S3 Close Reading Practice

Here is a copy of the close reading we started today: Playing Guide and Seek.

Here is a copy of the marking instructions so you can see how well you did.

For your reference, here is the powerpoint presentation on Writer's Craft we used this week:

Writer's Craft Close Reading from missfyvie

S3 - Apollo 13 plan

Show how the director, Ron Howard, created drama and tension in two key scenes of Apollo 13. You should discuss media techniques as well as character and plot.

Introduction

Title and director of film, in a sentence. Connect to the task. Mention some of the techniques used.

Summary

Short summary of film.

Explosion scene

Write a topic sentence to explain that this scene is dramatic and tense. Explain why it is a key scene in the film as a whole. Now use your storyboard and notes to write in detail about the scene, describing what is seen on screen and what techniques are used, and linking this back to drama and tension as often as possible.

Re-entry scene 

Write a topic sentence to explain that this scene is dramatic and tense. Explain why it is a key scene. Now, use your answers to the four questions on the scene to write in detail about the scene, describing the techniques used and explaining how these techniques created drama and tension.

Conclusion

Sum up what you have said in the essay.

Third Year Practice Added Value

In order to do the analysis part of the essay properly, you need to make specific references to the techniques used in each text and explain how these convey a point about racism. Here are some examples (but don’t feel you have to go into this much detail on each technique – I’m just trying to be really thorough for you.)

Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry

Mildred D Taylor uses many techniques to convey the theme of racism in the novel “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.” The novel is written from Cassie’s perspective, which gives the reader a unique view of the situation between blacks and whites at the time the book was set. When Cassie goes to Strawberry, she is forced off the pavement by Lillian Jean Simms and is then forced by Big Ma to apologise even though she has done nothing wrong. Cassie says “no day in all my life had never been as cruel as this one.” This conveys her pain and humiliation at being treated badly because of her race, and being – in her mind – ‘betrayed’ by Big Ma. However, her perspective is naïve because she doesn't understand that she would have been in a lot of danger if she hadn’t given in. Cassie narrates that “Big Ma looked down at me, fear in her eyes, then back at the growing crowd.” The image of a crowd of white people slowly growing around Cassie and Big Ma is quite threatening, and evokes the image of a lynch mob. Mildred D Taylor’s skillful use of perspective in this incident conveys the danger and humiliation inherent in black/white interactions at this time in history.

The Whole System Failed Trayvon Martin

Charles Blow uses journalistic techniques to put forward his argument about racism in America today. The article is structured around a list of ways that the law, the police and society failed Trayvon Martin. At the beginning of each paragraph, Charles Blow repeats the phrase: “The system failed him when…” This phrase is then followed by one of his arguments about how institutional racism affected the outcome of the Trayvon Martin case. The use of repetition in the structure of his argument successfully highlights the huge number and variety of ways that racism impacted Trayvon Martin - in life and in death.

The Death of Emmett Till

Bob Dylan’s famous song “The Death of Emmett Till” features a call to action; an entreaty to the audience to change the world that had allowed the tragedy of Emmett Till’s murder. Written in the 1960s – the decade that shaped the civil rights movement in America – the song narrates the story of Emmett Till’s death before making effective use of imagery to castigate the establishment who allowed this murder – and similar atrocities – to occur. Dylan says that such people “must be in shackles and in chains.” He evokes the image of slavery to suggest that people with racist views are trapped by them, and that these views are holding the country back from being “a greater place to live.”

Eyes on the Prize

The documentary “Eyes on the Prize” uses a number of the features of documentary filmmaking to convey information about the civil rights movement in Mississippi in the 1960s. The director, Orlando Bagwell, uses voice-over to add context to his film footage. When describing the problems faced in the initial attempts to register black voters, the viewer is shown archive footage of queues of prospective black voters going into City Hall to register. The voice-over then narrates that many black people were beaten up and even murdered for trying to register to vote. The use of voice-over skilfully conveys the bravery of these black voters and the terrible realities of living in a time and place where such dangers were inherent in something as simple as voting.

If you don't have specific quotes or references, scroll down a couple of posts to get the links.

S3 Added Value Practice plan

S3 Added Value Practice

Introduction - Explain the topic and your reasons for being interested in it. Introduce your two texts. State the purpose and audience of both texts.

Summary of the main ideas of each text -  1 or 2 paragraphs

Analysis of the techniques of both texts - 2 paragraphs

Evaluation of the success of both texts - 1 paragraph

Conclusion - summarise your main points

Texts

Eyes on the Prize - written by Steve Fayer and directed by Orlando Bagwell.
The Whole System Failed Trayvon Martin - written by Charles Blow
Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry- written by Mildred D Taylor
The Death of Emmett Till - written by Bob Dylan

S3 Added Value Texts

The S3 class have been looking at the topic of racism through four linked texts.

Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry by Mildred D Taylor - each pupil has been issued with this text and it is also available online

The Whole System Failed Trayvon Martin by Charles Blow - read here on the New York Times website

The Death of Emmett Till by Bob Dylan - read here, or listen to the song here on Youtube

Eyes on the Prize - Mississippi: Is This America - watch here on Youtube

You now must choose two of these texts and complete this sheet before we begin to write the essay next week.

S3 Vocabulary

These are the words for this week, to be tested on 30/1/14.

outlandish
persistent
inexorable
potential
precipice
pristine
xanthous
scurry
quell
recluse
recuperate
replenish
repugnant
restitution
sabotage
scarcity

S3 Vocabulary

pertinent
serenity
sociable
sombre
specimen
stamina
subside
swagger
swarm
tactic
terse
translucent
uncanny
unsightly
versatile
vigilant
vulnerable
waft
waver
zeal

S3 vocabulary list

emerge
engross
exasperation
exhilarate
falter
foresight
fragrance
furtive
gruelling
gusto
habitation
hasten
headway
ignite
illuminate
impending
imperious
jabber
jargon
jostle

S3 Word List

The words for this week are:

destination
diminish
disdain
dismal
dispel
eavesdrop
egregious
ember
confound
preach
profitable
chignon
indignant
spindly
admonish
interminable
flounce
insolent

S3 Vocabulary List

This is the list of words given today. You should find out the meanings of these words and record them in your vocabulary book. These will be tested next Thursday, 21/11/13.

adversary
aplomb
apprehensive
aptitude
attentive
banish
barricade
bluff (as a verb)
brackish
brandish
circumference
commotion
concoction
conspicuous
contortion
counter (as a verb)
cunning
debris
defiance
deft

A dictionary is a useful book to own, but a smartphone app may be more convenient for school. This combined dictionary/thesaurus from dictionary.com is free and should be useful.

Holiday Homework Round-Up

All classes from third year up have homework over the summer holidays. Don't forget! Everything is due on the first day back in August: 

20/8/13

Third Year

Your homework is to complete your perfect murder story. Remember the structure (a couple of posts down) and also remember the length - no less than three jotter pages and no more than four. You can type the story instead if you like; in that case aim for 600-800 words.

Fourth Year

Your main focus should be on completing your Added Value Unit. You will by now have read your books, or will be well into them at the least. For August, you need to complete the yellow booklet and hand that in with your 700-800 word essay on your two books.

Higher

You guys have a lot to do over the summer, so don't leave it all to the last minute!

1) Complete your planning sheet and first draft of your short story for your folio. Word limits are 650 words minimum, 1300 words maximum.

2) Read Macbeth. Didn't get a copy? Look at the Higher tab above for a link to the edition I recommend. If you're really stuck though, read it online.

3) Complete the non-fiction reading record booklet. You need to show me that you have read one newspaper article per weekday during the holidays, so that's a minimum of 35 pages of the booklet completed. There are extra sheets in the booklet. Lost your booklet? No problem! Download another copy here.

Intermediate 2

You need to complete the first draft of your reflective essay for your folio. Word limits are 500 words minimum and 1000 words maximum. See a couple of posts down for the planning sheet, which you should hand in with the essay in August.

Need help?

I will be unavailable for the first three weeks of the school holidays, but will be replying to emails from Monday July 22nd onward. You can reach me at missfyvie@live.co.uk

Have a great holiday everyone, and come back in August ready to work hard! :-)

Short Story Structure

Over the last few days, the S3s and the Higher class have been looking at short story structure. Writing a short story is like climbing a mountain: you start at the bottom by introducing the characters, then climb through the complications of the story to the climax. Then you resolve the loose ends on the way back down, ready for the twist ending.

Here is an example structure of a murder story called Ice.

Lamb to the Slaughter

This week the S3 class has been reading 'Lamb to the Slaughter' by Roald Dahl. This is a story about what seems to be a perfect murder.

Next week, we'll be writing our own perfect murder stories. Try to think of some ideas for how a 'perfect' murder could be committed. We have talked about some famous literary murder mysteries in class. We've also talked about some of the scientific ways that police investigate crimes. I can't wait to see what all of you come up with!

If you'd like, you can watch a TV adaptation of Roald Dahl's short story on Youtube.

How to Write a Critical Essay

Critical essays from missfyvie