Red Space Rocket

I saw a sign for a shop near home and it struck me that there is quite a different between “dirt-cheap books” and “dirt, cheap books”.

Goals
Write sustained and cohesive narratives
Write accurately punctuated sentences
Expand vocabulary

Vocabulary builder
The dogmatic dog handler defenestrated the dull shepherd.

15-minute writing topic
Father and daughter dialogue

First activity
Terminal punctuation
What are the three ways to end a sentence?

• Full stop: end of idea.
• Exclamation mark: excitement.
• Question mark: question that requires a response.
• Ellipsis: Trailing off

1. Sit down, Ferdinand
2. I think that he’s gone to
3. When will you be back
4. The turbulent sea washed the captain overboard
5. Alice though to herself, “ I wonder”
6. “Fire” Jessie yelled
7. If this car won’t start
8. “Really” Emmylou asked Ronald.
9. A oil spill spread over the Gulf of Mexico
10. Could you pass the sugar

Put the most suitable punctuation mark at the end of each sentence.

Second activity
Students should write three sentences that properly end with
- A full stop
- An exclamation mark
- A question mark
- An ellipsis

This is twelve sentences in total.

Each student will share an example of each with the class.

Goals
• an understanding of the ideas, characters and themes constructed by the author and presented in the set text;
• Expand vocabulary

Vocabulary words
The dry dill was diffident to the well-dressed matriarch.

15-minute writing topic
Hate Is

First activity
Continue reading through the text of Romeo and Juliet, stopping to collect useful quotations.
We will collect these quotations and group them by theme.

Goals
Expand Vocabulary
Understand the rate of language change
Vocabulary words The covert croissant caused consternation among the cactus bushes.

15-minute writing topic
Father and daughter dialogue

First activity
Read the article: Golly! Blyton gets an update

Second activity
Focus questions
1. From this article, define:
• Mistress
• Swotter
• Tunic
• Jolly
• Tinker

2. What year was the first Famous Five Book published?

Goals
Write sustained and cohesive narratives
Write accurately punctuated sentences
Expand vocabulary

Vocabulary builder
The dogmatic dog handler defenestrated the dull shepherd.

15-minute writing topic
Father and daughter dialogue

First activity
Terminal punctuation
What are the three ways to end a sentence?

• Full stop: end of idea.
• Exclamation mark: excitement.
• Question mark: question that requires a response.
• Ellipsis: Trailing off

1. Sit down, Ferdinand
2. I think that he’s gone to
3. When will you be back
4. The turbulent sea washed the captain overboard
5. Alice though to herself, “ I wonder”
6. “Fire” Jessie yelled
7. If this car won’t start
8. “Really” Emmylou asked Ronald.
9. A oil spill spread over the Gulf of Mexico
10. Could you pass the sugar

Put the most suitable punctuation mark at the end of each sentence.

Second activity
Students should write three sentences that properly end with
- A full stop
- An exclamation mark
- A question mark
- An ellipsis

This is twelve sentences in total.

Each student will share an example of each with the class.

Goals
• an understanding of the ideas, characters and themes constructed by the author and presented in the set text;
• Expand vocabulary

Vocabulary words
The dogmatic dog handler defenestrated the dull shepherd.

15-minute writing topic
Fate Is

First activity
Continue reading through the text of Romeo and Juliet, stopping to collect useful quotations.
We will collect these quotations and group them by theme.

I’d be interested to know what folk think after they have read this article.

Goals
Write sustained and cohesive narratives
Expand vocabulary
Use a range of language techniques to try to position readers to accept particular views of people

First activity
Students who started the “unaware racist” story on Monday can use this session to complete their stories.

Second activity
Students who have completed their “unaware racist” story for assessment should complete the vocabulary builder crossword in this session.
This is individual work and students should not work in groups or pairs.

I will be away on sport for today, but I have left some work to consolidate the work we have been doing on expanding our vocabularies.

First activity
Students should complete the “Vocabulary Builder Crossword”.

Second activity
Students who complete the first crossword should complete the “Hard to Pronounce” crossword.

Goals
• present a text
• listen actively and respond appropriately to others’ views during discussion

Vocabulary words
The covert croissant caused consternation among the cactus bushes.

First activity
Present your scene or theme response to the class.
If you have updated a scene, you can get someone to help you read it to the class.

Goals
• Write sustained and cohesive narratives
• Expand vocabulary
• Use a range of language techniques to try to position readers to accept particular views of people

Vocabulary builder
The covert croissant caused consternation among the cactus bushes.

15-minute writing topic
None

First activity
Students should complete the story about the unaware racist.
• Students who have already started can have 45 minutes more today to finish.
• Students who are starting today can have the entire session after they complete the vocabulary builder task.

Second activity
Vocabulary-builder crossword puzzle.

Another really interesting article. This time, the many ways you can be misunderstood, even when you think you speak the same language.

A Brit’s take on American English

via A Brit’s take on American English | Macmillan.

An interested article from Grammar Girl.

It’s worth keeping in mind that while all made-up words are words, they are not all equally acceptable or credible.

Goals
• Develop understanding of linguistic conventions.
• Expand vocabulary
• Write sustained and cohesive narratives

Vocabulary words
The callow, cankerous coach considered his conundrum.

15-minute writing topic
Blessing in Disguise

First activity
Complete IPA Worksheet

Second activity
Favourite Word IPA Poster

Goals
• Develop understanding of linguistic conventions.
• Expand vocabulary

Vocabulary words
The besotted bovine caused bedlam at the beach.

First activity
Hard to pronounce words.
1. irony
2. dirge
3. yacht
4. hyperbole
5. nadir
6. aesthete
7. détente
8. ennui
9. harangue
10. penchant
11. précis
12. segue
13. specious
14. epitome
15. caveat

Challenge to see who can correctly pronounce the entire list from start to finish. Students can work in small teams.

Second activity
Begin IPA Worksheet