Week beginning 22/6/20

This week, we are exploring the theme of 'twisted' fairytales. This is when the normal structure and ideas of fairytales are 'twisted'. This could mean that instead of the Prince rescuing the Princess, she is the one rescuing him! Or perhaps the stepmother is actually very kind and helpful and not evil! 

Complete the following activities:

1) Choose the correct spelling for each word:

• veign • vein • veyn

• wey • weigh • weiy

• neybour • neighbour • neibour

• thay • theiy • they

• obeiy • obeigh • obey

• eiyt • eight • eihght

• chief • cheef • cheif

• acheive • achieve • acheeve

• deceighve • decieve • deceive

• receeve • receive • recieve

2) Use a thesaurus to find 2 synonyms (words that mean the same) for each of the following words:

Great _____  _____
Afraid _____  _____
Unsure _____  _____
Grasped _____  _____
Shaky _____  _____
Comfort _____  _____
Burrowed _____  _______
Hate ______   ________
 

3) Using some of the synonyms for activity two, write 3 exciting sentences to describe the picture below:

4) Watch the video below. Once you have watched it, design your own fairytale character. Draw them and write some ideas around the picture to describe what they are like, who they are, what they want etc. 

5) Most fairy tales have a familiar storyline and contain the usual character types.

Your task is to write your own version of a fairy tale you know well or write a brand new one of your own.

This fairy tale does need to contain some of the usual features such as:

• magic

• creatures can be used as characters

• a journey

• problem to solve or overcome

• phrases such as, 'once upon a time' and 'far far away'

However, it does not need to follow the same pattern, nor does it need to have a happy ending if you don't want it to.

For example:

Usually it is a princess who needs rescuing by a prince. Perhaps in your story, it is the prince who is saved by a princess.

Perhaps the prince does not fall in love with the princess.

Work for week beginning 15/6/20

'The Stadium'

1) Answer the following questions using clues from the picture and your own knowledge/ideas:

2) Improve these 'sick' sentences:

3) Complete this grammar activity:

4) Continue this story - think about what happened to the stadium, why it happened and what may become of it now. You could even use a 'flashback' structure whereby a character visits the stadium as it is now and remembers the day that the terrible event changed the stadium forever...

Work for week beginning 8/6/20

This week, you have probably heard about the protests that have been taking place around the world. Please read the information on Newsround to familiarise yourself with what has happened and why it has happened. Although the information on Newsround is presented in a child-friendly way, the situation may be quite distressing and I would encourage you to speak to your parents about it if it upsets you. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/52813673

Once you have done this, I would like you to write a letter to Donald Trump. He is one of the most powerful leaders in the world at the moment and the protests are most significant in America. In your letter, I would like you to describe how you think he should handle the situation. Describe to him why it is important that people are treated equally and fairly. What steps, as the President of America, do you think he should take to put an end to racism and allow everyone to live in safety and peace?

Remember that your letter should be written in a formal style and should include: an introduction, paragraphs, rhetorical questions, some facts as well as your own opinion and sentence starters (e.g. Furthermore, In addition, On the other hand). 

I would love to read your letters to Donald Trump - I know a lot of you really enjoyed writing to him about climate change! Please send them to me via email and also contact me if you have any concerns or questions about this week's task. 

Work for week beginning 1/6/20

This week we are going to look at Newspaper reports. 

1) First, watch the video and have a go at the activities as a quick reminder about the key features of a newspaper report:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/z2yycdm/articles/z2gk9qt

2) Next, read through the example below and try to find examples of the features. You can just make notes in different colours rather than printing it out and highlighting different colours! 

3) Once you have familiarised yourself with the key features of newspaper reports, have a go at sorting these phrases into two columns: Would appear in a Newspaper Report & Would NOT appear in Newspaper Report

4) During lockdown, there have been many news reports about animals who have reclaimed (taken back) the cities and towns due to people being locked inside their houses. Read this report about the different animals around the world who have been taking over the cities and towns!

https://www.countryliving.com/uk/news/g32066174/animals-deserted-towns-cities-lockdown/

5) Your writing task this week is to create a Newspaper Report about an animal that has taken over Chorley! You can choose any animal you like! Your newspaper report should include information about who has spotted them, what the animals are, when the animals were first spotted, where they have been going and why they have chosen to invade Chorley! Perhaps they want to check out the new M&S or go on the play area at Astley Park! You could include an 'eye-witness' who has seen the animal up close. You could also either draw or use a photoshop programme on your computer to create an image of your animal in Chorley! 

Don't forget, I would love to see your finished Newspaper Reports so please send them to me via email! 

Work for week beginning 18/5/20

This week, we are going to be Estate Agents! Just like Mr Stone in Skellig (your reading for this week), it is an estate agent's job to be as persuasive as possible when describing a house in order to make people see past the problems and focus on the positives. 

1) 

2) Have a go at this quiz which explores the use of 'positive language' to describe aspects of properties which may not be that desirable!

3) Watch this video and read the advert example below and make notes of some of the persuasive language that the estate agent uses when describing the homes:

4) Try to come up with some 'positive' language to describe the following problems that somebody may have with a house (e.g. being next to a busy, noisy road = great transport links):

• The house is small = 
• The house is dirty and hasn't been decorated for years = 
• The garden is covered in weeds = 
• The garage has no door = 
• One of the bedrooms is too small to fit a bed in = 

5) Your writing task this week is to write a persuasive estate agent advert using positive language to sell a pretty hideous home! Watch the video below in which 2 estate agents look around what they call one of the most disgusting houses on the market! Remember, in order to sell it, you will need to put a positive spin on everything to make the buyer look past the negatives. 

Work for week beginning 4/5/20

This week it is the 75th VE Day. Read through the slides below to learn about what this means:

A little differently to other weeks, I am going to give you some choices about which writing activity you would like to complete. Below are some different ideas of writing opportunities linked to VE Day. You can choose which one (or more!) you wish to complete:

• Choose either Geoffory Hather or Michael Wetton (the people talked about in the slides) and write a diary entry from their point of view about when they heard the announcement that the War was over. Think about the emotions they may be feeling. 

• Do some research about Winston Churchill and then write a biography about him.

• Based on the information from the slides and also what you learnt about WWII, write a fact file about VE Day.

• Write a food and drinks menu for a VE Day street party. Include descriptions about each dish making sure they sound delicious! 

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• Imagine you are Winston Churchill - write a script for what you would have said in your radio broadcast to the nation to tell them that the War was over.

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Work for week beginning 27/4/20

This week, we will be continuing the theme of being different from our reading activities based on 'Wonder'.

1) Create a word mind map of all the different words and ideas you think of when you see these words:

• Ugly 
• Weird
• Unique 

2) Read these poem/songs all about being different. Whilst you read them, think about how they present being different - is it in a positive or negative way? 

https://genius.com/Keala-settle-this-is-me-lyrics 

https://genius.com/Sugababes-ugly-lyrics

3) Watch this video of a short film called 'Little Freak'. 

4) Simile or Metaphor?

• The rain beat down like whips to a horse’s back.
• Darkness encased the caravan- the heavy, grey clouds were a cage from which the boy could not escape.
• Tears welled in his eyes like a river about to burst its bank.
• The candles on the cake flickered wildly, like bright little glimmers of hope of which the boy clung onto for comfort.
• His father’s voice was a cup half full. Resentfully the boy could sense his optimism.

 What is a simile? What is a metaphor? Which of the above sentences use each of these devices? Can you identify any other figurative language in the sentences above? Can you think of any examples of your own?

5) Your task this week is to create a poem based on the short film, 'Little Freak'. I would like you to try to put a 'positive' spin on being different like they did in the songs. I would also like you to try to include some examples of similes and metaphors within your poem. Below is an example of a poem which you can use to inspire your own. 

Work for Week Beginning 20/4/20

This week we will be looking at descriptive writing with a focus on magic. In your reading activities this week, you have read the opening chapter of about the magical Nowhere Emporium. These English activities will link to another famous magical shopping place - Diagon Alley! 

1) Watch the clip from the film where Harry sees Diagon Alley for the first time. First, watch the clip with the sound muted and really focus on what magical things you can see in the clip. Next, watch it again with the sound on and consider how effective the music is in creating the magical atmosphere. 

2) Write five sentences to describe what Harry can see. Think about how to open your sentences in different ways, e.g. ‘ing opener’ such as: ‘Peering intently, Harry saw wonders he had never seen before’.

3) Now read the extract from the Harry Potter book below. Which do you think was the most effective, text or film, to describe Diagon Alley? Write down your response giving evidence from both what you have read and watched.

Vampires? Hags? Harry's head was swimming. Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the dustbin.

"Three up... two across..." he muttered. "Right, stand back, Harry."

He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella.

The brick he had touched quivered—it wriggled—in the middle, a small hole appeared—it grew wider and wider—a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway on to a cobbled street which twisted and turned out of sight.

"Welcome," said Hagrid, " to Diagon Alley."

He grinned at Harry's amazement. They stepped through the archway. Harry looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall.

The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons—All sizes—Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver—Self Stirring—Collapsible said a sign hanging over them.

"Yeah, you'll be needin' one," said Hagrid, " but we gotta get yer money first."

Harry wished he had about eight more eyes. He turned his head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump woman outside an apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, sixteen sickles an ounce, they're mad ..."

A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium—Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown and Snowy. Several boys of about Harry's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "Look," Harry heard one of them say, " the new Nimbus Two Thousand—fastest ever," There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Harry had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon...

"Gringotts," said Hagrid.

They had reached a snowy-white building which towered over the other little shops.

4) Now you have read and watched some different descriptions of magical shops, it is time to use your imagination and create your own! You could first draw a picture of your magical shop and then write a description of the shop, perhaps from the point of view of a child seeing the shop for the first time. It could be a magical sweet shop, a magical book shop or a magical toy shop! Be creative and I would love to read your descriptions so don't forget you can email them to me .

Work for week beginning 30/3/20 

This week, we are going to be inspired by the great Sir David Attenborough.

1) Read through this transcript of one of David Attenborough's voiceovers. Make some notes about what makes it effective. 

The surface of the ocean conceals
the many creatures that live beneath
but not all.
Bottlenose dolphins.
They're extremely intelligent.
And with this intelligence
comes playfulness.
They surf.
And as far as we can tell,
they do so for the sheer joy of it.
But to properly appreciate
their true character,
you have to travel with them
into their world.
A pod of bottlenose dolphins is visiting
a coral reef in the Red Sea.
For the youngsters,
there are things to be learned here.
The adults lead a calf
to a particular bush-like coral
called a Gorgonian.
And here, the adults behave
rather strangely.
They deliberately rub themselves
through the fronds.
Their calf seems reluctant to do so.
By watching his elders,
he may be realising
that this is something he ought to do.
Gorgonia fronds, in fact,
are covered with a mucous
that can have anti-inflammatory
and antimicrobial properties.
So maybe the adult dolphins
are doing this
to protect themselves from infection.
The dolphins' intimate knowledge
of the reef
is spurring us to search
for new medicines here, too.

2) Look up the highlighted words in a dictionary or online to find their meaning. 
 

3) Write a sentence which includes a relative clause to describe each of the animals below - remember a relative clause is a bit of 'extra information' that is separated by commas, dashes or brackets. E.g. The ferocious beast, which cleverly conceals itself in the African wilderness, waits patiently for its unsuspecting prey to separate themselves from their herds. 

4) The video below is a compilation of lots of different animals in the African wilderness. Watch it and choose a few of the animals to write your own David Attenborough style voice-over about. You can also do some research about the animals so you can include some scientific facts in your voice-over script. If you are able to, you could even record yourself saying your voice-over! 

Work for week beginning 23/3/20

Thank you to the children who have sent me the writing they have done based on the video - they have been great! Remember you can send me a picture of your writing or a word document via the email address given out on parent mail.

Answers to the synonym matching are as follows:

melancholy - desolation

destroy - shatter

fate - providence

reminisce - recollect 

lonely - solitary

rueful - repentant 

sombre - drab

fragile - brittle

ornate - elaborate 

1) Whilst watching the video above, think about the following questions: 

Where is it set? 

Why would he want to be heading towards a storm? 

What do you think is in the wooden box? Why does he throw it away?

What do you think the key is for? 

2) Match the synonyms (words that have the same meaning). You can use a dictionary if you are struggling:

3) Read this story starter based on the Eye of the Storm. Plan the next section of the story using the video to help you. Use your imagination to try and include hints and clues to the reader as to who the man is, how he is feeling and what he is doing. 

4) Have a go at writing the next section of the story. Here is some vocabulary and sentence starters which you could use to help you. You can either email me a picture of your story or type it on word and send it to me - I look forward to reading them!