Red Space Rocket

It seems people really have thought of everything.

Here is the process we are using for our writing folios.

1. Purpose and Genre.
What does this text do?
Who is it for?
What are the common features of this type of writing?

2. Information Dump.
Use bullet points or a mindmap to just get the information you want to communicate onto the page.

3. First Draft.
Have a go. Write quickly, you can polish it later.

4. Feedback.
Get one suggestion from your neighbour on how to improve your text.
Give one suggestion to your neighbour.
Find one thing to improve about your own work.
There are always things to improve. The question is not “is this ok?” but “how can it be better?”

5. Write your good copy.
Be careful and make this your best work.

This is not quite the procedural texts we use in class but I like it as an example. It’s a Paul Kelly song. Part story, part procedure, and a good song into the bargain.

Hello Dan, it’s Joe here, I hope you’re keeping well
It’s the 21st of December, and now they’re ringing the last bells
If I get good behaviour, I’ll be out of here by July
Won’t you kiss my kids on Christmas Day, please don’t let ‘em cry for me
I guess the brothers are driving down from Queensland and Stella’s flying in from the coast
They say it’s gonna be a hundred degrees, even more maybe, but that won’t stop the roast
Who’s gonna make the gravy now? I bet it won’t taste the same
Just add flour, salt, a little red wine and don’t forget a dollop of tomato sauce for sweetness and that extra tang
And give my love to Angus and to Frank and Dolly,
Tell ‘em all I’m sorry I screwed up this time
And look after Rita, I’ll be thinking of her early Christmas morning
When I’m standing in line

I hear Mary’s got a new boyfriend, I hope he can hold his own
Do you remember the last one? What was his name again?
(Just a little too much cologne)
And Roger, you know I’m even gonna miss Roger
‘Cause there’s sure as hell no one in here I want to fight
Oh praise the Baby Jesus, have a Merry Christmas,
I’m really gonna miss it, all the treasure and the trash
And later in the evening, I can just imagine,
You’ll put on Junior Murvin and push the tables back
And you’ll dance with Rita, I know you really like her,
Just don’t hold her too close, oh brother please don’t stab me in the back
I didn’t mean to say that, it’s just my mind it plays up,
Multiplies each matter, turns imagination into fact
You know I love her badly, she’s the one to save me,
I’m gonna make some gravy, I’m gonna taste the fat
Tell her that I’m sorry, yeah I love her badly, tell ‘em all I’m sorry,
And kiss the sleepy children for me
You know one of these days, I’ll be making gravy,
I’ll be making plenty, I’m gonna pay ‘em all back.

Today we started our oral presentation in the Year 10 English classes and I was really impressed. I wasn’t impressed because my expectations were low, I was impressed because the quality of the preparation and presentation was so high.

So just in case you are wondering if you really heard and saw what you think you heard and saw – you did.

And it was really something.

In response to a couple of people asking me today here are some useful resources for the WWI assignment due this week.

Boy Soldiers
Putting Barbed Wire in Place

Next week we will starting work on World War Two. To gain a beginning understanding I would like each person to watch at least one of the following films before Wednesday March 14. All of these films are available in Australia on DVD and a good video shop will have most of them. We will not be watching these films in class so you will need to find time to track down your choice and watch it at home.

Au Revoir, Les Enfants
Paradise Road
Empire of the Sun
Casablanca
Saving Private Ryan
Pearl Habor
Catch 22
Schindler’s List

I will be asking you this week to nominate which film it is that you will be watching.

Next week we are starting to look at life between the wars in Australia and Britain and the factors which lead to the World War Two.

Anyhow with this in mind I found this resource which I think we will find really useful when we come to look at World War two.

BBC – WW2 People’s War

For chapters nine through to twelve you will be preparing an summary of the key points from each chapter for your own use in assignments.

Your summary should include six things that events (which can be conversations) and three good quotes. I will be checking that you are doing these and will be sharing good examples here on Red Space Rocket.

The reasons we are doing this are;
a) so encourage you to read and understand this novel, and
b) to create a resource for us to use when we tackle to themes and issues later this semester.

Now that you have completed the comprehension questions for the first section of Saving Francesca we are changing tasks for the next third of the book.

Chapter 13 – 36 (23 Chapters)
Each student will be responsible for presenting a chapter summary.
Two summaries are to be presented each session. Chapter summaries need to be prepared in advance and you will not have preparation time on the day you present.

All students will need to write notes during the presentations and will be expected to keep up with the reading.

When doing research for your World War One Assignment the following entries on Red Space Rocket should be useful to you.

The Assignment
ww1 assignment

Sample assignment

Assignment Planner and Style Guide

Example Comparison Points
Gallipoli Plots Points for Comparison

Resources
PBS site on WWI – this is an excellent resource.

4 Factors leading up to WW1

Historical Accounts – good links to resources

The Long, Long Trail

Book about Gallipoli

Battle of Gallipoli – Wikipedia.

Criticism of the film Gallipoli – Wikipedia.

Digger History (thanks for this Danielle)

This will be both interesting and useful for students in year nine history.

THE COLONY: EP 3 OF 6

In tonight’s episode, there is great excitement with the commencement of river trading, bringing with it the opportunity to buy goods. When Rindy Newman, the first female convict arrives on the scene, the blokes don’t know how to handle her. (STUDY GUIDE AVAILABLE)

Saturday 24 February 2007 7.30pm
SBS Rating: (PG, WS, Rpt)
Duration: 60 mins

Last week I put this great quote up from Shakespeare’s Henry V.

This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

I just discovered today that one of the filmed versions of this terrific play are on the telly this weekend.

HENRY V

Laurence Olivier’s classic, Academy Award-winning film version of Shakespeare’s great drama.

Sunday 25 February 2007 11.35pm
ABC Rating: (G, Rpt)
Duration: 135 mins

A number of students have mentioned that they have had trouble finding the names of ships their convicts might have been sent to Australia on so here are some resources that will help.

Wikipedia – convict ships to Western Australia
University of Wollongong – The First Fleet
The 3rd Fleet – Taking convict to Sydney
Convict Ships to Victoria
Convict ships to Tasmania

And finally some more general resources for the My Life as a Convict assignment.
Convict Life
Convictism in Australia
Convicts and the British colonies in Australia

Here are some quick podcasts. They have a few useful points about each of the assignments my classes are working on this week.

Year 9 History Assignment

Year 10 History Assignment

Year 10 English Assignment

In English for the year tens this week you will be completing preparation for your three-minute oral presentation about three factors in your identity. You also have comprehension questions to complete for Saving Francesca.
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