Weekly outline

  • General

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  • Term 1 Week 1

    Welcome to 7F2 English! I am Mrs Lowden. We will have 3 English classes every week.

    We will usually work together in F3. As this is our first English class on Friday we will be organising our books and discussing some expectations and routines.

    Then we will begin sharing information about ourselves by writing a letter. I've already written one to you. Looking forward to having a fabulous year with you.











  • Term 1 week 2

    We have a short week this week. One of the reasons for this, is because we celebrate Waitangi Day on Tuesday with the rest of New Zealand. We will be reading and discussing this very important event from our history this week.


    WALT

    Set up our exercise books following the MHJC expectations

    Read for meaning

    Write a short paragraph to demonstrate we have understood what we have read and discussed together


  • Term 1 week 3

    This week we will focus on another event in our calendar as we celebrate Chinese New Year. We also have a writing task to complete. This will give me great information for planning my next steps as it will show me the weaknesses and strengths for us to work for the rest of Term 1.


    WALT 
    Read for meaning and make connections with a text (Chinese New Year)
    Listen and discuss qualities of the positive friendships we aspire to have
    Plan before we write by sorting our ideas into categories


    Learning Activities this week

    Read about Chinese New Year and complete related tasks in your English book

    Look at the writing rubric and the format of the writing assessment task booklet

    View Focus on friendship links

    Discuss qualities of a good friend with your table group

    Sort qualities into categories to develop a mind map before we start writing

    Use each category to plan a paragraph. This writing goes into the paper booklet that I will give you.

    Next Steps: Look at the highlighted sections on your writing rubric. Read the feedback on your completed writing booklet next week.




  • Term 1 week 5

    What is a Quick Write?
    A quick write is a short writing task. We all write on the same question or topic.
    It gives us a chance to practise our writing skills without going through the whole writing process from planning to publishing.
    This week we will begin doing some Quick Writes and some Word Building activities.
    I noticed in your recent writing assessment that these are 2 areas that would benefit from more practise.
    This week our Quick Writes will be on these topics.
    All Fast Food Should Be Banned.
    Wealthy Countries Should Share Their Money.


    WALTs
    Write a paragraph that makes sense on a given topic, in the time given
    Brainstorm with my table group and research online to list many variations of a word (our words this week are: time, light & free)



    Home Learning
    Check your Reading + tasks are up to date
    Aim to read for 30 minutes each day


  • Term 1 week 6

    This week we are focusing on a text that has a NZ setting.
    We will also be learning a little about NZ back in the 1950s as this will help us understand the event in it's 'historical context'
    Life was different in NZ 70 years ago and some of these differences impact on the sad events that we will be researching this week.
    Our Text is called: Journey to Tangiwaibook cover
    It is written from the perspective of a 12 year old boy. He is writing in his diary about the things that happen to him in his every day life. He survives a disaster while travelling on a train in the North Island.


    WALTs
    We are learning to use multiple sources of information to grow our knowledge and understanding of an event. This may include photographs, maps, diagrams, videos and written texts.
    We are learning to organise information from many different sources into a useful plan using the 5 Ws.


    Home Learning
    Are you in a Home Learning routine yet? Think about the days/times that work best for you and your family. Choose 2-3 days when it will be easier for you to sit in a quiet space at home and focus on completing your Reading + and Maths Buddy tasks. Don't choose your busiest days when you may have a sports practice or music lesson to attend.
    Mrs Lowden reading
    Another great habit to develop is a daily reading habit. Some people like to read in bed at night. Others have a favourite sunny spot to curl up in. Reading even helps you become a better speller! If your brain sees the correct way to spell things hundreds of times over a year it is more likely to lock the correct spelling pattern into your brain. This is really helpful when you're writing. You will be growing your very own dictionary in your brain.


  • Term 1 week 4

    We only have 2 English sessions this week on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday is student/parent conferences with your Learning Advisor.


    WALTs

    We are looking at poetry that people have written about themselves

    Write a bio poem using a suggested structure

    Learning Activities

    Visual Pepeha to design and complete

    Draft and publish a bio poem to be displayed on the reverse side of your visual pepeha


  • Term 1 week 7-We are off to Camp!

    Off to camp. No English classes this week!

  • Term 1 week 8

    Camp was amazing. I had so much fun and I'm super happy that nobody broke any bones and I didn't have to call any ambulances.

    This week we are thinking about our camp experiences. We will also read about another person's camp and we'll use a Venn Diagram to help us compare their experiences with our own. This will help us organise our thoughts into 3 categories.
    What was the same?
    What was different for us?
    What was different for them?


    We will also continue with our Word Building. This week we are using part of a word. It is ____amp.

    I also noticed a lot of confusion for many of you when you are writing there. We will be discussing a visual strategy to help you remember which there to choose when you are writing.


  • Term 1 week 9


    Our focus this week is


  • Term 1 Week 10

  • Term 1 Week 11

    Reading, writing and viewing focus

    We are using multiple sources of information this week. This will include historical records, fictional texts based on real life, interviews with veterans (survivors of WW1) maps and non-fiction texts to grow our understanding and knowledge so we can discuss and/or write to answer these key questions.


    Why do we hold Anzac Day events? 

    What is a dawn service? 

    Why is Anzac Day important to many New Zealanders? 

    What is the relevance of Anzac Day in today's world? 

    What was the impact of their involvement on themselves, their families, and wider community?

  • Holidays


  • Holidays


  • Term 2 Week 1

    Welcome to Term 2!


    This week we will be reviewing the writing process.

    I have noticed that many students do not fully understand the difference between revising and editing.

    We will look at examples from published authors and you will practise revising and editing your own writing. This is a writing habit that we all need to develop. Please use a different colour when you are revising and editing so that is obvious to yourself and to your reader that you are making corrections. Our first practice task will be writing on the best/worst/most exciting holiday you have had. 


    We are all visiting the temple on Wednesday 1st May. We will use the 5 Ws to recount this experience and organise our recount into paragraphs. As we will have the opportunity to do a few activities at the temple it will be easy for us to write about each activity in a new paragraph. Of course we will also practise revising and editing this piece of work too.

    Our reading focus for the first 5 weeks of this term is on reading a text by a NZ author.

    Everyone needs to choose their own fiction book from our library this week. Mrs Townsend will be teaching us how to locate these titles in our fist class library session this term. In week 5, you will have an assessment task to complete on paper. This will be a book review of your chosen text. It is important for you to be organised and reading this book through weeks 1-4. The book review assessment will be completed independently by you and you will need to have your book finished before week 5 so you can write an amazing review on it.

    We will complete many short book review tasks over the next few weeks together so that you will be ready for this assessment.


  • Term 2 Week 2

    • Writing and spelling focus.

      Quick Write: Vaping should be legal.

      What is your opinion? Aim to write two paragraphs giving reasons to support your argument. You will be given 5 minutes at the end to revise and edit in another colour.

      Spelling/word pattern focus: ______el   _____al

      Discuss, research and list words that have these endings. 


      Reading focus.

      We continue our practice tasks on book reviews and focus on NZ authors. We will also look at one author in more detail. Sometimes it can be useful to know something about an author's life as it can help us understand the reason why they choose to write for a particular audience or uses a setting they know well.

      Words you need to be very comfortable using: review, plot, setting, characters, rating, purpose.


  • Term 2 Week 3

    Reminders: Library visit this week on Friday!

    You should be at least half way through your book written by a NZ author now.

    Tuesday-I am at another school with our Lit Quiz team all day. You will have a reliever and will start a short review of your NZ book in google classroom.

    Writing and Spelling Focus

    We will continue developing our writing skills as we practice the skills we will need to complete book reviews. 

    Spelling rule will be on plurals this week. We will discuss and practise what we do when a noun ends in y.

    Here's an example:

    The baby was crying.

    The babies were crying.

    Reading Focus

    Our book review practice task this week will focus on a short story written by a NZ teenager called Lucy Oliver. Short stories often have a twist at the end as the author is often trying to share a message or get us to think more deeply about an issue or event. 

    We will be discussing and identifying Lucy Oliver's purpose. We will also discuss why visualising as we read can strengthen our understanding of the plot.

    Reading and viewing 

    This Friday we are very fortunate to have the opportunity to view a short play written in the 1600s by a very famous man.

    Our Thursday focus will be learning a little about this famous author and finding out about the plot of one of his famous plays before we view it on Friday. The play is called Macbeth.

    Home learning

    Keep reading your book by a NZ author. If you are finished choose another one so that you can choose to complete your assessment in week 5 on the one you feel most passionate about.

    How is your Reading Plus going? Choose 3 times each week when you don't have sports practices or other family events. If you get into the habit of always spending the same 3 days on home learning you are setting up good habits for Senior College, university and your future work life.

  • Term 2 Week 4

    Our final practice week before our book review assessment next week.


    We have reviewed short stories and some books. This week we will be recalling the live perfomance of Macbeth that we were lucky enough to attend last Friday.


    This week we will discuss what a good quality review would include.

    We have practised many together and I have given you some headings and subheadings in weeks 1-3 to support you.

    Our week 4 focus will be working as a class to recall and use these headings because next week you will need to do this independently.

    Success Criteria:

    I can recall the different aspects and headings to include in a review

    I can share my opinion, with examples, to write a short review

    I can revise AND edit my writing before I share it with my audience


    Learning Tasks:

    Complete a short review of last Friday's performance of Macbeth. 

    Revise and edit all writing in another colour.

    Complete the Macbeth online quiz.

    Watch each of the short films and be ready to comment on the theme, conflict, filmmaker's purpose, predictions or plot twist.

    Add your star rating, with a reason, for each performance or film you review this week.

    READ, read, read your book by a NZ author. You need to finish it this week.


    Dates for your student diary:

    Friday 31 May, week 5 is a teacher only day. There is no school for you.

    Monday 3 June, week 6 is King's Birthday. There is no school.


    Home Learning:
    Reading Plus: Are you managing yourself and staying up to date? Sadly I have no certificates to print out for 7F2 so that probably means a lot of people need to work hard to complete their tasks on time.
    READ, read, read your book by a NZ author. You need to finish it this week.

  • Term 2 Week 5 Assessment Week 5


    This week is our book review assessment week. You will have 3 hours in the next 3 English classes to complete this task on the book you chose written by a NZ writer.

    We have practised writing many short reviews on short stories, one play and some short films over the last 4 weeks. Look back at the slide shows from the last 4 weeks to help you plan a good quality book review.

    A suggested structure:

    Introduction

    Paragraph 1 on...

    Paragraph 2 on...

    Paragraph 3 on...

    Paragraph 4 on...

    Conclusion

    Please use a blue pen. Write neatly so that it can be easily marked. All book reviews will be completed independently in class time. You cannot work with another student as this is an assessment task.

    If you finish early you may have time to make a title page.

    I will highlight the rubric to mark your review.

    There will be 3 small prizes for the 3 students who construct a great book review but these cannot be given out until I have seen all the book reviews.


    Home Learning
    Reread parts of your NZ book. This will help you remember important events that you could include in your book review.
    Keep up to date with your Reading Plus tasks.

    You might also be interested in: Catching the reading bug at the Scholastic Book Fair Garden!

    Explore the coolest array of new books and stationary that are just waiting for you to dig into. 

    THIS WEEK in the meeting place next to the library

    Open daily from 1.30-2pm and 3-4pm 


  • Term 2 Week 6



    This week is a short week as we miss English on King's Birthday Monday. 

    Our Thursday session is a reading e-asttle assessment task.

    On Friday we will have our final book review session. If you have read and revised your book review in red then you may have time to create a title page in class while others finish their writing.

  • Term 2 Week 7

    This week might be a catch up week for some students.

    You may have an Asttle reading test to do, your book review assessment to complete or upload and we will begin talking about our next focus which is all about writing and presenting a short speech effectively.

    A date for your diary this week
    Thursday 13 June
    Jammies for June non uniform day AND
    5-7pm Year 7 disco


    Book Review assessments

    All book reviews will be graded as soon as I get them. 

    I will scan your completed review and email it to you.

    You will need to upload it and add it to your assignment by this Friday 14th June.

    We will display some on the walls of F3.

    Prizes will be handed out as soon as I have seen all book reviews in this class.

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    Speeches

    This week we will start thinking about the skills people need to be an effective speaker in front of large groups.

    We will begin to identify and discuss: 

    • Qualities we can hear in a good speech
    • Occupations that use these skills often

    By looking at some events from NZ history we will also research and complete a 1 slide presentation that you can share with the class. This is a good practise activity as we work towards writing and presenting a 3 minute speech for our next assessment task.

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    Library session this week=Friday Session 5. 

    Make sure you return your book by a NZ author this week as you have had it for a while now.

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    Home Learning
    Reading +. Some people need to do 1-2 extra every week until they have caught up.


  • Term 2 Week 8

    Mini speech practises his week.

    This is an opportunity to get used to standing in front of our class and projecting our voices to the back of the room. 

  • Term 2 Week 9


    Matariki holiday this Friday!

    This means we only have 2 sessions of English this week. 

    This is our last chance to practise a mini speech on a topic of your choice.

  • Term 2 Week 10

    Welcome to the last week of Term 2. Please remember to return your library books early this week as they will be closed to have new carpet put down on Thursday and Friday.

    Our focus this week is to draft, revise and edit our 3 minute speeches. 

    I have many possible speech topics on the slides but you can also choose your own. Please choose one by Tuesday at the latest. You are aiming to have your speech ready to be written onto the cue cards I have for you by Friday. This means you can practise your speech at home in the holidays.

    Here is a reminder of our timeline for this speech assessment.


  • Term 2 Week 10 (copy)

    Welcome to the last week of Term 2. Please remember to return your library books early this week as they will be closed to have new carpet put down on Thursday and Friday.

    Our focus this week is to draft, revise and edit our 3 minute speeches. 

    I have many possible speech topics on the slides but you can also choose your own. Please choose one by Tuesday at the latest. You are aiming to have your speech ready to be written onto the cue cards I have for you by Friday. This means you can practise your speech at home in the holidays.

    Here is a reminder of our timeline for this speech assessment.


  • Holidays

  • Holidays

    This week

  • Term 3 Week 1

    Welcome to Term 3!


    You will remember that the end of Term 2 was all about listening to a variety of speakers and having a practice at presenting a short piece in front of 7F3 before you started writing your own 3 minute speech for the assessment task this term.


    Our focus for the next 2-3 weeks continues to be on our speeches.



    We were aiming for everyone to have their speech written, put onto cue cards and practised by Week 1 of this term.
    I will be checking in with you to see how you are going during our first English session.

    As an audience we will also be giving each speaker feedback using a doc.

    We will comment on:


    • how close to 3 minutes they were
    • their speed
    • effective use of their cue cards
    • amount of eye contact
    • volume
    • impact on you
    • things they did well
    • things they could improve on



  • Term 3 Week 2

  • Term 3 Week 3

    We are aiming to have heard all our speeches by Friday this week.

    You will also need to scan your cue cards and submit them OR you could add your speech from google drive and submit it.



  • Term 3 Week 4

  • Term 3 Week 5

  • Term 3 Week 6

  • Term 3 Week 7

  • Term 3 Week 8

  • Term 3 Week 9

  • Term 3 Week 10

  • Holidays

  • Holidays

  • Term 4 Week 1

  • Term 4 Week 2

  • Term 4 Week 3

  • Term 4 Week 4

  • Term 4 Week 5

  • Term 4 Week 6

  • Term 4 Week 7

  • Term 4 Week 8

  • Term 4 Week 9