Sarah Ravensdale

Hi Sarah-- hope you're feeling better!

Obviously, I've had some time off for illness this term, too-- so I'm not sure exactly what you've completed or known about, work-wise! Here's a list of things for you to consider:

1. Read some newspapers. If you don't have access to actual newspapers, going online will help.

Broadsheets

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ (Daily Telegraph)

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/ (The Times)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/ (The Guardian)

http://www.independent.co.uk/ (The Independent)

Tabloids

http://www.mirror.co.uk/ (The Mirror)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/dailymail/home.html?in_page_id=1766 (Daily Mail)

http://www.express.co.uk/home (The Daily Express)

Once you're familiar enough with a sense of the differing tabloid/broadsheet style, you can get on with the following:

1. Create a tabloid-style "front page" story for a school newspaper. For hints on tabloid style, go to http://www.teachit.co.uk/attachments/tabloid.pdf. You can 'make up' a story (as long as it's not nasty!), or use an (appropriate!) true incident that you think would appeal to an audience of your peers.

2. You can now create a Broadsheet-style front page article. If you've got a broadsheet newspaper at home, look at how the layout is different from a tabloid. For guidelines on how to structure a news story, go to http://www.explorewriting.co.uk/HowToWriteNewsArticles.html. Remember, your language for broadsheets is going be a little more formal and detailed than the tabloid. Create a news story of national importance-- perhaps a General Election being called, or UFO crashing into Buckingham Palace...

3. If you're getting bored, you can always look at the post that follows this one ('Year 8 Newspaper Work') for another little task that the class did-- but this is optional.

Hope this helps!
Mr H

Year 8-- Newspaper work

Sorry-- I'm now away on a Year 10 trip! I'll see you later on in the week, when we'll get all our work sorted out. Here's what you can do this lesson:

First of all, if you have still to finish your broadsheet-style article, do so now!

If you have finished, work on the following:

Bias

One of the complaints people make about newspapers is that they are biased-- you'll remember that was the basis of your written piece defending teenagers a couple of weeks ago. 'Bias' means that an article subtly manipulates you to feel one way or the other-- to have a specific point of view, to like one person (or group of people), and dislike another, or to make you feel sympathetic to someone/something.

Ways of creating bias:

Descriptive terms-- Look out for words, such as adjectives or adverbs, that make you feel something about a subject. For instance, describing someone as a "troubled teenager" makes you feel one way, while labelling the same person a "menace" makes you feel quite the opposite!

Control of speakers-- Who is allowed to 'speak' in the article? If only one side of a controversial issue is interviewed, it generally means the article is biased in their favour. Watch out for articles that quote from both sides, but 'bury' one side (giving them less time, or placing their views later on or less prominently in an article!).

Selection of facts-- like controlling speakers, if you only allow facts that support one side into your article, chances are you're biasing your reader in one direction. Do stories 'leave out' the other side of a controversial issue?

Her are some links for you to read:

http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/english/docs/Biased_or_Balanced.doc
This shows (very simply!) how a biased article is constructed.

Now, having read that, I'd like you write a biased article on the following subject:

A government minister has announced that he/she intends to shut down all Independent schools in the UK. The minster believes that Independent schools give students unfair advantages, and everyone should go to their local state school.

You either write to support the minister's actions, or to undermine them! You can 'make up' additional facts, and supportive quotations!

Choose a suitable national newspaper to place this article (which newspapers would support independent schools? Which would oppose them?) and write the article in the appropriate style (tabloid or broadsheet). Don't worry about creating a 'front page'; just write the article!

U6 English Language-- Cover for January 29, 2008

Hey y'all!

I know-- he's off for two weeks, and then he's off for a Year 10 Poetry trip. I realise that most of you are pining for a Language lesson, but you'll have to hold out 'till Wednesday afternoon, when I will seek to 'blitz' through an overview of the whole reading/writing shbang, and get us up-to date.

Today, I want you to focus on orthography-- that's the fancy word for 'spelling'. I've attached some online links for you to peruse or download, looking at issues surrounding how children learn (or don't learn!) to spell.

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/267

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/vivian.c/Children.htm

http://www.tda.gov.uk/upload/resources/pdf/t/tta99-16.pdf
Warning: this is government teaching material, so it may prove hard going!

http://www.warwick.ac.uk/staff/D.J.Wray/Articles/spelling.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/1796331.stm

http://www.spellingsociety.org/kids/index.html
This is from the Simplified Spelling Society; it highlights the many orthographical inconsistencies of English, and their proposed solutions!

Please feel free to use this as a 'starting point'; seek out other materials on children and spelling/orthography, and bring them to Wednesday's lesson!

Mr H.

Year 9 Story Writing

Need some help thinking through your story? Need help in finding some things to say about someone else's draft?

Go to http://www.englishbiz.co.uk/mainguides/entertain.htm for a pretty thorough guide. While pitched at a GCSE level, a lot of the hints and tips they give should prove useful!

Don't forget-- there's a story contest at writersworkshop@hotmail.co.uk for you to enter!

House Play Review Contest

A few guidelines:

You will need to choose one house play to review—it doesn’t have to be the play performed by your house. Choose a performance that interests you in some way.

We’re not interested in reading a plot summary—merely retelling the plot of play will not ‘cut it’!

Your opinions and perceptions should be front-and-centre. What did you enjoy/ not enjoy about the performance?

Criticism should be constructive—not vicious.

On the other hand, hagiographical writing (“Oooooo! Everything was simply spiffy!”) doesn’t make for a good review. Don’t be afraid to point out things that, from your point of view, didn’t work.

Make comments on a variety of aspects—acting, lighting, costumes/props, directing, etc.

Your review should be an enjoyable piece of writing—don’t drone on and on! (Appropriate) humour is always welcome.

Aim for about one side of A4 in length. Ensure your name, year/form, and house are clearly marked on all pieces you submit.

Hand it in by Friday, December 14th. Entries will not be accepted after that date.

If you need some additional inspiration, check out these websites. WARNING: some are for University-level writing, so they can be a little bit high-falutin’—but they can give you a range of things to think about!

http://www.ehow.com/how_172543_review-play.html

http://classes.midlandstech.edu/the101/THE101/how_to_write_a_play_review.htm

http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/PlayReview.html

Travel Writing Online -- Year 9

Hey kids!

The following is a list of links to the 'travel' sections of the major broadsheet newspapers:

The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel?CMP=KNC-GUtravel&HBX_PK&HBX_OU=50

The Times
http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/

The Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/index.jhtml;jsessionid=DKYVA0OH340KTQFIQMFCFFWAVCBQYIV0

The Independent
http://travel.independent.co.uk/

...and an online magazine!
http://www.travelmag.co.uk/

Look around these sites: take time to read several articles, especially (hint, hint!) ones that describe visits to major cities!

Mr H

Grammar Site Revisited

Since so many of you have indicated your unease with the analysis of grammar, can I recommend the following website to you:

http://www.englishbiz.co.uk/grammar/index.htm

This site is geared directly at English A-level students, with a focus on how to analyse grammar.

Warning: it’s very extensive (18+ sections), so printing off pages is pretty daunting!

There is, in addition, some online analysis activities for you to do at various points.

For L6 students, there’s an attached Adobe document—a “style guide”—that relates directly to EnB1 and EnB2 papers.Hope this helps!