Cycle 11

Cycle 11 2014 Year 7 English

Week 31 - Oct 6 - 10 (T4W1)
Week 32 - Oct 13 - 17 (T4W2)
Week 33 - Oct 20 - 24 (T4W3)

Week 31 - Oct 6 - 10 (T4W1)
Start Holes

Week 32 - Oct 13 - 17 (T4W2)

Holes

Week 33 - Oct 20 - 24 (T4W3)
The old mans been stealin she's holdin the greevin for hundred a years we all keep believin that history repeats
itself year after year.
i fears that the future is worse
we have to give in to a hundred year curse
sweatin the sun like we're diggin a grave
dig deep enogh and our fortune is saved

(chorus)
if only if only
the wood pecker sighs
the bark on the trees was as soft as
the sky
as the wolf waits below
hungry and lonely
he cries to the moo-oo-oon
if only if only

chasin the sky our beautiful wife you make mistakes and it's my back that breaks and forever my prosteals my life to
submission
i'm beat but there's hope beneath these feet
blisters and blood and the sun makes you blind you don't let it eat ya it can't help but be kind cause you know what's
important with your back to the world you can break metal chains and your friends don't let you fall

if only if only
the woodpecker sighs
the bark on the trees was as soft as
the sky
as the wolf waits below
hungry and lonely
he cries to the moo-oo-oon
If only if only

i'm a sun but I found myself a plant
there's no use when i'm fighten my history fightin my history i have no place i'm a light feather there's no use when i'm
fighten my history fighten my history I have no place i'm more like a feather but i can't fly away when i'm fighten myself

if only if only
the woodpecker sighs
the bark on the trees was as soft as
the sky
as the wolf waits below
hungy and lonely
he cries to the moo-oo-oon
if only if only

Holes Assignment

Have you competed reading the book Holes? This should have been completed over the holidays. If you have not completed reading the book you must make this your first priority and you are welcome to read with me at lunchtimes on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday!

Holes Lesson 1

Look at the following PDF and complete the activities
Holes Lesson 1 Narrative Hooks.pptx
Holes openings document.doc

Holes Lesson 2

Holes Lesson 2 Chap 1-5 Characters aand PEE.docx

++Holes Lesson 3
Holes_PEE_Prompts_Simple (Lesson_6) tes.docx

Holes Rubric

Year 7 English 2014
Holes Analytical Essay Name:

Criteria 4 3 2 1 0 points
Development of argument and position. Position was clearly stated and consistently maintained throughout the piece. Position was stated and maintained throughout the piece. Position was stated however not maintained throughout the piece. Position was confusing and was not maintained throughout the piece. Not demonstrated
Use of appropriate Evidence to complement arguments. Appropriate evidence was used well to support the position. Argumentswere strong, detailed and well developed. Evidence was used to support the position. Arguments were convincing and developed. Some evidence was used. Arguments were put forward and sometimes developed There was little use of evidence. Arguments were weak and poorly developed. Not demonstrated
Use of language for purpose and audience Demonstrated excellent awareness of purpose and audience throughout the piece, with the use of appropriate language that reflected this. Demonstrated a good awareness of purpose and audience in the piece, with the use of language that reflected this. Demonstrated some awareness of purpose and audience in the piece, with language that sometimes reflected this. Demonstrated little awareness of purpose and audience in the piece, with almost no language that reflected this. Not demonstrated
Vocabulary, expression and fluency Effective, varied and engaging use of words in a fluently written piece. Good variety of word choice. Showed some varied word choice. Language was repetitive and unclear. Not demonstrated
Structure and Organisation Piece had an excellent structure including, strong introduction, body paragraphs and a focused conclusion. Piece had a good structure, including an introduction, body paragraphs and a clear conclusion Piece had some structure, with an indication of a middle beginning and end. Piece had little structure. It was confused and loosely organised. Not demonstrated
Planning and editing Evidence of careful self-editing, proofreading and detailed planning shown through the inclusion of drafts and a plan. Evidence of planning and proofreading demonstrated through the inclusion of a draft and a plan. Some evidence of planning and proofreading shown through the inclusion of a plan. Little evidence of planning and proofreading has been demonstrated, with a very rough plan included. Not demonstrated
Spelling, punctuation Spelling, punctuation was of an excellent standard throughout the piece. Spelling, punctuation was of a good standard throughout the piece. Spelling, punctuation was of a reasonable standard throughout the piece. Spelling, punctuation was of a poor standard throughout the piece. Not demonstrated
Total

HOLES - 12 Steps to writing an analytical essay - Due date prior to Thursday the 13th of November
Task you are not to concentrate on a word limit but learn the process of writing an analytical essay.
Step 1
Read the essay topics and choose one that you will write.
Sachar’s book Holes, shows us that we all have lessons to learn in life. What do you think are the important life lessons discussed in the novel?
Step 2
List the key words in the essay topic
(5 minutes)
Write the key words in a table as shown Write the key words in a table as shown
A
B
C
D

Step 3
(15 minutes)
Critically brainstorm your topic – ask yourself how do you link your ideas to the essay topic.
Write any ideas you have about the story that address the essay topic. Here you need to think about the events, characters and messages in the book, which are directly related to the essay topic.
Place the topic in a square/ circle in the middle of a page. Around the edges of the page write the names of the characters, draw a line to connect them. Along that line list the events that connect the characters to your topic.

Step 4
Think of a logical way to organise your essay. You will need to get the attention of your reader, explain your point of view (contention) and leave your reader with a strong impression. From the key ideas on the previous page, make an order of main ideas you would discuss in your essay to address the topic.
What evidence or quote would support each of your main ideas?
Write your ideas - Contention quotes or anecdotes (page no.) evidence
1

2

3

4

Before we start writing read through these tips (Mr. Vezey’s dos and don’ts on essay writing!)
Always
• Have a creative title
• No slang or abbreviations
• Leave a line between paragraphs
Never use these in your essay
• I
• Because
• This (quote) shows…
• This is important because…
• So …
• As you can see …
• In conclusion / In summary …
• I’m going to show …
• For example …
• I think …
• The reason is because …
• An example is when / where
• In this novel / In this book
An analytical essay is a number of linked paragraphs that comment critically on a text to analyse it and interpret it, using supporting evidence and quotes from the text. Like most essays it can be divided into three parts: Introduction, Body, Conclusion
Step 5
(10 minutes)
Writing the introduction
The introduction or the first paragraph should briefly outline the ideas or arguments to be discussed in the body of the essay. You should refer to the key words of the topic. The introduction should provide the reader with an insight into the topic of the essay and ‘points the way’ for the remainder of the essay.
Your essay must be written in the third person (do not use: I or because, that is in the first person). You need to write using formal English (pretend you are posh). No slang and no abbreviations and no texting talk!
Big words, big sentences, logical ideas supported by evidence from the book. Follow the prompts and then write your introduction – have this completed for your next lesson.
Share your introduction with your friends. Use each other’s ideas to improve your introduction.

The first sentence of an introductory paragraph should hook the reader into reading your essay. It should provide some kind of interesting or relevant quote, thought or statistic.
The next two or three sentences should give sufficient background information so that your contention will make sense. The background information should include the title, author’s name and any other relevant information from the book. Only a little bit of plot summery is required.
In between the background information and the contention should be a transitional sentence. This sentence helps the reader connect the book to a larger theme or idea that you will be analysing.
The contention should be the last sentence of your introductory passage. It should answer the question. A contention is an opinion that you will prove in your essay. It is never the plot.

A strong contention should express your main ideas. Do not go into detail with your main ideas because you will write about them in the next 3 paragraphs. Simply state the main ideas.
Use the rest of this lesson to get a perfect introduction – and remember – a lot of the ideas in the book work we have completed will help you with your essay.
Lesson 7
Step 6
Writing the first draft of the essay
In an analytical essay each paragraph is written to a particular formula. Previously we wrote paragraphs with the topic sentence and then the details. The type of paragraph we will use in this essay builds on that idea. It is called a TEEL paragraph. What is it called?
Tell the person next to you what it is called.
TEEL
Topic – A sentence that introduces the main idea for that paragraph.
Explain – Give more details about the topic.
Example – Give an example from the book (anecdote or quote)
Link – Link this example back to the essay topic or your contention
Example (I do it)
Topic – Although Zero had experienced a difficult childhood he still needed to take responsibility for his actions.
Explain – He felt guilty that Stanley had to suffer due to his actions and felt responsible for Stanley.
Example – When Stanley was blamed for taking Mr Sir’s sunflower seeds Zero dug part of Stanley’s hole to lessen the impact of the wrongdoing of others.
Link – By avoiding responsibility he saw firsthand that someone else had to deal with the consequences of his actions and he had a moral obligation to Stanley to lessen the hardship he faced.
Put it together
Although Zero had experienced a difficult childhood he still needed to take responsibility for his actions. He felt guilty that Stanley had to suffer due to his actions and felt responsible for Stanley. When Stanley was blamed for taking Mr Sir’s sunflower seeds Zero dug part of Stanley’s hole to lessen the impact of the wrongdoing of others. By avoiding responsibility he saw firsthand that someone else had to deal with the consequences of his actions and he had a moral obligation to Stanley to lessen the hardship he faced.

Paragraph 2 (We do it)
In your partners write a TEEL paragraph for your essay. Check each other’s work.
T
E
E
L
Put it together …

Now try paragraph 3 and 4 (You do it)
Paragraph 3
T
E
E
L
Put it together …

Paragraph 4
T
E
E
L
Put it together …

You may need more than 3 paragraphs for the body of your essay. Use the rest of the lesson to get these paragraphs perfect!!
If you are satisfied with what you have written then go on to the introduction – if not you will need to complete these at home tonight.


Step 7
Conclusion
This is similar to your introduction, as it summarises your ideas, arguments and responses to the essay topic. This is concluding, so there should be no new information provided. Write your conclusion by restating your main argument and making a final, global observation based on the evidence you have given. Sum up the things you have included that address the essay topic.

Restate your main contention to the question

Summarise the main points you have included that address your essay question:

Make a general comment linking the essay question to your contention and how this related to the novel:

Essay writing / proof reading
Step 8
Put all of your essay together. Read it to yourself. Read it to your partner. Read it to your pet …
Step 9 Proof read
• Does it make sense?
• Check the spelling.
• Check the facts.
• Can you join sentences together to sound more sophisticated?
• Can you change simple words for more formal words?
• Have you used the correct punctuation?
• Have you included the page numbers for your quotes?
• Do all of your paragraphs link back to the essay question?
• Does your essay fit together nicely or does it contradict itself?
• Are you pleased with what you have written?
Step 10 Edit
First draft – bring your first draft to class get 2 people to read it and to give you feedback
You should have enough time in class to rewrite the essay as a good copy ready to be handed in tomorrow.
Work hard and don’t get distracted. Move away from anyone that is interrupting you.
Step 11 Publish
Type up your essay include the title of the book, your name, the teacher’s name, Essay topic, Essay title
Step 12
Hand in the final draft of the essay
(if you have completed the essay you are to work on your English Basics Books)

Preparing Arguments (ACELY1765)

Debating

What makes a good argument? Is it a loud voice and a threatening stance or is it logic and evidence?
Good arguments usually acknowledge both sides of the debate and use clear thinking skills to arrive at a ‘contention’ or decision. When presenting a written argument it is usually beneficial to use formal language to underpin your opinions.
Look at the table below and find three more sophisticated words to use.

difficult rocky demanding problematic
good
interesting
happy
really
sad
very
bad
interesting
strange
then
but
because
angry
kind
scary

Create supported arguments for each of the following quotes

Quotes to be added

Analytical Skills (ACELY1721)

Skills, Content and Knowledge
Students are often asked to analyse a book or a text in English and it is very important to make sure you have prepared yourself before you start to write an analytical essay. This is achieved by ensuring you have the skills, content and knowledge required to write an analytical essay.

Skills - the skills are the tools required to construct the essay.

Perseverance
The ability to break down a book/ story into smaller parts
The ability to plan
The ability to ask questions of the text
The ability to remember how you felt when you read the text
The ability to understand the message the author is writing about
The ability to question this message and explore alternatives
The ability to order your thinking
The ability to use evidence to support your arguments
The ability to build your vocabulary in order to improve your writing
Willingness to seek the opinions of others about your writing and try to improve it

Content requires the student to know the book well. This can be achieved by reading the book more than once, discussing the ideas in the book with your classmates, questioning the book and even thinking about what is missing from the book. Know the order of events, know the people, know the message, know the ending, know the conflicts and know the way they were resolved.

Once we have a good understanding of the book then we can use our existing knowledge to sift through the book, evaluate its meaning and explain or describe how the story interacts with us the reader. Then the only ingredient missing is time. Time spent working on an essay is one of the most important factors!

Vocabulary used to analyse text (ACELA 1529)

Many different words can be used to analyse a story. Sometimes we can talk about the structure of the story or we can talk about how it made us feel. There is no complete list of words that should be used but it is good to challenge your vocabulary and use words in your writing that you may not use when talking. Writing gives us the opportunity to think and plan our response.
Underline any of the words below that you feel relate to the book and highlight any words that you don’t know how to use in a sentence.

Propose Support Question Criticize Expose Emphasise the significance of Compare Exaggerate Allude to Demonstrate Create

Unbelievable Magical Passionate Challenge||

Optimistic Sincere Unfold Moving Emotional Flowing Enticing Curious Enjoyable

HOLES

HOLES

we will start our holes assignment here
The next major piece of assessment will be due on the 19th of the 9th

the assignment is yet to be added.

Dr Book

(ACELA1531)
Put on your literacy stethoscope and give your book an analytical check-up. Use these questions to start thinking about text structure and organisation. The analytical check-up helps us to provide a context for the book as we explore its purpose, audience and literary techniques.

First fill out the middle column with your own ideas and then get together in a group to share your ideas. (Columns can be seen on the work sheet)

Area of Investigation Your Response Group Response
1 Title of the book
What images does this suggest to you?
What can you tell about the book from the title?

2 The appearance of the book
What images does this suggest to you?
What can you tell about the book from the picture on the front cover?

3 Who do you think is the audience for this book?

4 What did you think about the language that the author used in the book?

5 What are the features of this book? *

6 Who do you think this book would appeal to? Is it the same group of people as the intended audience or would other people also like reading this book and if so why?

7 What do you think the purpose of the book is? Do you think the book achieved its purpose?

8 What have you noticed about the structure of the book? *
Why do you think it is structured in such a way?

9 What ideas about life and the world we live in is the author trying to tell us about?

10 Has the main character changed from the beginning of the book to the end of the book?
How have they changed and do you think they have been good changes?

• Feature of the Book - Parts/elements of the book that you liked.
Such as the characters of the book or what makes the book different from others you have read, like a specific writing style found in that book.
• Structure of the book – the way the book is organised. Does the story start at the beginning, middle or end, is it told using the first person, second person or third person, is there dialogue in the book or reported speech, does the book use a number of different styles to tell the story. Is there one story or several stories overlapping …

Sample Essay for Holes

this is a draft essay.
What do you think needs to be improved?
What needs to be added? What needs to be taken out?
Get critical and rewrite this essay to make it better.
are the ideas clear?
Are the ideas supported with evidence in the book?

Draft
How are Stanley and Zero influenced by fate? In what ways do they act to overcome adversity and shape their own lives?
Introduction
In the novel Holes by Louis Sachar, the protagonist Stanley Yelnats attributed all the bad luck he experienced to his family curse; the familiar narrative of Elya Yelnats and the broken promise to Madame Zeroni. Even when he was asked what had caused him to be sent to a Juvenile Detention Centre Stanley replied that “It was all because of his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing great-great-grandfather!” As the story unfolds unpredictable events inspire the boys to take responsibility their actions, seek justice and fairness and make choices about ‘what happens next’ and ‘who do I say that I am’ as Stanley and Hector develop a valuable friendship that fosters a mutual sense of responsibility.
Paragraph 1
Stanley was convinced that it was the hand of fate that had brought himself and Hector Zeroni together at Camp Green Lake as he and Hector Zeroni struggled and journeyed together against cruelty, injustice and what seemed like a sequence of unfortunate events. “When the shoes first fell from the sky, he (Stanley) remembered thinking that destiny had struck him. Now he thought so again. It was more than a coincidence. It had to be destiny.” Accordingly, as Stanley carried Hector up the side of God’s Thumb and let him drink from the life giving waters of the onion field, the curse was broken. Concurrently, Stanley’s father who also believed he was cursed became ‘lucky’ and invented a cure for foot odor (p. …), as the promise of Elya Yelnats to Madame Zeroni was fulfilled through their great great grandsons. Even Hector acknowledges that coincidental actions had brought great consequences. “If I had just kept those old smelly sneakers, then neither of us would be here right now.” (p. 184) It is hard to deny that forces greater than those of an individual brought about the cascading consequences and actions that had built up over the last 100 years at Camp Green Lake and in the lives of the Zeroni’s and Yelnats.
Paragraph 3
Initially Zero feels guilt and responsibility that Stanley has come to Camp Green Lake as he learns that the shoes Stanley is accused of stealing were the very shoes he had thrown over the bridge. This is illustrated as Zero constantly tries to protect Stanley from the other boys at camp and attempts to make life easier for Stanley. Eventually, Stanley and Zero form a friendship and Zero asks Stanley to teach him to read. As one event becomes the catalyst for another Stanley and Zero find themselves facing a pivotal moment in the book. Zero’s kindness towards Stanley becomes a point of resentment for the other boys and a fight breaks out. Zigzag attacks Stanley and Zero comes to the rescue almost choking the bigger boy. The warden decrees that no boy will dig any other boy’s hole and there will be no more reading lessons for Zero. Mr Pendanski, who also resents Zero because he won’t answer his questions insults him and calls him stupid. This is the last straw for Zero and he decides that he will no longer dig holes and wacks Mr. Pendanski over the head and runs away into to the desert.
Paragraph 4
Now it is Stanley that feels responsible for the plight of Zero as he knows that his friend could die in the desert and is no longer ready to accept the bad luck that comes his way but to take action and determine the outcome. In a fumbled attempt to steal the water truck Stanley steals the car and stupidly drives it into a hole. He too has now stepped outside the ‘law’ at Camp Green Lake and decides to follow Zero into the desert. “He couldn’t blame his no good dirty rotten pig stealing great great grandfather this time. This time it was all his own fault, one hundred percent. He had probably done the stupidest thing he had ever done in his short and miserable life” Yet he would search for his friend and save him from becoming buzzard food. This is a pivotal point in the story because this is the point when Stanley changes and takes his destiny into his own hands. As the boys journeyed towards God’s Thumb they demonstrated that they were more motivated to seek justice for those they cared for than they were for themselves and in their friendship they found power and inner strength.
Paragraph 5
Zero suffering from food poisoning was at the mercy of Stanley to take him to a place of safety. ‘Higher and higher he climbed. His strength came from somewhere deep inside himself and also seemed to come from the outside as well. After focusing on Big Thumb for so long, it was if the rock had absorbed his energy and now acted like a kind of magnet pulling him toward it.’ Stanley persevered through this difficult time because he wanted this story to have a happy ending for his parents at least and the thought that he could die and they would never know where he was or what had happened spurred him on. “What scared Stanley the most about dying wasn't his actual death. He figured he could handle the pain. It wouldn't be much worse than what he felt now. In fact, maybe at the moment of his death he would be too weak to feel pain. Death would be a relief. What worried him the most was the thought of his parents not knowing what happened to him, not knowing whether he was dead or alive. He hated to imagine what it would be like for his mother and father, day after day, month after month, not knowing, living on false hope. For him, at least, it would be over. For his parents, the pain would never end.” Through difficult times such as this, Stanley chose to act in a life affirming manner that was proactive, responsible, resourceful and brave, even if it did mean they had to eat onions for days on end.
Paragraph 6
After climbing God’s Thumb and surviving their escape from Camp Green Lake the boys decided that they would go and claim the buried treasure. This was an act of self-determination and once again the boys make choices that will shape their own destiny. The boys had negotiated many difficult circumstances to arrive at this point. They had learnt that hard work, risk taking and effort brought rewards. “Nothing in life is easy. But that's no reason to give up. You'll be surprised what you can accomplish if you set your mind to it.” So, with a new mindset, the onion powered boys returned to camp and started to dig one last hole. As they dug they reveal both the treasure and a nest of yellow spotted lizards. Luck is on their side, as the smell of the onions keeps the lizards from biting and killing them and the lizards keep the warden and her men from taking the treasure from Stanley and Zero. The more proactive the boys are the better their luck is, now that the curse has been lifted.
Paragraph 7
It would appear that even Zero has become lucky as the warden has destroyed any record of his incarceration at Camp Green Lake and he returns with Stanley and Stanley’s lawyer to the Yelnats’ house. He is able to find his mother and both boys become wealthy and much happier than before. Sacher does not leave us to believe that it is hard work alone that brings good fortune, for without some luck mixed in the outcome for Zero could have been very different. He does however send a message to the reader that “You have only one life, make the most of it” He also leads us to consider the way in which nature responds to the injustices of humanity as once the treasure is returned to its rightful owner and the warden and her men are held to account for their actions the heavens open and it starts to rain again at Camp Green Lake. There is a suggestion that someone or something bigger than us is watching what we do, if we keep our promises and if we respect the people around us. “You make the decision: Whom did God punish?” Zero however didn’t feel that his life could get any worse and optimistically states, "When you spend your whole life living in a hole, … the only way you can go is up.”

Conclusion
As the boys wrestled with the world they uncovered many treasures such as the power of cooperation, how to be kind despite the cruelty of others, the value of friendship and the importance of being responsible for the consequences of your actions. Through these lessons, the boys learn to take control of –‘what happens next’ and ‘who do I say that I am’. It has been the adversity in their lives that has made them strong and just as the Elja Yelnats became strong as he carried the pig up the hill every day, digging holes at Camp Green Lake everyday enables Stanley to carry Zero up the hill, drink life giving water and be consoled by the cuckoo song. Their actions are actions of justice, fairness, love, responsibility for friends, life and the rejection of what others call them – they must meet their destiny and they will determine what their destiny is because they now know how to set their minds to it, as they turn their face to the sun and turn around boldly.
“If only, if only, the moon speaks no reply;
Reflecting the sun and all that's gone by.
Be strong my weary wolf, turn around boldly.
Fly high, my baby bird,
My angel, my only”
― Louis Sachar, Holes

English Basics
Holes Holes Spelling test 4
Holes English Basics
Holes Film Complete Holes Film Spelling test 5
Catch up Lesson
Learning Journals
Teacher feedback
Individual goals Learning Journals
Teacher feedback
Individual goals
Spelling competition

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License