'.

Can you create a mnemonic for the word, SINCERELY?

I think that we should vote for our favourite mnemonic and award a prize.

Please have your sheets completed and your mnemonic ready for our next lesson next Wednesday.

Year 9 Film Review Continued

 
Visit this link for a range of film reviews - you may even find out what my favourite film of all time is!

Visit this site for a short tutorial on a range of basic camera angles


When creating your word/phrase bank, think about categorising your work as we discussed in class today:

positive language
negative language
neutral language

genre specific words/phrases

technical terms within technical aspects eg: sound, camera angles, mis-en-scene

Do have a look at the film review essay plan on the blog so that you will come to our next lesson with some ideas.

BTW - great work in class today!

Year 7 - Writing to Persuade Due in Monday 15th October

A FOREST is an mnemonic to help you to remember how to write to persuade.

It stands for:

Alliteration
Facts
Opinions
Repetition
Emotive Language
Statistics
Three (power of) Triplets

There are other tips and tricks to remember the rules for persuasive writing and we will cover them in class over the next few lessons.

Create a poster/information sheet or flier to help you and others to remember what A FOREST stands for and why we need to remember it.

You may also want to remember/revise PALL
Purpose
Audience
Language - formal/informal
Layout

Year 9 - Reivew Plan

Review Plan

Paragraph 1 Introduction General comments about the film A snappy first sentence When you first saw it What were your expectations? What were your initial impressions of the film?

Paragraph 2 Plot/storyline Brief summary Don’t give the ending away!

Paragraph 3 Characters Main characters (actors)

Paragraph 4 Background Info How much it cost to make How much it made at the box office Awards it has won Any films it was influenced by

Paragraph 5 Key scene analysis Explain where it happens in the film Setting Characters Sound/music Camera angles How is it made exciting?

Paragraph 6 Conclusion Sum up Would you recommend it? To whom?