Welcome
Welcome to Year 7 Literacy!
Before we begin there are some bits of 'housekeeping' we need to go through.
Literacy is topic-based, so you will learn everything you need to know for Literacy this year but also a bunch of history, geography, science and arts.
You will need a journal, I would suggest lined pages and a spelling book.
You will work in the front of your journal book for most of the tasks. In the back of your journal, you will keep a list of important literary terms.
Make sure each page has a title and each piece of work you complete has the date with it. If I ask you to print out a worksheet, stick it into your journal.
Each week is arranged into 4 tasks. There are 36 weeks in Year 7. I expect each task to take between 1-3 hours. Remember, you are covering history, science and geography as well. It all depends on how quickly you work, how easy you find the work, and how much you want to write.
Some of you will be amazing at writing and will want to go off and research a topic for most of the day, that is great! Some of you will not enjoy writing, that is ok. All I ask is that you try to complete each task to the best of your abilities. Hopefully, as it is topic-based you may find your literacy lessons more interesting.
Finally try to enjoy the work.
Task 1 - Introduction to "Treasure Island"
Objectives
Understand the historical context of the novel and introduce key characters.
Watch
This year we will be reading Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. Famous for the style of his writing, Stevenson shows us that writing is an art, it is a craft that takes practice to master.
Like all arts, there are techniques you can learn and skills you can perfect over time. If I gave you some oil paints and asked you to paint some flowers, I am sure you could give it a go. But for those of you who have used oil paints before and have studied colour theory, the use of lines and form, light and shadow and how to use layers of paint I am sure you will produce a more masterful piece of artwork. It is the same for writing, learn the techniques and practice the skills, that is what we are focusing on this year. This week has a lot of setting-up tasks to do so take your time and make sure you understand how your books and this course work.
Watch Robert Louis Stevenson by LitWits.
Research
The historical background for this book is the Age of Exploration. Today you will begin learning about this period and creating a fact-file. While watching the videos and visiting web pages, take notes of important events, dates and people.
Watch The Incredible Age of Discovery Explained in 10 Minutes by Captivating History.
Fact-File
Read Chapter 1 of this Core Knowledge reader.
The Age of Discovery was an exciting time, and this is the setting for the story Treasure Island.
Ideas for your fact file from today:-
Marco Polo
The importance of spices
Timeline
Go to Canva, any program you like to use or use pens and paper and create the first page of the fact file.
SpaG and Writing
This is where you learn the secret skills in the art of writing!
What a title!
Did you know that Stevenson originally wanted to call his story The Sea Cook instead of Treasure Island? Would you have picked up a book called The Sea Cook?
Stevenson realised that Treasure Island was a much more romantic and exciting title. Who knows, maybe Treasure Island would not be famous now if he had called it The Sea Cook.
Titles are important, they grab the reader's attention. There are 34 chapter titles in the story go here and read the titles. Which is your favourite and why? Does the title make you ask a question in your head? Does it create an atmosphere or feeling? Does it give a clue about what might happen in the chapter? Learning to craft a good title is very important if you want people to read your writing. Have a think about what you are going to call your fact file.
Watch - Adjectives
When you write descriptive paragraphs, it is important to create a clear atmosphere. You do this by creating a semantic field using carefully chosen adjectives and verbs.
Literary Terms
Turn to the back of your journal and write the title Literary Terms. Copy the definitions below onto the Literary Terms page and add examples.
Atmosphere - the feeling or sense evoked by the setting or environment.
Semantic Field - a group of words or expressions that are related in meaning.
Adjectives - a word that describes or defines a noun.
Reading Assignment
Read chapter 1 paying special attention to the description of Jim Hawkins and the inn.
How do I read the Book?
You can choose the best method for reading the book. I do want you to have the book open and follow along even if someone else is reading to you.
Read an online version at Project Gutenberg.
Ask someone to read the chapter to you and you follow along.
Lend or buy a copy of the book.
Listen to the video recording by LibreVox and follow along in the book.
Journal
Print out the cover page below and stick it onto the front cover of your journal.
Complete the activities in your journal.
Spelling
It would be best if you had a spelling book with blank pages. Each week you need to split one page into six boxes and the second page into four boxes with a space underneath. There will be a box for each of your ten spelling words. The space underneath is for you to practice writing out the words. Each day I will give you a chance to practice your words.
This week's spelling list:
island
treacherous
perilous
navigation
mariner
exploration
expedition
cartography
buccaneer
adventurous
Write the first four words into the boxes. For each word:-
Write the word
Draw a picture that goes with the word
Write something to help you remember the word for example, island can be remembered as is land.
Complete the word search
Task 2 - Exploring Characters and Setting
Objectives
Analyse the main characters introduced in the first chapters.
Game Time
Try this quiz to see what you know.
Reading Assignment
Read chapter 2 paying special attention to the mysterious visitor and how he impacts the story. In your journal write a short prediction about what you think will happen and why.
SpaG and Writing
Today we will be looking at expanded noun phrases. These are not as tricky as they sound. Flick through the images below to learn more about them and complete the task on the final page.
Thinking about the mysterious visitor write a diary entry from Jim's perspective making use of expanded noun phrases and semantic fields to create detail and atmosphere.
Print out the worksheet below and fill it in as you watch the video.
Watch Stages of the Plot Diagram by Teaching Intentionally.
If you have time complete the quiz that is in the link below the video.
Literary Terms
Add expanded noun phrases to your literary terms list with a definition and examples.
Spelling
Add 4 more words to your spelling book.
Go here and practice typing the words, you will need the code - S M B 6 6 6
Cover up the words in your spelling book and have a go at writing each word in the blank space underneath the boxes.
Handwriting
Carefully copy a passage of dialogue from Chapter 2 of Treasure Island into your journal. Pay attention to punctuating the speech correctly. Underline any simple extended noun phrases once and complex extended noun phrases twice.
Fact-File
Read Chapter 2 of this Core Knowledge reader and add a section discussing the motives for exploration.
Task 3 - Introducing Pirates and Sailing
Objective
Understand the life of pirates and sailors during the 17th-18th centuries.
Reading Assignment
Read chapter 3.
We are going to think a little about plot structure now.
SpaG and Writing
Today we will be looking at conjunctions; words that connect ideas.
Work through the BBC page How to Link Ideas in Sentences. Just read down to the end of the coordinating conjunction section.
Print out the poster and add it to your journal.
Game Time
Play the FANBOYS Game Show Quiz at Wordwall
Spelling
Complete the final two spelling words in your spelling book.
Hide the words and try writing them in the practice space below the boxes.
Write all ten words in alphabetical order in your best handwriting, try using different coloured pencils to brighten up your work.
Take some time and design a two-page magazine article about pirates. The audience for the article is a Year 3-4 student. Think about:-
Layout - is it attractive?
Title - does it interest the reader?
Language - try to use words related to the topic.
Grammar - try to use expanded noun phrases and conjunctions.
Content - before you begin write down five questions that you want to answer about pirates.
Point of view - third-person objective (he, she, they, it), facts not opinions.
Have fun learning about pirates!
Here is a great podcast from HistoryHit to get your research started - The Golden Age of Piracy. You can use the template below to take notes as you complete the research.
Task 4 - Geography and Mapping
Objective
Introduce basic mapping skills and understand the geographical context of the novel.
Reading Comprehension
Have a go at completing this video quiz.
How did you do?
You should, by now, have a good idea of the atmosphere or mood Stevenson is trying to create in Chapters 1-3 but do you know how he created this atmosphere?
Reading Assignment
Flick through the slides below as a recap of the first three chapters and as a way of understanding the skills and techniques Stevenson used.
Literary Terms
Add these definitions to your literary terms:-
Overshadowing - describes a character, event or setting that eclipses or outweighs another.
Foreboding - a sense that something bad will happen.
Foreshadowing - warning or giving an indication of future events.
Mapping
Print out the poster below. Spend some time reading through it and thinking about how important maps are in stories.
Think about all the locations you have heard about in the story. Can you draw a basic map of the locations in your journal? Then try adding as much detail as possible - paths, mountains, rivers... Add a compass rose to the map.
Next, I want you to take an imaginary walk around your map. I am sure it is a beautiful setting.
Write a paragraph in your journal about a walk you take around your map. What do you sense (see, hear, feel, touch and smell)? Use what you know about creating semantic fields and expanded noun phrases to paint a vivid picture of the setting.
Then write another two paragraphs where you create a sense of foreboding that overshadows the beauty of the setting. Think hard about your adjective choice, the words you chose paint the picture for the reader. Can you use the foreshadowing technique to indicate an event that might happen in the future?
Try and have fun with it and spend at least 20 mins writing it.
Spelling
Complete the worksheet and try to look over your spelling list once a day for your quiz on Monday.
Well done on finishing week 1!
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