10WL English with Ms Donovan 2018

Welcome back to Term 2. I hope that you have all had a restful and enjoyable break with family and friends. This week we are going to begin to respond to some of the significant chapters in our novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. The chapter that we are going to reread, discuss and respond to is called,'Hope Against Hope'. This is a powerful chapter that has a very important message. We will continue to develop our reading skills by reading a different text each week and respond to this text in a variety of ways. This week we are going to continue to develop our summarizing skills. We will use an article from the Press about the reopening of The Kennedy's Bush Track in the Port Hills. We will also look at the ways being in the outdoors can make a difference to people's moods and feelings. All of this work can be found in the Hapara workspace. The link to the Hapara workspace

 On Wednesday April 4 we will begin to examine our 3rd text. 'Plastic Bag Action Vow'. This is an article about a massive issue that has a big impact on the planet and what is being done about it.  We will view a very persuasive visual text featuring the NZ actor Sam Neil who is one of many who support this issue being addressed. There is also a connection to our first text the short NZ film,  'The Dump'. Perhaps the planet needs more people like Utah's dad, Orlando... We will also work with this article to further develop our skills in identifying main ideas and key details to be able to write a  brief and relevant summary. We will work with a paper copy of the text, as well as the digital version. We will also develop the connection to one of the main ideas in the short  NZ film, 'The Dump'.This will be done by expressing our ideas using the SEX-Y paragraph structure in our written explanation. All of this work can be found in  Our Hapara workspace,

In class on Tuesday the 27 of March we are going to continue to identify the ways in which we can connect our second text,'Kanoro' to the short film, 'The Dump'. We will work together to identify the main  ideas, from both of the texts, then work to describe and explain how and why they they are similar. We will be focusing on developing full sentence answers using part of the question to frame our answer, as well as using in some of the questions the SEX-Y paragraph structure. Each lesson will continue to follow the format of writing in response to the BIG QUESTION task, then we will be continuing with our class novel, 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' by Sherman Alexie. The aim for the week is to complete all written work connecting the main ideas from the second text - Kanoro to our first visual text, the short New Zealand film, 'The Dump'. Click on the link  HERE   to take you to our Hapara workspace.

In English this week, Thursday 22/2 P4, and Friday 23/2, P5 we are going to work to  develop and show our  ideas about the theme of our new unit, called'Making a Difference'. I would also value your input and suggestions for our teaching and learning about this complex theme. You may  well have some great ideas about stories, articles, songs, films, videos that you may like to suggest and discuss. I am looking forward to those conversations. All of your work is in the Hpara Workspace. 'Making a Difference'

We are preparing for Asttle Writing- writing to describe for our beginning of year assessment. We have been working together in groups looking at picture prompts and using the 5 senses to help us identify ways in which we could respond to what the image is about. We have been using the strategy of 'visualizing' ourselves just out of the picture frame to draw a more meaning from the picture as we can think about what we could feel, hear or see in the image. Tomorrow Tuesday 13/2 in  P1 we have the PAT Reading Comprehension assessment. On Thursday 15/2 in P4 we have the AsTTle writing assessment. All of the resources  you may need to help you with this assessment can be found in your Hapara Workspace Beginning of Year  Link  HERE

Welcome to English in 2018. In the first two weeks of this term we will be working to prepare for the beginning of the year assessment. The outline of what we are going to do is below. I am looking forward to working and learning with you this year.