S3 Holiday Homework

By the time you come back (have a happy holiday!), you should produce a very rough draft of your NGC story.

That's it!

Use the work we did today on character--think about it. You may not explicitly include all the details you created for your character, but it'll help that you 'know' them.

Neil Gunn Writing Competition 2012-13

Hi everyone,

Here is the link to the Neil Gunn Writing Competition for this year:

http://www.highland.gov.uk/leisureandtourism/libraries/neilgunn/

We'll be making a big effort this year to make sure we put our best pieces of writing forward for the competition. The aim is, of course, to make a clean SWEEP!

The theme this year for secondary pupils S3-6:

“Perhaps the only real treasures he possessed were his secrets.”

from Young Art and Old Hector by Neil Gunn

Writers are invited to interpret this theme in any way they wish.

The piece of writing does not have to be set in Scotland.

Read carefully the rules and the information about the theme (see the website above).

Maximum: 1000 words.
Deadline: mid-Feb, so we can organise our entries for the March competition deadline.

Get thinking. Get planning. Get writing.

Then rewrite.

You can do it!

Final S3 'What If' Redrafts

Hi S3,
Here's your homework reminder:

COMPLETE your redraft for Monday. This should be a good copy, remember!

Remember also: Check--> Correct--> Change--> Improve.

:-)

Advanced Higher

Today we spoke about your dissertation topics and your plans. We consolidated Christina's approach, discussed the 'living' nature of plans, changed Bruce's topic slightly to match his current line of inquiry, and spoke about Ronan's broad plan.

Remember--a number of you want to discuss the works you are studying as being representative of their times in particular ways. This is fine, but remember that your focus must be primarily on the literature, not the history.

For next time, bring written plans (Kirsten and Ronan!), and one paragraph of your writing. We will be analysing content and expression.

Keep up the hard work, and don't forget to also keep up with your Dickens and Creative Writing.

Space Cadets, ahoy!

Well done to the S3 Riddlemasters!

Check your status to the left.

I'll have another riddle up soon. In the meantime, don't forget your homework. And feed the fish.

Thank you.

Welcome to Green's Galaxy, S3!

Here's your updated homework:

1. Sign up for tweets and/or emails from this site

2. Complete the first draft of your 'What if?' piece

Don't forget to use your Success Criteria sheets as you're working.

Any questions, ask away.

3.3 'What If?' Homework

Well done today, everyone. Here's where we are 'at' for the What If? task:

PLANNING

Get the basics down in your jotter. You can do this using

• lists
• mind maps
• spider diagrams
• storyboarding
• and so on... you might even try a method new to you!

To help you along, you might want to spend some time researching your chosen What If--and by this I don't just mean on the internet. Try discussing it with peers, family and so on. Try to gather responses from different genders and ages.

Remember, those of you writing short stories are focusing on character development (thoughts and feelings), and those doing essays are ensuring a clear point of view.

Higher Macbeth Work

1. You are in groups sized according to the number of characters in the scene you are responsible for.
2. Task 1 is to prepare and perform a staged production of your scene.
3. Task 2 is to prepare and deliver a lesson for the class (you'll be experts! Don't forget to use your York Notes for help/online resources).

Due dates:

Group 1/ Act 2.2
Wednesday 19th September

Group 2/ Act 2.3
Friday 21st September

Group 3/ Act 2.4
Monday 24th September

Looking forward to your interpretations! Yes, Fergus, Star Trek would be particularly inspired. Live long and prosper.

 Errrr, sorry. Star Wars also fine!

AH Homework!

Hi everyone,

Remember to write out a rough plan for your dissertation (and bring it with you!) for next Thursday.

:)

S3 Homework--Lamb to the Slaughter

Hello lovely 3.8!

If you didn't manage to complete your story in class today, you should complete it for MONDAY 17th September.

No excuses now!

Welcome back!

Welcome back, everyone!

Welcome to a fresh new year at Dingwall Academy. I'd like to particularly welcome our new first year pupils. You may have already noticed a number of changes in the English Department, and a number of new faces. Welcome to Ms Fraser, Miss McCulloch and Miss Tweedie, who have all joined us this year.

Now down to business. On this blog you will find a page for your class, as well as a series of posts and resources which may be of use to you (check the record of posts at the very bottom of the page). If you are in one of my classes, you should consider signing up for email alerts. These come in 'digest' form between 3 and 5pm each day when there have been changes or additions to the blog. It can certainly be handy as a homework reminder! Alternatively, you could follow #greensgalaxy on twitter, as short urls to new posts are tweeted the moment I hit 'publish'. Please be aware, however, that at the moment I am not keeping an eye on twitter, so if you're trying to get in touch, use email.

Check it all out. Please do feed the Punctuationfish. They're hungry.

If you think of something you'd like on the page, please do visit the 'Suggestions Box' (look in the tabs above) and leave a message, or email me. In the interests of online safety, when you do post, please simply use your first name and year as your 'signature'. For example: John S4.

Looking forward to another fantastic year!
Mr Green

Revision time!

Highers and Int 1 folk:

If you have not begun revising independently, you MUST begin NOW. Start by gathering together your notes on all texts studied, as well as Close Reading notes. Organise them (remember the binders I asked to you get at the start of the year? Are they in order?). Check your materials against your study buddy's. Do you both have the same notes? If not, fix it!

Second, reread your big texts. All the way through. Stop after each chapter/scene to reflect on what you've read, perhaps jotting down notes about anything old/new you may have discovered.

Third, go over your notes. A highlighter is useful here.

Fourth, work on some past papers. You don't have to do every essay question possible, but it is useful to at least have a go at planning responses to several. You could then try writing a few under pressure. Higher: you could give yourself 45 mins to do an individual essay, or you could consider trying the two in 1.5hrs to make sure your hand will hold up! Past papers for all levels (both Essay and Close Reading) are available on the SQA website (see link at side).

Fifth, and possibly most importantly: take care of yourself! You'll have heard this all before, but DO get some sleep, drink plenty of water, and eat healthily in the run-up to exams. What you do with your body starting now will certainly have an impact on how you feel in 2 or 3 weeks' time.

Good luck!

The semicolon, for Higher pupils

Go to http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon for the following set of images and more!

Spring Equinox

Hurray!

Spring Equinox Heralds Official End of Winter

Exam dates

Get revising, everyone!

S4 Study Leave begins 23rd April
S5/6 Study Leave begins 4th May

Standard Grade: 26th April 
Intermediate 1: 16th May
Higher: 17th May

Intermediate and Higher folios go to the SQA shortly after the Easter Holiday, so be prepared to redraft during this time.

S4 Cinema trip permission letter

Hello lovely S4,
I hope you all got a copy of the permission letter (below).
If you didn't, please get this signed and bring in your £9 for Tuesday.

Woman in black cinema trip

View more documents from Mr Green.

Woman in Black trip

Dear S4: I'm still finalising the trip for next Wednesday, and hope to do so in the next couple of hours. Your permission letter should be up by late evening (the school's servers are still not completely sorted out for Websense, so I can't get into slideshare to upload the letter), and should be printed/returned for Monday, please. I will post again when it's uploaded.
See you Monday!

Int 1 Homework

Homework due 2nd March (tomorrow!)

Complete your persuasive essays (remember these can take the form of a letter if that'll help you imagine your audience).

Three more poems...

To make up for forgetting to post the poems up to Valentine's Day, including one of my all-time favourites:

He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven by W. B. Yeats

HAD I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.


ANIMALS by Frank O'Hara

Have you forgotten what we were like then

when we were still first rate 

and the day came fat with an apple in its mouth

it's no use worrying about Time 

but we did have a few tricks up our sleeves 

and turned some sharp corners 

the whole pasture looked like our meal 

we didn't need speedometers 

we could manage cocktails out of ice and water 

I wouldn't want to be faster 

or greener than now if you were with me O you 

were the best of all my days

She Walks in Beauty by Lord Byron

1
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
2
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express,
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
3
And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

Love after love...

The time will come 
when, with elation 
you will greet yourself arriving 
at your own door, in your own mirror 
and each will smile at the other's welcome, 

and say, sit here. Eat. 
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart 
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you 

all your life, whom you ignored 
for another, who knows you by heart. 
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf, 

the photographs, the desperate notes, 
peel your own image from the mirror. 
Sit. Feast on your life.