Red Space Rocket

Here is a really interesting article about study habits. I’d be very surprised if you didn’t find it interesting.

Forget What You Know About Good Study Habits

Since some of you missed class today, here are some resources that you should print off and consider.

Sample Context Response

Relationships

Goals
Write an expository essay in response to a text

Vocabulary words: None
15-minute writing topic: None

First activity
Under test conditions, you will write the good copy of your essay in response to the film 10 Canoes.
1. To what extent are gender roles in 10 Canoes similar to those in mainstream Australia today?
2. To what extent are the people’s skills in 10 Canoes similar to those possessed by people in mainstream Australia today?
3. To what extent are the tools in 10 Canoes similar to those in mainstream Australia today?
4. To what extent is the practice of justice in 10 Canoes similar to practices in mainstream Australia today?
5. To what extent are rituals surrounding death in 10 Canoes similar to those in mainstream Australia today?

Rewrite this sentence without, replacing the words in bold with other words that keep a similar meaning.

The bourgeois artists’ presents were a boon to the nascent painter.

Then…

Create your own sentence that uses bourgeois, boon and nascent.

Goals
To write an expository essay

Vocabulary words
The abstemious woman was abysmal at wrestling but absolved herself from feeling guilty about it.

15-minute writing topic
None

First activity

Today, with my help, you will review the draft of your 10 Canoes essay. The point of this exercise is to see which elements you have included and how well these points work.

You will be completing your good copies tomorrow under test conditions. Although you will not be able to talk to one another, this is an open-books task and you can access your notes.

Goals
Analyse a text for issues.
Expand vocabulary

Vocabulary words
The bourgeois artists’ presents were a boon to the nascent painter.

15-minute writing topic: None

First activity
Discuss the film My Sister’s Keeper, and make note of the ways in which is demonstrates issues relating to family.

In less that one hundred words, write a complete story in the present tense. Your story should have one or more characters, a problem and a resolution.

Goals
View text and collect information about the theme of family

Vocabulary words: None
15-minute writing topic: None

First activity
We will watch the feature film My Sister’s Keeper in the Drama Centre. Because this film is slightly longer than the double session, you will need to be there at 1.20: ten minutes before the end of lunch.

Goals
Write cohesively and grammatically valid sentences
Expand vocabulary
Read contemporary fiction

Vocabulary words
The bourgeois artists’ presents were a boon to the nascent painter.

15-minute writing topic
The Dead Body in the River

Focus on describing sounds.

First activity
Continue reading Runner

Second activity
What do we know about essay structure?

Goals
Expand vocabulary
Red contemporary fiction

Vocabulary words
The admiral blatantly abused the bogus navigator.

15-minute writing topic: None

First activity: I will be away today, but please continue reading Runner out-loud as a class. I am sure that the teacher you have will be happy to help.

Goals
To write an expository essay

Vocabulary words
The admiral blatantly abused the bogus navigator.

15-minute writing topic: None

First activity
Today, in my absence, you will write the first draft of your 10 Canoes essay.
As you write this, I strongly encourage you to make use of the following resources.
• Your questions and answers about the film.
• My guide to writing an expository essay: text response.
• The summary of the movie.
• Your classmates

The abstemious woman knew that she was abysmal at wrestling but absolved herself from feeling guilty about it.

This time, see if you can write this sentence without using any of the words in the original.

Goals
Expand vocabulary
Read contemporary fiction

Vocabulary words
The abstemious woman was abysmal at wrestling but absolved herself from feeling guilty about it.

15-minute writing topic
Wrong Side of the Bed

Focus on physical descriptions

First activity
Continue reading Runner

Goals
Read and analyse a text to gather information for our context theme

Vocabulary words: None
15-minute writing topic: None

First activity
Finish reading Montana 1948.
Complete our index of character relationships

The lawyer’s acumen meant that the rowdy robber was acquitted by the jury.

Rewrite this sentence. This time you can only use “that”, “by” and “the”. The rest must be different words. Again, just in case you have forgotten, the aim is to make your sentence really sing.