English

11/5/2017
Unit 5
Openings

Statement of Inquiry
Dramatic openings are used to capture the audiences attention

Global Context: Personal & Cultural Expression
Key Concept: Communication
Related Concepts: Connections, Character, Style, Setting

Summative Assessment
Write the opening page of a novel

31/5/2017
Summative assessment examples

Many men fight for home and country.

He had been in his grey, silent cell for a long time, doesn’t know exactly how, but it was quite long.

When he peered at the cold, hard stone wall, he remembered that he had written down his time in a block of lines, carved into the wall with a stone.

All he knew for certain, was that out of all the blocks of lines, they all had measured more than 3 years.

Suddenly, a group of prison wardens opened his cell door, tied his hands, put a bag over his head and forced him to stand.

This was surprisingly difficult for him since he hadn’t drank or eaten anything for the last 3 desolate days.

The prison guards then pushed him forcefully forwards, towards the execution ground door , and he noticed that there was no screaming or anything like that from the other cells and then, only silence.

He was pushed up against a wet, stone wall that smelled of fresh blood.

Then, he heard gunshots

Problem is, that if he heard them, how is he still alive?

He then heard more gunshots accompanied by more screaming and realised that there might be some kind of rescue.

He knew this because his best friend, his brother and another one of his friends were in another division which might have managed to not become captured.

The gunshots were making his ears ring, although, all he did was remember.

Remember when an opposing government declared war, when he met his wife, when he was sent on his first campaign and when he got captured by a group of scouting soldiers after his gun had ran out of ammunition.

Then, he heard nothing.

Not a gunshot, scream or any of the sort.

Only silence.

He then felt his hands being untied, without a word being spoken.

He asked, why and how they were releasing him.

All he could hear in response was the sound of the beige, sturdy rope being cut off.

And the whispering of a word.

It was the same person which had brought him to the front lines.

It was the same person which had brought him to find a land of mysteries on that warm summer day.

It was the same person he had relied on and supported for decades.

One of the other many men that fight for home and country.
by Arthur

Unit 4
Recap
Students are practising writing for a range of purposes and completing comprehension activities.  The students will cover the following writing approaches:

Writing to explain
Writing to persuade
Writing to entertain
Writing to inform

Unit 3 - Romeo & Juliet

Statement of Inquiry:  Some themes relating to human relationships are timeless and transcend cultural and national boundaries

10/3/17

Students are in the process of writing their analysis essay on Romeo and Juliet.

17/2/17

Students have been considering the major themes in Romeo and Juliet

6/2/17

Introduction Writing Practise

30-1-17

First attempt at comparative writing

by Lorenzo

24/1/17

Grade 8 students are presently developing their comparative writing skills in preparation for the compulsory summative assessment.

Summative Assessment (Compulsory)

The story of young lovers who are kept apart because of misunderstandings or prejudice is an old one. Shakespeare used this ancient tale as the basis for Romeo and Juliet. Find a story with a theme that is similar to Romeo and Juliet. The story could be from a movie, TV show, novel, short story, or song. In a well organized essay compare and contrast a minimum of two themes of this story to Romeo and Juliet.

Summative Assessment (Choice)

Newspaper Report

Imagine you are a reporter for the daily newspaper in Verona. It is the morning after Romeo and Juliet’s double suicide. Your task is to cover their tragic deaths in a spread including a well-developed news story and some related interviews. Be sure to provide a masthead at the top of the first page with the newspaper’s name (such as Verona Views or Times of Verona) and a striking headline for your stories. Below is an outline for organizing your newspaper. a. News story – first paragraph: Begin your article with a brief firsthand report of the actual events. What happened? Where? When? To whom? How? Mention only the most important facts. b. News story – second paragraph: Give more details about the event. Who discovered the bodies? What did that person observe? Who told the authorities? What steps have the authorities taken to investigate the deaths? c. News story – third paragraph: What information has been gathered about the two who died? What led up to the deaths? Who are the survivors? d. Related interviews: Create questions and responses of related characters, such as Friar Laurence, Lord and Lady Capulet, Lord Montague (explain why you couldn’t interview Lady Montague), Balthasar, Paris’s page, Nurse, Benvolio. Ask your interview subject questions such as the following: How were you related to Romeo or Juliet? How do you feel about his or her suicide? Did you suspect this would happen? Do you feel you could have prevented it? How? What if you had known all along that Romeo and Juliet were in love – would you have behaved differently? e. Additional stories – weather, sports, other news – be creative!

Alternative Ending:

For this choice you need to write an alternative ending for the play.  Your alternative ending should be written in the same format as Romeo and Juliet.  In other words, you should write your alternative ending in dialogue with stage directions.  You can choose to start your alternative ending at any point in the play.

Visual Art:

Paint a scene from Romeo and Juliet.

Writing Lyrics:

Write a song about Romeo and Juliet.  Use some of the text in your song lyrics.

Poetry of your own:

The very beginning of the play sets up the action, and even tells us that the ending will be tragic. As was common in Shakespeare's time, a single actor would take the stage at the beginning of a performance and lay out the basics of the story that was to come. Most of the audience members would already be familiar with the story. The prologue served to focus attention and prepare the crowd.

This prologue follows the 14 line, rhyming format of a sonnet. It also maintains iambic pentameter, another key element of the sonnet. We can see that it also contains a light change of meaning in the last two lines. This is known as a "turn."

PROLOGUE (Act One)

Two households, both alike in dignity,--------------------------------A

In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,--------------------------------B

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,-----------------------------A

Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.-------------------------B

(Stanza 1)

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes-----------------------------C

A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;------------------------------D

Whose misadventured piteous overthrows-----------------------------C

Do with their death bury their parents' strife.---------------------------D

(Stanza 2)

The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,-----------------------E

And the continuance of their parents' rage,-----------------------------F

Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,---------------E

Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;--------------------------------F

(Stanza 3)

Write a sonnet, following the English sonnet format: 14 lines with 10 syllables per line, with the rhyme scheme ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG.

Advice Column:

Pretend Romeo and/or Juliet wrote to the advice column to ask for romantic advice. Include their question and your advice back to them in the format of an advice column.

Board Game:

Create a board game that incorporates the main characters and main events in Romeo and Juliet. With an instruction manual.

Unit 2 - Persuasive Poetry

Key Concepts: Culture
Related Concepts: Purpose & Style


Publishing Poems (23/11/12)
Grade 8 students were set the challenge of publishing their poems for the public to read.  Some students chose various social media sites, whilst others chose more traditional methods.

Risløkka T-bane station

Email: Aftenposten Junior

Bus Stop

Assessment Deadlines
Poem completion - end of lesson 15th November
Poem Published  -  22nd November  - Evidence must be provided

Assessment Rubric

Criteria C

The student: i. produces texts that demonstrate a high degree of personal engagement with the creative process; demonstrates a high degree of thought, imagination and sensitivity and perceptive exploration and consideration of new perspectives and ideas ii. makes perceptive stylistic choices in terms of linguistic, literary and visual devices, demonstrating clear awareness of impact on an audience iii. selects extensive relevant details and examples to develop ideas with precision.

Grade 8 students will be looking at the use of foreshadowing in the short story Lamb to the Slaughter. They will also consider their relationship to the female protagonist.

 

Statement of Inquiry

Stories help provide an understanding of moral dilemmas through context and setting

Key Concept: culture

Related Concepts: context; point of view & theme

Inquiry Questions

What are the key features of a short story?

Explain how different people can a have different perception of the same event?

Murder is always wrong. Discuss

19/09/2016
Students are in the process of completing their first draft in response to the question:
Explain how foreshadowing is used in the short story 'Lamb to the Slaughter'.

6/09/2016
Lessons will focus on comprehension activities in prepapration for najional prøver

30/08/2016
Information regarding Trinn 8 najional prøver is available on the main page.  Please support your child by completing comprehension exercises with him/her.

25/08/2016
Students have been introduced to foreshadowing as a literary technique.  It would be great if parents could ask their child/children about this technique and how it is used in 'lamb to the slaughter'.

22/08/16

Grade 8 English books have been teacher marked.  Please can parents look over the feedback and sign that the work has been checked at home.

The Author

How to get away with murder
Responses to the female protagonist