7HL: Strike Day work | Sonnets

Hello Year 7!

Today, we’re turning our attention to a poetic form that Shakespeare helped to make famous: the sonnet.

In this part of the unit, you’ll be learning about how the sonnet form works, reading examples by Shakespeare and other poets, and each week you’ll try out some poetic lines of your own in a series of ‘Metrical Challenges’. Hopefully, by the end of term, you’ll be ready to write a sonnet of your own!

Here’s your work for the strike day (27th April):

1) Read and make notes on the information in this powerpoint:

2) Read William Wordsworth’s famous sonnet, ‘Composed Upon Westminster Bridge’, and answer the questions that follow (click here if you are viewing on an Apple device and cannot see a full-screen or download button):

If you’d like more examples and more information about some of these key terms, take a look here:

• iambic pentameter
• the sonnet

3) Metrical Challenge 1: Iambic Pentameter (continued)

Write at least five more lines of iambic pentameter of your own. You could try writing lines in rhyming pairs, if you like!

Have a look at the powerpoint below for help, advice and examples. 

Send me your best iambic lines via email or Teams.

That’s it for today. In the next few weeks, we’ll gradually build up to writing a whole sonnet of your own. 

Please get in touch if you need any help.

See you tomorrow!

Mr M

Y8: Week 9 | Of Mice and Men: The Bunkhouse

Hello Year 8,

 

So, it’s back-to-school this week, but we’ve been asked to provide work for year groups that are starting on Wednesday. So, I’ve provided three lessons of work below for you to use if you are missing an English lesson this week. If you're missing an English lesson on Monday or Tuesday, you can do it remotely at your usual time. If not, you'll do the same work in school with your teacher.

 

Last week, you looked into the context of Of Mice and Men and read the first chapter. This week, I’ll get you started on Chapter 2, where we meet the rest of the novella’s characters and learn about the working environment of the ranch.

 

PLEASE NOTE: This book was written in the 1930s and contains racist and sexist attitudes, including the use of n-word. This kind of language might well shock and upset us today, but even the nice, kind characters in this book display these attitudes. We will discuss these attitudes and this language carefully and sensitively when we get back into school and will agree about how we handle it. We'll learn more about this aspect of the novel's context later.

ALSO NOTE: The attitudes of the characters are not necessarily the attitudes of the author. He’s showing us what it was like to live on a ranch in the 1930s. We’ll be looking for the subtle signs that Steinbeck doesn’t agree with the racist and misogynistic attitudes in his story – and we’ll consider to what extent he was actually trying to shine a light on prejudice and injustice.

 

Here are your lessons for this week. I’ve kept them short (about 45 minutes each) to allow plenty of time for discussion and settling back in for those of you who will be doing these lessons in school:

 

 

 

Lesson 1:

 

1) Re-take last week’s quiz as a recap.

  

2) Read Chapter 2 of Of Mice and Men. 

• Here’s the audiobook link for you to listen along to as you read. 
• Chapter 2 begins on page 18 of this document. 
• Alternative version here (go to p.36).

The audiobook reading takes around 45 minutes, so that's enough for today.

 

Lesson 2:

Title: Of Mice and Men: Chapter 2 

 

Have a go at the ‘summarise’, ‘create’ and 'test yourself' tasks on this powerpoint:

Lesson 3:

 

 

Create a more in-depth character profile of the characters we meet in Chapter 2.

 

You could use a double page in your book and copy the table below, or you could fill in a copy of this document.

You’ll find that when each character is introduced, there’s an initial physical description. Use this for the first column.

 

Then:

 

Behaviour = how they act and what they do.

Personality = inferences we can make about what they are like.

Any questions? Ask!

 

 

 

That's it! With any luck, that’s the last time you’ll have to use this blog! Thanks for all your hard work throughout this difficult time.


Don't forget to leave a comment or email myself or your teacher if you have any problems or questions.

 

Enjoy your first week back!

 

Mr M

Y8: Week 8 | Introducing 'Of Mice and Men'

Hello Year 8!

Just one more week before we're back in school - and we've got a great book lined up for you to complete our novel unit: John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men.

This week, we'll introduce you to the context of the novella (a little novel) and get you started on the first chapter. When we're back next week, we'll expect you to:

a) understand some key contextual factors, and...

b) have an understanding of the two main characters.

Here are a few interesting facts about the book:

• It was published in 1937.
• It is set in California during the Great Depression.
• The town mentioned at the start of the novel, Soledad, means 'solitude' or loneliness in Spanish. This is an important detail.
• It is a novella, but in some ways it feels like a play and it was adapted for the theatre shortly after its release. It continues to be performed on stage to this day.
• The title comes from a poem called 'To a Mouse' by the Scottish poet Robert Burns. We'll read it later.
• Steinbeck's original title was simply 'Something That Happened.'
• Steinbeck's dog, Toby, ate an early draft of the story! 🤦‍♂️😲🐶

On that bombshell, let's get started!

 

Lesson 1:

 

Write the title: Of Mice and Men - Context

TASK: Use the documents and video clips below (and explore further online if you like) to research and make beautiful and detailed notes on the following three contextual issues:

• The American Dream
• The Great Depression
• The Dust Bowl

Perhaps you could do a Cornell Notes page for each bullet point?

Alternatively, you could do a spider diagram for each issue. Or something else entirely. You decide how you want to present it!

Here are the resources:

Download document here


Watch this mini-documentary on the context of Of Mice and Men:

• Of Mice and Men - In Context (Part 1)
• Of Mice and Men - In Context (Part 2) 

There's some good stuff on BBC Bitesize.

This doc might help too:

Download document here



Feel free to use any other useful resources you find.

 

Lesson 2:

 

1) Make sure you've completed your beautiful notes from lesson 1. Your assignment this week will be to share some images of your notes. You can go to the assignment by clicking here.

2) Read Chapter 1 of Of Mice and Men. You can use the document below (up to page 18), download a copy of the whole text, or try the next link. Scroll down for a link to an audiobook too.

Alternative version:

https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.507266?ref=ol#page/n11/mode/2up

Here's an audiobook. Why not read along as you listen? Chapter 1 ends at 34 minutes and 34 seconds.

Optional extra task for lesson 2:

Answer the questions on this worksheet:

Explore the setting of the novella on Google Maps

 

Lesson 3:

 

Have a go at the ‘summarise’, ‘create’ and 'test yourself' tasks on this powerpoint:

Well done folks! That's it for this introduction to Of Mice and Men. Make sure you're ready to discuss what you've learnt in class next week, especially the context and the main characters.

Please feel free to leave a comment or email your teacher if you have any problems or questions.

Stay safe, y'all!

Mr M

Y8: Week 7 | Oliver Twist: The Climax

Welcome back Year 8,

 

We hope you had a nice half-term.

 

This week, we will finish the Oak unit on Oliver Twist and find out what happens to Oliver, Nancy, Bill, Fagin, the mysterious Monks and the inheritance that he is after.

 

Last time, Oliver was involved in a botched burglary, got shot and was taken in by the Maylies. Later, Nancy met Rose Maylie and told her about a conversation she overheard, including details about Oliver’s past, his inheritance and a mysterious stranger called Monks (Oliver’s half-brother) who needs Oliver out of the way. We now know that Oliver is in grave danger!

 

Below, you’ll find the lessons for this week. If you’re reading the full novel, we’ve covered up to Chapter 41 and will pick up this week at Chapter 47.

 

Here are some useful resources if you want to really push yourself and enjoy Oliver Twist in more detail:

• An online copy of Oliver Twist, with audio recordings of each chapter so you can listen along.
• A pdf copy of Oliver Twist which you can download.

 

Here are your lessons for this week:

 

 

 

Lesson 1:

 

Do the next lesson on Oliver Twist from Oak National Academy: Nancy’s Death

 

Please note that this lesson contains a description of domestic violence. If this is a sensitive topic to you, we recommend checking with a trusted adult before starting or doing the lesson with a trusted adult nearby.

 

You’ll also notice that you can now share your Oak quiz results with us by copying and pasting your results link into Teams!

 

 

 

Lesson 2:

 

Do the penultimate lesson on Oliver Twist from Oak National Academy: What Happens to Sikes and Fagin?

 

Optional extension task for lesson 2:

Watch these climactic scenes in Fagin and Bill’s stories:

Clip 1: from Oliver Twist (2005)

Clip 2: from Oliver! (1968)

 

 

 

 

Lesson 3:

 

Do the final lesson on Oliver Twist from Oak National Academy: The End

 

When you've finished, click here to view this week's assignment.

 

Optional extension task for lesson 3:

Watch the last five minutes of the classic 1948 movie, Oliver Twist.

 

Don’t forget, the BBC’s two-part adaptation of Oliver Twist is on iPlayer for just one more week.

 

 

That’s the end of the first part of our ‘Introduction to the Novel’ unit. Well done! But we still have another great novel to read, and we’ll start next week. It’s a bit easier (and much shorter) than Oliver Twist, but it was a GCSE set-text for years and is full of big ideas to get your teeth into. You’re going to love it!

 

 

Mr M

Y8: Week 6 | A Burglary & The Plot Thickens!

Hello Year 8,

 

This week, we continue to make progress through Oliver Twist and we’ll reach the climax just after half-term. I’m really pleased to hear from more of you who are reading the full novel for yourselves. And some of the work I’ve seen in recent weeks has been superb. Well done!

 

Thank you for getting last week’s assignment done. If you still need to do it, it’s here.

 

On with the novel! Last week, Oliver met Bill Sikes, a brutal and villainous character who was brought up in Fagin’s gang. This week, Oliver gets tangled up further in Bill's criminal world.

 

Below, you’ll find the lessons for this week.

 

But first, here are some useful resources if you want to really push yourself and enjoy Oliver Twist in more detail:

 

An online copy of Oliver Twist, with audio recordings of each chapter so you can listen along.

A pdf copy of Oliver Twist which you can download.

 

Here are your lessons for this week:

 

 

 

Lesson 1:

 

Do the next lesson on Oliver Twist from Oak National Academy: A Burglary Goes Wrong

 

 

Optional extension task for lesson 1:

Watch this scene (watch for 6 minutes, until the gunshot) from the 1982 TV movie, Oliver Twist. Apologies, the film I linked to last week was removed from YouTube. Note: most film versions I’ve seen make the burglary take place at the Brownlow’s house, rather than the Maylie’s, which makes the story a bit simpler, but is quite confusing for us!

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson 2:

 

We’re going to skip an Oak lesson here, but it would be useful for you to get to know the key words from the lesson we’re skipping by flicking through this powerpoint and writing down the two definitions.

 

Now, read this explanation of what happens to Oliver next:

 

• After Oliver is shot, Bill Sikes pulls Oliver back through the window. He flees with the bleeding Oliver. But the locals give chase, and Bill leaves Oliver in a ditch and makes his escape.
• Later, Oliver awakens delirious. He gets up and stumbles over to the same house Sikes tried to get him to rob. Oliver’s feeble knock at the door frightens everyone. When the servant opens the door, he finds Oliver lying on the doorstep. They exclaim that Oliver is one of the thieves and drag him inside.
• They call for a doctor and carry him upstairs. Mrs. Maylie, the mistress of the house, is a kindly, old-fashioned elderly woman. Her niece, Miss Rose, is an angelic beauty of seventeen. Upon seeing Oliver, Miss Rose exclaims that he cannot possibly be a burglar unless older, evil men have forced him into the trade.
• Miss Rose was an orphan like Oliver, and was adopted by Mrs. Maylie, and she seems to understand Oliver’s situation perfectly. She passionately convinces Mrs Maylie that Oliver deserves kindness, and doesn’t deserve to go to prison.
• Oliver stays there for months. Not only does his health improve, but so do his reading and writing skills too. Oliver and the Maylies become very attached to each other.

 

 

Finally, do our next lesson on Oliver Twist from Oak National Academy: A Mysterious Stranger

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson 3:

 

Do the next lesson on Oliver Twist from Oak National Academy: Nancy alerts Rose

 

 

 

That’s the end of this week’s work. Well done!

 

As you may have gathered, the full novel (it’s over 400 pages long) is much more complicated than any film version or the story we’re getting from these extracts. So, read it if you can! But we now only have three lessons to go in our unit on Oliver Twist. We’ll get to the exciting climax after half term!

I’ll post this week’s assignment on Wednesday.

 

Have a great half-term and a well-deserved break from school work!

 

Mr M

 

P.S. Remember, the BBC’s two-part adaptation of Oliver Twist is on iPlayer until the end of February.