- This topic has 174 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated April 10, 2024 by
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Summary for Lesson 1
In today’s class we worked on GCSE writing through the lens of prompts that ask students to work off a first line or continuation of a story. We began by thinking about the key skills to bear in mind with this question type before leaning into thinking about structures in creative writing. We worked with a GCSE prompt, which the class came up with their own unique interpretations of beautifully, debating how to balance originality with genre awareness. We then watched some writing tips and spoke about how to gain creative inspiration, which they were super passionate and engaged with. Really amazing work everyone- it was a joy to see you all and I hope you enjoyed our lesson. Keep up the stellar work and see you next week 🙂
Shaelin writing tips video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBqT7KNLDsw&list=PL8-jsG6NG3oJsJ6LTZRtYtCHWi-5pjhQJ
Structure in creative writing link: https://www.redbridgetuition.co.uk/structure-creative-writing-gcse/
Homework
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Hi Beth!
I may have an answer for the reason why the odd man was hoovering the kid’s playground (😅) which is that he might have been wanting to vandalise it. Astroturf could get damaged really easily by the hoover, as it could remove the plastic strands of grass, and also the sand swept on it that weighs it down and keeps it in place. (Yeah I’ve really just started researching this online now XD).
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Hi Beth,
Tanks for the eye-blasting lesson! I have uploaded my homework. I apologize for the late submission as I wrote it before but didn’t have time to upload since I was hopping on and off some trains. Have a wonderful week!
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Hi Beth,
Thanks for the lesson! I really enjoyed it and it’s nice to do lessons with you again. Hope you had a lovely Winter break and Happy New Year!
Kind regards,
Yunshu
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Thank you for the hilarious lesson on GCSE writing and guys who hoover astroturfs!
Here’s my homework:
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Summary for Lesson 2
In today’s class we continued our work on first lines, last lines and continuation of story prompts, thinking about how to use genre to deal with boring prompts, how to take a prompt in an unexpected direction and how to work with another author’s characters. We discussed the importance of understanding a character’s motivations, expression, psychology, etc., and looked at how using the mindset of an actor can be helpful. The class then completed some excellent group conversations workshopping their own GCSE-style prompts and coming together to talk through lots of great ideas for how to approach this question type. We finished by studying a few final writing techniques that the class can use to help with homework. Amazing and creative work today everyone, your contributions were absolutely brilliant throughout, particularly when thinking about unpicking a boring prompt, and you were all very insightful. Keep up the wonderful work and see you next week 🙂
Homework
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Hi Beth,
Thanks for the lesson (I wasn’t at the lesson because I was watching a school production but thanks for the recording- I caught up on it).
Here’s my homework attached
Kind Regards,
Yunshu
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Hi Beth,
thank you for the amazing lesson.
P.s. you accidentally out the wrong marking for last week.
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Hi Beth,
Sorry for the late submission. I was ill and didn’t get a chance to write it. Thanks for the lesson!
Kate
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Summary for Lesson 3
In today’s class we continued our work on GCSE writing, thinking today about picture stimuli and how to approach them. We began with talking about writing techniques and thinking creatively about writing, before learning about stimuli and how these prompts appear in an exam context. We then spoke about how characters can be used as a way to respond to this before moving on to creating characters based on images. Finally we spoke about the photographic lens and how it can be used in writing. Fab work today everyone, well done for all your really interesting conceptual ideas about writing and the way you applied this to your own work. Keep up the amazing stuff and see you next time 🙂
Video on techniques: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBqT7KNLDsw&list=PL8-jsG6NG3oJsJ6LTZRtYtCHWi-5pjhQJ
Link on photographs and writing we read: https://www.apictureastory.com/journal/using-photographs-for-your-creative-writing
Homework
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Summary for Lesson 4
In today’s class we continued our work on stimuli writing, thinking today about utilising stimuli such as video and music. We began by reading an article on photography and creative writing, before thinking about using a short film as a stimulus to write from which the class did exceptionally well, producing some incredibly high-quality work. We discussed this process and thought about specificity in writing. They finally completed some excellent group work, bouncing ideas off one another. Really brilliant work everyone, I was super impressed with you all today. Keep up the amazing work, can’t wait to read your pieces! 🙂
The video I was saying to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DQIISoQIGE
Article we read: https://www.apictureastory.com/journal/using-photographs-for-your-creative-writing
Homework
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Hi Beth
Attached is my homework.
I’m still working on the homework for week 2 as I have not been able to think of anything although I know it is supposed to be a timed writing sort of thing……
Anyways have a nice day and thanks for the fabulous lesson!
Vivienne
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Hi Beth,
I’m so sorry for writing in here late. I finished homework after class, but forgot to submit here… Thanks for the delish lesson! 🙂 😉
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Hi beth,
Thanks for the amazing lesson 🙂
I’m so sorry I’m late in uploading the work, it’s attached below.
Thanks,
Yunshu
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Hi Beth,
Sorry for submitting this late as I had planned put it aside to proof read later but forgot to send it on to the forum. Thank you for the stellar lesson!
-Eva
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Hi Eva,
No worries at all!
Excellent work this week, I’ve attached your feedback below. See you soon 🙂
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Summary for Lesson 5
In today’s lesson we began our work on descriptive essay writing, working on the idea of how it acts as the literary equivalent of a camera lens. We spoke about what defines descriptive essays- how they are literary non-fiction pieces and how their purpose can range from informative to political to just writing for writing’s sake. We looked at examples of two different types of descriptive essay and the class used these as a template to plan their own. We then moved on to learning about George Orwell, a famous descriptive essayist, reading his famous 1930s essay A Hanging, discussing its purpose and how it would be different as an emotive piece. Amazing ideas and contributions everyone- some authors to check out are Virginia Woolf, George Orwell, James Baldwin – or you can google some examples! See you next week 🙂
Homework
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Hi again Beth,
Thanks again for the great lesson(s). Just saying, that was my supplement for last week’s homework (which I totally forgot about) and also, here’s the finished product:
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Hi Beth, sorry for the late hand-in. I had already done it but I forgot to press the ‘Submit’ button.
Sorry!
Brian
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Summary for Lesson 6
In today’s class we completed our work on descriptive essays, thinking about applying all we had learned to come up with descriptive concepts of our own. We began by revising the concept of literary non-fiction before learning an approach to description based upon concentric circles of detail. The class then read over two passages, thinking about how emotion and atmosphere had been imbued into them, before completing some excellent group work brainstorming descriptive essay topics (and their deeper symbolic meanings) in pairs. Finally they shared these ideas and elaborated on them- amazing work on all of this guys, well done for your thoughtful and insightful comments on the nature of description and how it can be used as a lens to talk about broader ideas. Well done for today, see you next week 🙂
Descriptive video we watched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP5bUlDKJK0&t=124s
Homework
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Hi Beth,
Thanks for the amazing lesson; I’m not that confident at descriptive writing and it’s really helped me. I quite enjoyed writing the piece for my homework, but I was sort of stuck for ideas. Hopefully I did alright.
The homework is attached, thanks.
Kind regards,
Yunshu
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Summary for Lesson 7
In today’s class we looked at persuasive essay writing, thinking about topics such as research skills and thesis statements. We began with a debate topic regarding nuclear weapons, focusing on ways of argument building and how to think critically from all sides of a debate. The class then learned some key research skills, discussed logical fallacies and debated the purpose of thesis statements before writing their own. Wonderful work class, well done for all your dedication and ideas today. It’s been great to see you all, keep up the fab ideas and see you next week 🙂
Links from today: https://www.thoughtco.com/persuasive-essay-topics-1856978
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/persuasive-writing
Logical fallacy link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CtofTCXcYI
Research video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArynsHGwJ5A
Homework
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Hi Beth! Thanks for the jolly recording of the lesson, had lots of fun in writing this week’s h/w!
Mina🌸
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Summary for Lesson 8
In today’s class we completed our work on persuasive writing, thinking about what engaging the reader looks like and how to put it into practice. We began by watching a video about persuasion & the elaboration likelihood model, using this to think about a GCSE-style prompt, and talking about how to make the reader care. The class then learned some exam tips regarding this style of writing before completing and sharing some amazing group work based on responding to New York Times prompts and structuring an argument around this. Finally we had a quick Q&A. Really wonderful work today guys- your debate level was absolutely brilliant and I was very impressed. Keep up the great work 🙂
Elaboration likelihood video: https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/behavior/theories-of-attitude-and-behavior-change/v/persuasion-attitude-change-and-the-elaboration-likelihood-model
New York Times link: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/01/learning/lesson-plans/401-prompts-for-argumentative-writing.html
Exam tips video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPnhCb9lZDo
Homework
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Hi Beth,
Thank you for the wonderful lesson! Could you possibly mark my work for Lesson 6 as well?
Kate
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Summary for Lesson 9
In today’s class we completed a writing workshop in advance of next week’s mini mock exam in lesson 10. We began by brainstorming and trying out literary techniques before revising the topics we had learned over the past eight weeks. The class then wrote some amazing story openings based on GCSE prompts which were absolutely outstanding. Really impressive work! We learned about a writing exercise the class can use, and then they completed some fantastical pair work dissecting and brainstorming some prompts together and the students shared these eloquently and brilliantly. Well done today everyone, it was such a joy to hear all your ideas. See you next week 🙂
Writing exercise video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XmcNcCkp_Y
Homework
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Hi Beth,
here is my homework for lesson 8
Apologies for the late homework,
I am currently working on the rest.
Vivienne
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Hi Beth!
Thanks for the amazing lesson!
Here’s the h/w for this week, sorry about the late submission.
Mina
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Summary for Lesson 10
In today’s class the students completed their mock exams, marking the end of our winter course. Really great work today everyone, you were all very diligent and focused and I can’t wait to read what you’ve come up with. Well done for all your passionate, collaborative and exciting work over the past ten weeks, it has been amazing seeing you all blossom and find your writing voices, which are all so vibrant and unique. Keep up the incredible job & I look forward to seeing you in the next course. Congratulations everyone- you should be very proud of your work, I have been hugely impressed with you all! 🙂
Homework
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Hi Beth,
Thank you for the amazing course! I learnt so much about writing. I am so sorry I wasn’t at the lesson; and for the late response- hopefully you can still mark my work?
Kind Regards,
Yunshu
P.S. I completed the mock under the timed conditions and chose the prompt “the prize”
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Dear Beth,
I apologise for not being at the lesson and for handing in my work late, but i did the test under test conditions.
Thank you so much for the course!
Best wishes.
Rose
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