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Summary for Lesson 1
In today’s class we began our lessons on Alex Rider: Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz, thinking about the pull of this novel and digging into the author intent and genre propelling the story forward. We began with a discussion of the things the students liked and didn’t like about the book before launching into an interview of the author, thinking about what questions the students would ask him if they could. We spoke about author intent and why it’s important, before moving on to a creative task requiring the class to put themselves in Alex’s shoes at the beginning of the book. Finally we spoke about genre, imagining creative ways of thinking about genre and implementing them in context of the book. Fantastic work from the class today- the students were all super engaged, creative and energetic throughout. Really excellent work today class- keep it up and I’ll see you next week 🙂
Homework
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Alex was walking into the Car park in a jolly mood. He looked around and accidentally did a backflip onto a car. He slowly walked away from that, trying not to be suspicious. Strolling slowly, he imagined himself being a spy, gun fights, cool gadgets and more .Well Alex being Alex, he did a karate chop and nearly broke his hand! Going towards the car, he hears his nannie approach him and lecture him about being careful. Little did Alex know, being a spy was not as fun as he thought…
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Gorgeous work Max- I love how you have turned the Alex Rider series on its head and had Alex learn that being a spy is not all it’s cracked up to be purely through comical imaginary games. You’ve used humour wonderfully in this passage and have included lots of great imagery to frame the scene, such as when Alex is thinking about all the gadgets associated with being a spy. I love the twist at the end emphasising that Alex’s spy adventures are all in his head. Just be careful to keep your tenses consistent- you start in past tense (Alex was walking) but occasionally slip into present (he hears his nanny approach). Just make sure you keep in the same tense the whole story. Overall, great work and a fun captivating take on the book- well done 🙂
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In an instant after his uncle’s tragic death, Alex ambled along the crumbling, chipping pavement.
“AHH!” he screamed as a tree branch ppierced his forehead.
The blood dripped out like an escaping monster, swimming out while drying in the radiant beams of the boiling sun. A monster formed from the red, cold blood. Diving Alex’s hand in the blood pool, a sensation of his arm being ripped off occurred.
“AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!” he shrieked as he clutched his right arm. In fact, he had no right arm only a thick piece of isolated flesh crawling out of its prison.
Walking like a penguin, he waddled to the car park were his uncle had been murdered in the car.
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Excellent work Leyan- well done! I love your evocative description which gives a really imaginative account of the dangers Alex faces (i.e., the radiant beams of the boiling sun’) and you have created suspense and tension beautifully through the repetition of Alex’s screams. I really like your choice of words (fab alliteration with ‘crumbling, chipping’) and think the language of the phrase ‘a thick piece of isolated flesh crawling out of its prison’ is an absolutely outstanding use of metaphor. To make this even better, could you experiment with some advanced punctuation such as a semi-colon or hyphen? Overall, incredible work and an exciting, intriguing and gripping read from start to finish, well done 🙂
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Summary for Lesson 2
In today’s class we continued our work on Alex Rider, thinking about the ways in which Horowitz creates drama and tension and discussing his use of world-building. We spoke about the different ways in which Horowitz’s world is different from our own and thought about how he makes it believable. The students then wrote their own versions of ‘spy worlds’ using the book as inspiration, before moving on to thinking about the presentation of technology in the book and inventing some Alex Rider inspired gadgets of their own. Amazing work from everyone today- the class were very creative throughout the lesson and came up with some great analyses of how Horowitz’s world-building could inspire their own. Fab work everyone- keep up all the amazing energy and I’ll see you next week 🙂
Video on world building: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQTQSbjecLg
Video on gadgets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS659EznCMc
Homework
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As the guards of the school “Point Blanc” patrolled the corridors of the grim finishing school, Alex was clinging on his life, he barely survived the shot from Doctor Hugo Greif. He doesn’t even know how long he can last. Alex was so concentrated on escaping, he didn’t even hear Eva Stellenbosch ramming though the walls at full speed, as he was going to escape, the bulking women pushed him out of the window with full strength, the pain was so irresistible that Alex wasn’t even able to move. As death awaited, he did the only thing that might save him from death was to call the MI6, he knew that it was impossible for them to arrive in time because he was literally 25 metres in the sky and falling at a speed of 40 miles per hour. Suddenly he realised that he had a giant carpet from the office of the principal stored in his rucksack, he was saved because of the carpet that he had used as a parachute. Even though he survived that, he was dangling on the peak of the Alps.
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Fantastic story telling Adrian- well done! I love how you have made the suspense and tension of the piece rise with each and every sentence and your description of Alex’s emotions is wonderfully evocative (i.e., the pain was so irresistible). You leave the story on a brilliant cliff-hanger which intrigues the reader and have drawn inspiration from the second Alex Rider book beautifully in order to paint your own picture of the scene. Your word choice is really effective (i.e., words such as grim, patrolled and bulking) and helps to encapsulate the atmosphere of the piece. Just watch that your tenses are consistent- sometimes you switch between past and present tense (i.e., “Alex was clinging onto his life” is in past and then “he doesn’t even know” is in present). Just make sure that if you start in past tense, you stick to past tense throughout. Overall, really lovely work- well done 🙂
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Write a novel from your own Alex Rider inspired novel detailing a dramatic or
Climatic moment in the storyAs the lights flickered off the we all screamed as the really cool boys came backstage.When the show was finished the we asked the boys if they could take a picture of us together.We had lots of fun in the show but there was one thing wrong .The band weren’t smiling.One of the girls noticed that first but then she told her best friend then her best friend told another girl until the news spread through the whole concert.A brave and dramatic girl decided to tell the presenter [Adam cilder]all of it .After the concert everyone came back home.My bestie is called Annebelle her mum said that we can go together for a sleepover to her house for 3 months.I couldn’t wait .Right now I am starting packing stuff for her house when my mum came and distracted me and showed me a gadget that I could use .It was to pairs of sparkly ping earrings.whenever I needed her[my mum],all I had to do was click on the button and then the earring would tell my mum and then my mum would notice, then she could answer all my questions!
I can’t wait!Sanya
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This is a really good story Sanya- well done. I love how you build the tension from the beginning of the story where everyone slowly realises something is wrong and you have conveyed the excitable atmosphere of the concert really nicely. You have included the gadget into your story amazingly- could you connect it to the genre of a spy story even more clearly, maybe her mum wants her to spy on her friend’s family or something? I love your use of exclamation marks to emphasise your character’s excitement and enthusiasm and think your first line throws the reader straight into the heart of the story beautifully. Just make sure that you are definitely making it clear that it is part of a spy novel so that it fits the homework question a little more closely- what could your main character’s mission be? Overall, fab work- well done 🙂
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There were two tiny violent cracks. Alex was expecting to see blood but when he looked down there was nothing then he looked at Sayle , Sayle has fell on his back with two bullet sized holes in his chest. The helicopter landed there then Yassen climbed out of the helicopter he was still holding the gun that killed Sayle he walked other the dead man . Satisfied, he nodded to himself putting the gun away. He switched off the engine of the helicopter and the blades of the helicopter slowly stopped. ”your Yassen Gregorovich” Alex said. The Russian nodded. ”Why did you kill Sayle instead of me?” asked Alex.” Those were my instructions.” There were no accent in his voice he spoke calmly. ”He had been a bad embarrassment so it was better this way”.” And I got no instruction on killing you”. ”Are going to shoot me”? ”Do I need to ?”
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Dear Beth,
Please have a look at my homework for the second lesson.
Max
As Alex skied down the icy frost of Point Blanc’s mountain, he felt a sharp needle of frost stabbing at him, urging him to stop. But his determination was stronger, he knew overcoming this would be a difficulty, yet he tried. Suddenly, Alex heard a deafening screech as he approached the bottom of the mountain. Cold sweat dripped onto his clothes which caused him to feel as if thousands of needles were being pierced into his body. Out of thin air, lights approached and then they disappeared. He breathed a sigh of relief. He narrowly escaped one of the most dangerous places ever. Mount Blanc. Meanwhile, In a distant valley, a wicked voice echoed in the crisp morning breeze, “It’s done.” “Now put the plan into action!”
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Excellent work Max- really well done! Your use of literary techniques here is outstanding (i.e., the metaphor of ‘the frost stabbing at him’ and personification of ‘urging him to stop’ is super effective) and you have beautifully portrayed Alex’s emotional state as he surveys the challenge ahead of him. You’ve built tension and suspense really well- causing the reader to cling to the edge of their seat. I also love that we get the climax followed by a deep sense relief before the wicked voice creates a cliffhanger and spoils the reader’s sense of peace. Such an effective use of narrative structure! You have used show don’t tell wonderfully throughout and your description twins nicely with the action in the story. To make this even better, could you draw out the suspense even longer to create an even more dramatic climax to the story? Overall, amazing work- well done 🙂
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Summary for Lesson 3
In today’s class we finished our work on Alex Rider: Stormbreaker, thinking about how Horowitz creates characters in the book and how he sets up the moral of the story. We began with a discussion of what characters we found compelling, before delving into what makes a good Alex Rider villain using Horowitz’s own ideas to help. The class then designed their own villain, using this tips and tricks. We completed some comprehension thinking about the overall message of the novel and answering some of the unanswered questions the book poses. Finally we discussed the moral and the class predicted what might happen next to Alex in the future. Fab and energised work from everyone today- well done for your enthusiasm and ideas class and I’ll see you next week for Pig Heart Boy :)
Video on Horowitz’s villains: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZA7jkL_IPI
Homework
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If Ian Rider hadn’t been assassinated , then Alex wouldn’t have to fight all the villains in the books like Herod Sayle in stormbreaker.Also Alex wouldn’t need to worry as much as when he was in the library.not just that Alex would have more time to speak to someone and not be in danger like he was in all ten books.If Ian hadn’t been murdered he would have some time to play with his friends like everyone deserves to do 🙂
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Fantastic work Sanya- really well done! I love that you have considered a wide range of possibilities for Alex if he had not had to step into’s Ian Rider’s shoes and think your ideas about how Alex would have been allowed to have a much more normal, well-adjusted childhood are fantastically inferred. Well done for also considering the impact this would have on the dangers in his life- how do you think this might change him as a person? Overall, gorgeous work- well done 🙂
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This is my homework from last week.
BOOM! A enormous lightning TRIKES Alex but it missed. CRACK! Comes another one. The lightning is controlled by Alex’s enemies Jeremy. Alex dodged both lightning and ran straight to the edge of the cliff. He hold tightly a toy teddy that he found in a wooden house. He found a button on the toy teddy’s right elbow and pressed it. PING! goes a huge grappling hook, the grappling hook sent Alex to the other side of huge cliff. Alex breathed rapidly until he heard another scream from the lightning and it started raining. He looked up and he saw his enemies Jeremy, Jeremy was wearing black clothes and a black hoodie to hide his whole face, Jeremy said grinning “I finally found you Alex, my master said if I kill you there will be a big award for me”. Jeremy was holding a huge knife and rush to Alex, the fight was on. Alex found a manual on the teddy that he found and the manual showed where all the buttons were and what they did. First of Jeremy sliced for Alex’s head. As quick as a cheetah Alex pressed the button on the left hand of the teddy and it made a huge shield protecting Alex from Jeremy’s knife. It’s going to be a tough fight.
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Exhilarating work Emily- well done! You have written a fantastic and thrilling piece here using loads of great techniques to build tension and suspense. I love the idea of the lightning being controlled by Alex’s enemies, which adds a lovely use of pathetic fallacy to the story (where the weather reflects the mood of a story). Your use of onomatopoeias throughout are really effective and powerful and I love your use of the simile “as quick as a cheetah”. Your description of the fight scene keeps the reader on the edge of their seat throughout and uses suspense beautifully, and I love the cliff-hanger at the end- it’s such an action packed and intriguing story! To make this even better, just make sure you are sticking to the same tense throughout, you start the story in past tense (which is fab!) but then occasionally slip into present (i.e., the lightning is controlled by Alex’s enemies and it’s going to be a tought fight). Just make sure you are using the same tense throughout (i.e., the lighning was controlled and it was going to be a tough fight). Overall, really exciting & beautiful story-telling- well done 🙂
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I think if Ian Rider hadn’t been assassinated then Alex would not get to have a life of adventure. I think that Alex may want to be an agent when he grows up as well. Also, Alex gets to enjoy school as a normal kid and I think that is well deserved because of all his hard work in the books.
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Great ideas Max- lovely work! I really like how you have thought carefully about how Ian Rider’s life would have changed the course of Alex’s, identifying beautifully how Alex’s future may involve the world of spying and espionage. You’ve thought wonderfully about how Alex would be able to enjoy his life more if Rider had not died but that this would also have the downsides of being filled with less adventure. Just be careful to keep your tenses correct throughout- i.e., it should be Alex would get to enjoy school as it is in the future tense. Overall fab work, well done 🙂
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If Ian Rider had not been assassinated, Alex’s life would be a normal child. No spy missions. No M16. If his father had died, he would know that Herod Sayle is going to put Smallpox in Stormbreakers. As soon as he opens the computer, the Smallpox virus comes out coming an end to Alex Rider. Even though he is going to have a normal school life, his life will end soon after. Also every school boy in England would all die.
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Excellent work Leyan- well done! I really like how you have imagined how Sayle’s plan would have been positively affected if Alex had not been there to stop it, and that you have thought carefully about the different ways in which this could damage the world of the books. The notion that Alex might even die as a result is a really interesting one- it demonstrates the idea of ‘everything happens for a reason’ very well. Fantastic setting up of the importance of Alex’s role in the book- just remember that Ian Rider is his uncle (John is his dad). Overall fantastic work- well done 🙂
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Alex woke up chained to the jagged, solid surface of a wall. Looking around, a mysterious man in a white labcoat was ticking a board. “Extra hand. Tick. 3 eyes. Tick,” he murmered under his breath. Searching the room, 1 chamber was a lady (possibly in her 30s) with 3 legs and enlarged brain slepping in it. A second one had no one in it only a label saying GMH TEST 2 (Gennetically modified human). Looking down, a short, stubby hand popped out from his weary wrist with a blood red eye in the middle. “AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!” Alex screamed as he stared down at his hand. “YES YES YES. Rise my little minion!” the strange man bellowed manically. Then a plasma beam shot him in the eye. Alex lay unconcious on the floor being carried to the chamber.
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Fab ideas Leyan- very suspenseful! I really like the fact that you reveal information to the reader slowly to increase the tension and that when the climactic moment comes it shocks the reader and Alex simultaneously. You have used some fantastic scientific jargon (i.e., the genetically modified human) and created some wonderfully gruesome and creepy imagery to captivate the reader. Excellent use of dialogue to pick the pacing of the story up and I love the ending as a cliff-hanger- this is really effective and adds to the sense of adventure and suspense. This is a masterful and creative response to the prompt that plays with genre and imagery beautifully- to make this even better could you add some literary techniques in to give it some extra sparkle? Overall amazing work Leyan- really well done! 🙂
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If Ian Rider hadn’t been assassinated, then Alex would had been continuing his normal life. All the students in England would die because if they had sent someone else they wouldn’t have any hope to succeed.
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Lovely ideas Adrian well done. I like that you have assessed both the positive and negative effects of Alex not joining the secret services, thinking about the fact that noone else could complete the mission as well as Alex. You have outlined the importance of his character really well and thought about how Alex’s life would continue as normal- could you expand on this and think about who might try to solve the crisis if Ian Rider hadn’t died? Overall good work, well done 🙂
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If Ian Rider hadn’t been assassinated Alex would continue on his normal life as a school boy and learning about new knowledges but not a spy’s. There will be another boy comes out and saves the world instead of him. On high school his grades will be really good because he’s always concentrate and always has been a+ or a. When he graduated he would got 100% correct that was because he study hard. Growing up and become a normal adult was hard at least doing jobs can earn money, get a house and probably get a rich girl friend, a dog, teaching his kids everything and become old while Alex’s kid grow up. Alex will enjoy his life Until Ian Rider dies when he is too old. Alex is recalling the happy times with him at his funeral with all the others.
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Gorgeous work Emily- well done! I really like that you have considered the ways in which both Alex’s life would be different in this event and also how MI6 would have to deal with not having a school-child agent. You have predicted Alex’s progress in school beautifully and given a real sense of his character shining through your ideas. I really love that you have followed Alex’s life all the way to his uncle’s funeral and given the reader a snap-shot of this alternate timeline- what a creative way to write this piece! I really enjoyed reading this alternative picture of Alex’s future- could you even tell us a little about the other spy-child MI6 has to employ? Overall amazing work- well done 🙂
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Summary for Lesson 4
In today’s lesson we began our second book Pig Heart Boy by Malorie Blackman. We began with a discussion of what we liked and disliked in the novel, before thinking about what was important about the book and the issues it illuminates. We spoke about notions of ethical and morality- questioning what kinds of issues fit under each term and discussing how morality is more personal whereas ethics are societal. Finally we linked this to the book, thinking about the concept of medical ethics and studying the four pillars. The class then wrote some outstanding diary entries from the Dr’s perspective on Cameron’s surgery, which they completed beautifully. Amazing work from the class today- they were lively and engaged throughout. Well done everyone- gorgeous work today 🙂
Malorie Blackman video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4wKO-aTOXo&feature=emb_logo
Homework
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The similar thing about the two was that they both had something wrong with their heart and both of the hearts had something wrong because David Bennett’s pig heart had something called a porcine cytomegalovirus and the heart that Cameron had was being rejected by the rest of the body. The difference was that Cameron was black and David was white (no offence), David was 52 but Cameron was 13, Cameron is a fictional character but David is a living being.
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Dear Beth,
My first one needed some improvement so I rewrote it.
The real man that had a pig’s heart was called David Bennett. The similar thing about the two people was that they both had something wrong with their pig heart. David’s pig heart had some disease called porcine cytomegalovirus, and the pig heart that Cameron had was rejected by the rest of the body. The differences were that Cameron was black and David was white (no offence); David was 52, but Cameron was 13; Cameron is a fictional character, but David is a living being.
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Lovely work Adrian- well done! You had conducted some great research here that is super detailed, even down to the medical terminology. Your comparison between the issues with both pig hearts is really interesting and demonstrates a really deep understanding of both stories. Well done for also looking at some differences such as age, ethnicity and the fact that David’s story is real. Also, you don’t have to say no offence for stating that they are different ethnicities (i.e., Cameron is Black and David is white)- it’s just a fact, and as long as you’re not saying anything negative or stereotypical about either person (which you aren’t here) there is nothing offensive. Really good research and some great comparative points- fab work Adrian 🙂
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Hi Beth here is my homework !
Similarities:
That both of them were given a Pig’s heart
That they both got their heart transplant from Dr B. and Dr.E
That both of them was brave enough to have the heart transplantDifferences
That Cameron was made up and David’s heart transparent was in real life
That David was much older than Cameron when he had the heart transparent.
That David only lived two months after the heart transplant and that Cameron lived longerSanya
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Gorgeous work Sanya- well done! I like how you have broken it down into three key similarities and differences and your research combines both inferences (that they were brave in undergoing the operation) and facts (i.e., the name of their doctors). Your final point about David not living very long after the transplant in comparison is a really important one and demonstrates a fantastic depth of research. You have also structured your writing really well and laid the information out in a very concise and clear way. Great research & lovely ideas- well done 🙂
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The similarities is
that they both had a disease in there human heart so they both have to have a pig heart.
They both lived longer than the disease will last in the pig heart transplant.
The differences
is that When the heart transplant was finished Cameron and David was not the same age Cameron was 13 and David was 52.
David was a director of paypal and Cameron was just a normal school boy.
Cameron was black and had brown hair and David was white and had white hair.
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Fantastic research Emily well done- really excellent work. You have clearly researched the real-life case really deeply and have come up with some fab information to compare to Cameron’s fictional transplant. I love that you have discovered their difference in age, appeareance and occupation and have thought carefully about the medical implications of the surgery for both of them. You have seperated out the similarities and differences really clearly and demonstrated your research really well. Great work & lovely ideas- well done Emily 🙂
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Summary for Lesson 5
In today’s lesson we continued our work on Pig Heart Boy, thinking about the characters in the novel and how we could infer important information about them and use this to work creatively with Malorie Blackman’s novel. We began by learning about her process for fleshing characters out before thinking of ways of ‘getting to know’ a fictional character through writing. We then moved on to continuing a conversation between Marlon and Cameron using our inference skills before completing a hot-seating exercise to get to the bottom of a particular character’s personality and motivations. Finally the class wrote a creative writing piece based on a character of their choice analysing how they would act in a strange situation and using everything they had learnt from the text and from a Malorie Blackman interview to help them. Fantastic and creative work today class- I loved hearing all of your inventive ideas and inferences you made about the novel’s protagonist and other characters. Well done and see you next week 🙂
Homework
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This is my homework for week 1. The biggest challenge in animal-to-human organ transplants is the resilience of the human immune system, as it can attack foreign cells in a process called rejection and trigger a response that will ultimately destroy the transplanted organ or tissue. Such as Cameron. He had to take anti-rejection drugs like the man had suffered from a significant heart disease called porcine cytomegalovirus. Inferring from the book, the disease may be different. As described in the book it is called an ‘infection’ however, the man had a disease not an infection to the heart. According to experts, the transplant was a “major test of xenotransplantation,”. Companies have been biologically engineering pigs by removing and adding various genes to help conceal their tissues from potential immune attacks. The heart used in Bennett’s case came from a pig that underwent 10 gene modifications by Revivicor, a biotechnology company. This is similar as they genetically modified the pigs in the story. At the end of the book, Cameron does not die however, the patient in real life passes away.
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Really brilliant work Leyan- well done! You have clearly researched this topic incredibly thoroughly and have thought carefully about what you can infer from Cameron’s case throughout the book. I love that you have dug into the medical information of both cases and put in lots of different scientific analyses- such an intelligent way to approach the task. You have compared the cases of Cameron and Bennett excellently and I love the quotation you have used to demonstrate the facts behind your research and emphasise how ground-breaking xenotransplantation is. Your understanding of the medical processes behind both cases is exceptionally strong and shows a real aptitude and passion for sciene. A beautifully written and expertly constructed answer to the question- great job Leyan!
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Hi Beth,
…He noticed that all of his friends are not acting like they were before they knew that he was going to have a heart transplant.Cameron was offered to say how his heart transplant was in front of the whole class, although he was very shy about it.
The next day, when he finished eating breakfast and then left for school. He noticed that the crowd that still wanted him to interview was still there.
One day there was a knock on the door.The people were delighted to see who it was . Unfortunately, It was Dr Bryce to come and tell them some really bad news .
Here is my homework
Thanks, Sanya-
Lovely work Sanya- well done! You have summarised the events of this part of the book really well and have thought carefully about how to imply what will happen to Cameron in a subtle and suspenseful way. You have broken the story down into four really important moments and thought about how each contributes to pushing the wider plot forward. I really like how you concentrated on the emotional impact the surgery had for Cameron and how it affected him and his family. Just be careful to remember to write the story-board prompts for up to the very end of the story so it doesn’t end on a cliff-hanger and so we can tell what happens all the way through from looking at it. Overall, wonderful work- well done 🙂
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Summary for Lesson 6
In today’s lesson we concluded our work on Pig Heart Boy by Malorie Blackman, thinking about the issues and ideas we had not yet touched on in reference to the novel. We began by thinking about the ending of the book- discussing whether it satisfied the students’ curiosity and then discussing and mapping out alternative endings. We then moved on to thinking about the theme of animal rights and what it can tell us about morality. Finally we thought about Cameron’s decisions and emotions near the end of the story and worked out what this could tell us about how we should all live life. The class were lively and creative throughout today’s class, coming up with brilliant ideas and some really thoughtful work on the meaning of the book. Great work everyone- see you next week! 🙂
Homework
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Beth this is my homework from last week
Cameron went to school and told his best friend Marlon a secret which his family and doctor said not to tell others that he had an pigs heart. He told Marlon not to tell anyone not even his friends or family.
But after some days he found out that Marlon told his dad about the transplant. Cameron was shocked when he knew it but it was to late.
Everyone knew about it now even the teacher knew about it.
Cameron was so embarrassed, everyone didn’t dare to get near Cameron, even Julie wasn’t taking to him or getting near him. When Cameron asked Julie why was she not talking to him and not going near him Julie said because my mum told me that pigs have germs so you might have the pigs germs.
After a while, Cameron ‘s immune system starts to reject the pig heart. He has to back to the hospital and accept the treatment for keeping the heart running. So he realised he should do whatever he wants because in possibilities he might have a short life.
He started the challenge that he always wanted to do if he had a new heart… to dive to the bottom of the pool and touch the bottom.
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Really nice work Emily- well done! You have summed up what you see as the most important elements of the plot really well and have used some fantastic scientific terminology (i.e., when you talk about Cameron’s immune system’s rejection of the heart). I love how you end this with that image of Cameron diving to the bottom of the pool and emphasise the symbolic importance of that goal to Cameron in the story. Just be careful to remember to write the story-board prompts for up to the very end of the story so it doesn’t end on a cliff-hanger and so we can tell what happens all the way through from looking at it (i.e., Cameron accepting the second heart at the end of the story). Overall, lovely work- well done 🙂
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Great work Adrian- well done. You have clearly detailed the plot points leading up to the ending, understanding and summarising the motivations of the characters throughout. You have thought carefully about how Cameron changes his mind and why and have chose a succinct and effective structure to communicate what happens. I also think your focus on Cameron’s nan and how her death changes his perspective is really important. To make this even better, could you add some visual prompts like pictures or drawings like in the original storyboard? Overall fab work, well done 😊
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Hi Beth here is my homework
I hope you like it !
SanyaNewspaper artical
Wow! This is Cameron’s decision to have a second heart transplant just to make sure that his heart is safe.
Malorie Blackman (the author of Pig heart boy) has said she “called it“ after US doctors transplanted a pig’s heart into a patient, mirroring the plot of one of her early novels.The author wrote about a similar operation in her 1997 children’s book Pig Heart Boy, the story of a 13-year-old Cameron Joshua Kelsey who has a serious heart condition.Cameron Kelsey and his family are still worried about his heart and if it is still not suitable for him.
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Some good work Sanya & I really like your first sentence where you think about Cameron’s second operation and his reasons behind it. The use of the word wow emphasises how big his decision is within the novel and would work really nicely as the first line of an article. However, the second part is from a real newspaper article about the real-life case of the pig-heart transplant. Remember- you’re supposed to make up a whole new article of your own about Cameron’s second transplant as if you are writing within the world of the book, instead of using a real-life article. Just be careful to follow the homework a little more closely to make sure you’re coming up with the right thing 🙂
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Daily Press
The boy with a pig’s heart has a second heart transplant!!!
13 year old Cameron Kelsey has chosen to take a second heart transplant. Shocking! His third heart will be put in on July 27th at Saint Heliers Hospital by Dr. Richard Bryce. He has transformed from an ordinary school boy to a local celebrity! Earlier today we had an interview with him.
“Cameron, how does it feel to have ANOTHER heart transplant?” asked Mr Parsons
” Well, I suppose I’ quite glad to have a human that works. It means that I can meet my brother Alex being born.” replied Cameron.
“ok” muttered Mr Parsons. ” Is there another reason why you choose to have another heart transplant?”
“Well it’s a choice to live a little bit longer or living a lot longer. And I choose to live a lot longer. I could also live a normal life which is nice.”
“Mr and Mrs Kelsey, are you glad that your son can have a human heart?”
” Yes we are very, very glad indeed. We just want our son to lice a normal and happy life” replied Mr Kelsey-
Fantastic work Isabella- well done! I love the drama and excitement of your headline and think your use of interjections such as “shocking!” contribute beautifully to the sensationalist tone of your article. You have used the structure of a newspaper excellently, putting all the important info in the first few lines and I really like your inventive use of the interview. I also really like the line about him transforming into a local celebrity- this adds a great sense of a ‘rags to riches’ story to the article. Just for the future, one thing you could change to make it feel even more like a real newspaper is the interview structure. Interviews are usually written like play-scripts-
i.e., PARSONS: Cameron, how does it feel to have ANOTHER heart transplant?
CAMERON: Well, I suppose, I’m quite glad to have a human one that works.
Overall, brilliant work- well done 🙂
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Summary for Lesson 7
In today’s class we began our third book Letters from the Lighthouse. In this lesson we thought about the history surrounding the book and how we could infer information about WW2 and the experience of evacuation from the events of the novel. We spoke about the Second World War and watched a news report about the Kindertransport program which helped Jewish children escape Europe. The class then completed a wonderful creative task detailing how they would welcome an evacuee into their homes imagining themselves in the position of the people in the novel, before completing some discussion work on the role of setting in the story. Fantastic work from everyone this week & I really enjoyed hearing their well-informed and exciting opinions on this novel. Well done class 🙂
Video on Freytag’s pyramid for homework: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImI3lFPxJoY
News report on the Jewish evacuees in Devon: https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2022-05-03/jewish-former-child-evacuees-return-to-devon-village-they-lived-in
Homework
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Beth this is my homework from last week.
Daily Newspaper
Today the pig heart boy has risen again
Cameron the pig heart boy got a second heart transplant.
Cameron has decided that he would want a second heart transplant after his nanny had died. Dr Bryce said that he found the perfect human for it. So lets go and interview with Cameron and his parents.Recorder: Cameron, do you think your new heart will work well?
Cameron: yes but if it doesn’t work it was still worth a try.
Recorder: What do you think is going to happen after the heart transplant?
Cameron: I think it will be very good and I will be live.
Recorder: Cameron parents, do you wish that your child will live longer?
Mrs Kelsey: Yes so he can see his little baby brother.
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Fab work Emily- well done! I love your headline which starts the article with a really exciting and almost biblical image of the pig heart boy having “risen again”. You have delivered all the information the reader needs to know in the first few lines in classic newspaper style and I love your inclusion of an interview. You have written some great questions for the interviewer to ask and I love that you have structured it in script format- lovely work! To make this even better, remember to include the date and location of what you are reporting- for example you could change the first line to “In this early hours of this morning, Cameron Kelsey- the ‘pig heart boy’- received a second heart transplant at a hospital in London” so that you make sure you include all four of the who, what, where and when. Overall wonderful work- well done 🙂
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Lovely work Sanya- well done! You have used the structure of Freytag’s pyramid beautifully to outline your ideas about the structure of the plot and have chosen some great key moments to focus on. I really like your focus on the storyline involving the note in this plot diagram and that you have traced the role of the note throughout the story. You have described the opening of the novel (the exposition and beginning events of the book) really well. Just be careful to make sure you include all the important parts of information necessary- for example, Sukie’s disappearance and return- so that the reader knows the main parts of the storyline from looking at this diagram and has all of the information that they need. Overall, fab work- well done 🙂
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Some great work Leyan- well done! I love how you have used an axis to depict tension over time and clearly demonstrate the workings of Freytag’s pyramid. You have also identified some really important and crucial plot points, particularly when thinking about the inciting incident and climax. You’ve thought carefully about the different types of plot points necessary to fulfil each part of the graph and have charted the dramatic arc of the book fantastically. To make this even better, could you include some plot points that you think would constitute the rising and falling action, to fill the graph out even further. For example, the development of Esther’s and Olive’s relationship or the mystery surrounding the note. Overall lovely work- well done:)
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Summary for Lesson 8
In today’s lesson we continued work on Letters from the Lighthouse, thinking about symbolism and character in our work on the novel. We began with a discussion of the lighthouse in the story and what it represents, thinking about what the history of lighthouses and their significance to communities in the past can tell us about the importance of the novel’s lighthouse. The class then wrote some great newspaper articles thinking about these themes. We then moved on to considering character, evaluating the class’s attitudes on the personas in the book, before talking about whether the book has a complex or more simple sense of who the heroes and villains are. Finally they completed some creative writing based on thinking about how to create a character’s backstory and how backstory can help us to understand motivation and intention in a novel- which they did beautifully! Well done class and see you next week 🙂
Video on Grace Darling: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/true-stories-grace-darling/z4y7pg8
Homework
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Beautiful work Jessica- well done! I love that the structure of this poem is laid out in a long tall column which mimics the shape of a lighthouse (this is a poetic technique called mimesis) and your use of alliteration in the second and third lines is fantastic and creates a sense of the tumbling waves thrashing against the lighthouse! You have used some wonderful rhyme that helps to tie together the themes of the poem really well, particularly at the end of the poem, and have used lovely emotive imagery throughout. To make this even better, could you use some other literary techniques such as metaphor or personification? Overall really excellent poetry writing and a fantastic grasp of rhythm, structure and poetic flow in particular- well done Jessica 🙂
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Lovely plot diagram Emily- well done! You have used the structure of Freytag’s pyramid fantastically here, clearly and confidently spacing out the most important moments of the novel. I think your understanding of the way this plot unfolds is excellent and you identify moments such as the inciting incident, climax, falling action and denouement really well. You have used a lot of lovely detail here to make the plot come alive and thought about lots of different elements of the story which is wonderful. Just be careful with your grammar, as there are times you are mixing past and present tense (i.e., “Olive’s dad had died” is correctly in past tense whereas “the children was evacuated” should be were evacuated because it is talking about multiple children). Overall amazing work- well done 🙂
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Beth this is my homework.
The great lighthouse
the wave flow and flow,
with a great big glow.
who knows where it came from, but we knew a stormy night
where something saved our life with the bright.
we opened our eyes and was in a circle house,
the owner said he saw us as small as a mouse.
who knows how long the lighthouse has been there.
we only know it saved us so we’re still standing here.
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Gorgeous work Emily- well done. You have used loads of great poetic techniques such as rhyme and repetition to give the poem a beautiful sense of mimicking the movements of the sea (a poetic technique called mimesis!)- tying it all together under the themes of nature, protection and the ocean. I love the alliteration of all the lines starting with ‘w’ and think the use of internal rhyme in the lines themselves is beautifully done along with the simile you’ve used. The imagery in this poem is fantastic & the emotions evoked by the lighthouse shine through the poem throughout. To make it even better could you possibly add even more of this lovely metaphorical and symbolic language? Overall excellent work, well done 🙂
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Summary for Lesson 9
In today’s lesson we continued our work on Letters from the Lighthouse thinking about the process of reviewing and interpreting a novel. We began by thinking about alternative names for the story, considering what is at the plot’s core, before thinking about the effect certain scenes of the book had on each of the students as a reader. We then moved on to thinking about the process of reviewing a story, using a New York Times video to help us think about what to include and reading examples of reviews for this same book. Finally the class wrote their own book reviews using all the discussions we’d had, reviews we’d read & analysed and the ideas they had gathered from thinking about their own emotive reactions to scenes in this novel. Finally we thought about the ending of the book and considered what we’d predicted on first reading the novel. Amazing, vibrant work from everyone today- you’ve all thought of some fantastic ideas all lesson and have shared rich and interesting takes on this novel. Keep up the great work and see you next week! 🙂
Here are the reviews we read from other students of the book: https://www.history.org.uk/secondary/module/8719/young-quills-awards-2018-winners-and-reviews/9568/letters-from-the-lighthouse
Here is the New York Times reviewing video we watched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni8kzMWVd2U&feature=emb_logo
Homework
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Hi beth
here is my homeworkMy scene is going to be about when Ester was stealing the note/code that Suki gave to Olive . So that explains that first, Olive had the note and then after that Esther stole the note from Olive so then Esther noticed how much she wanted that piece of paper. They had a fight to see who would get the note at the end but then Cliff decided to cut in and then Esther accidentally made a cut on Cliffs lip and then without anyone noticing Cliff snached the note out of Esther’s pocket and then put it in his pocket instead
hope you like it veedmadu
Thank you,
Sanya-
This is a great start Sanya- well done! You have planned out your own re-writing of this scene really well with close attention to detail. I like that you have focused on the emotional reactions of the characters involved, closely considering the ways in which each character will react differently dependent on their personality. You have picked a great scene to work around, creating a dramatic moment in the plot. Just remember to state whose perspective you are re-telling this from (i.e., Esthers’s? Cliff’s?) so that the reader can see what will change and what will remain the same. Overall fab work- well done 🙂
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I would choose to write the write a scene in Mrs Willcox’s perspective.
She would feel herioc that she can kill a ‘Jerry’ for once in her life. A frightening stare would threaten the German. Mrs Willcox would be pushed by the words of the crowds saying, “Give Jerry what for!” She would be urged to do, not putting any thought into it just because the pilot is a German and is on the opposing side.
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Fab work Leyan- well done! I love your use of war time jargon, such as in the phrase “give Jerry what for!” which adds to the authenticity of your piece. You have built an image of the pressure of the crowd really well and thought about the kinds of motivations that would be behind her actions and the way in which these might cause a mob mentality. You have considered the ethics and morality of war in a really interesting way and thought about the emotional impact this may have on Mrs Wilcox. To make this even better, you could write the scene in full and put your plan into action to show off your description of the scene. Overall great work- well done! 😊
Spelling:
*Heroic
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I am going to write the scene were on the train, a girl snatched Cliff’s only comic book and starts to pass it around. I am doing it in Cliff’s perspective.
Cliff was about to open his comic book, but a giant hand appeared and snatched the comic.
Cliff felt super angry and sad. Olive was trying to get the comic back buy that girl was taller.
Then the girl said it was theirs now and started to pass to her friends all down the carriage.
Cliff felt sad.
Olive ran to the carriage were she finally found Cliffs comic.
In the carriage was two girls reading the pages.
Olive first asked nicely but then she had to try to snatch it.
Luckly Mr Barrowman said up them and for their shock they dropped the comic, and we finally got our seats to.
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Wonderful work Emily- well done! You have built the tension and conflict in the scene really well and I love your focus on the emotional impact of this scene. You have structured your story-telling fantastically so that the reader is in suspense and I love the idea that Cliff sees the girl’s hand as “giant” because he is younger- fab use of perspective! You have also presented the strong relationship between Olive and Cliff fantastically. To make this even better could you try to ‘show’ the emotions rather than tell- for example instead of saying “Cliff felt sad” you could describe how he looked i.e., “Cliff felt tears pricking at his eyes and bowed his head so no one could see”. Overall lovely story-telling- well done! 😊
Spelling:
*Luckily
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Summary for Lesson 10
In today’s lesson we began our final book The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, thinking about the background and history of the novel. We began by thinking about what the class liked and disliked in the book, considering the movie adaptation and what they felt about its portrayal of the characters. We then spoke about the history of the early 1900s and historical themes in the novel such as the British Empire, class and poverty and the Industrial Revolution. Finally we discussed the role of positive thinking in the book and how it changes the characters lives. We class contributed some brilliant ideas today, thinking about race and class in the novel and discussing the way in which the world has changed since the time period portrayed in the book. Amazing and invigorating work everyone, I was super impressed by how engaged you all were today. Fab work- see you next week 🙂
Homework
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hi beth,
here is my homework:
Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett) was an Anglo-American novelist and playwright. She wrote lots of kid’s novels and she also wrote A little princess and the Secret Garden. Frances began her remunerative writing career there at age 19 to help earn money for the family, publishing stories in magazines. In 1870 unfortunately, her mother died. in 1873 she married Swan Burnett, who became a medical doctor. Their first son Lionel was born a year later and the couple loved him dearly. The Burnetts lived for two years in Paris and not longer, their second son Vivian was born. After then Frances loved publishing books more than anything else she could dream of in the world. She wrote and helped to produce stage versions of little lord Fauntleroy and A little Princess.
I hope you like it veedemoodoo 🙂
sanya-
Fab work Sanya- well done! You have thought beautifully about her biography and considered really important aspects of her life that shaped her and her career. I love that you have identified the way she felt about publishing and writing books as a key motivator in her life and that you have structured this fact-file of her life in a clear and chronological order. To make this even better could you possibly consider what this tells us about the novel itself- what can we learn from her life events about why she wrote the novel the way she did? What can we understand from her experiences that helps us read the novel in a more enlightened way? Also remember to tell us the source you used to find the information! Overall great ideas- well done 🙂
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Few people realize that The Secret Garden, the book most readers associate with Frances Hodgson Burnett, was only one of 53 novels she wrote and published and that most of her books were for adults, not children. Although she had a lifetime of love for children and gardens, she would be amazed to know that this book is the one for which she is most remembered today—even though it was one that was closest to her heart. Frances Hodgson Burnett’s love affair with gardens began when she was a small child living in Manchester, England. In 1852, when she was just three, her family moved to St. Luke’s Terrace. Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett was an Anglo-American novelist and playwright. She was born on 24 November 1849 and sadly died on 29th October 1924. She was most famous for writing A little princess, Little Lord Fauntleroy and The Secret Garden. she launched a career that saw her eventually become America’s highest-paid woman writer. She was only 18 and none of her work was ever rejected. By 1886, Frances had married a Tennessee doctor, had two sons and had written the blockbuster novel Little Lord Fauntleroy—her 18th novel, which made her hugely famous on both sides of the Atlantic. Even though writing was how she made her living, it enabled Burnett to travel, buy beautiful clothes and furnish houses in England and America. Not only a writer of novels and stories, however, Burnett also produced plays 13 of which have been plays.
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Good research Leyan & lots of really important facts that you have found. You have put together some crucial parts of her life and have included some fantastic information on the way her passions in life influenced the content of her work. Your factfile of her is clear and spans many aspects of her life- good job. Could you also include some ideas about what this tells us about The Secret Garden itself- why might the events of her life be relevant to the story? Also remember to include the source where you found this writing so people know where you have your information from. Overall great work- well done! 🙂
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Excellent work Adrian- well done! I love that you have considered the impact of the deaths she witnessed in her lifetime on the storyline of The Secret Garden, outlining beautifully how these events may have factored into the novel (particularly with characters such as Mistress Craven). You have presented your information really clearly and I love the use of pictures to illustrate your fact file. You have thought about key events in her life to include in order to lay out the important parts of her biography. To make this even better, could you expand your ideas about what her life can tell us about the novel, i.e., the theme of positive thinking? Overall gorgeous work- well done 🙂
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Summary for Lesson 11
In today’s class we continued our work on The Secret Garden, considering multiple different elements, techniques and themes used in the book. We began with some work on metaphor and its role in the novel- considering the symbolic importance of the garden and how this differs with the manor house and the characters associated with it. We spoke about how characterisation and symbolism interact in the story, considering the changes characters undergo, and then discussed the idea of the notion of place and time. Finally we took a critical eye to some themes in the novel such as disability, with the class analysing an article on the subject and using it to inspire their own critical analysis of the book. Excellent work from the class today- they all shared some outstanding work and ideas & were engaged and enthusiastic throughout. Lovely work everyone, see you next week for our final lesson 🙂
Metaphor video: https://www.mometrix.com/academy/metaphor/
Homework
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This is my homework from last week.
Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett was born on 24 November 1849 and died on 29 October 1924.
She lived at England in Manchester.
She was an Anglo-American novelist and playwright. She is best known for the three children’s novels Little Lord Fauntleroy, A Little Princess, and The Secret Garden.
After her father died in 1852, the family fell on straitened circumstances and in 1865 emigrated to the United States, settling in New Market, Tennessee.
There, Frances began writing to help earn money for the family, publishing stories in magazines from the age of 19.
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Fab work Emily- well done! You have thought carefully about which facts to include in order to illustrate the important moments of her life and have structured them clearly and chronologically so the reader has a good insight into how her life unfolded. I love that you have included her most famous works and have thought about the beginning of her career when she was 19. To make this even better could you possibly consider what this tells us about the novel itself- what can we learn from her life events about why she wrote the novel the way she did? What can we understand from her experiences that helps us read the novel in a more enlightened way? Also remember to tell us the source you used to find the information! Overall lovely work- well done 🙂
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Brilliant work Adrian- well done! I love how you have separated Dickon’s qualities out and analysed each in turn. You have thought about some really important connections in Dickon’s life (I particularly like your section about his relationship with the animals where you have considered how they may view him through a different lens due to him being a human). You have emphasised his caring qualities beautifully and I love your ideas about his loyalty in relationships. You’ve used a fantastically clear structure that looks great on the page too. Do you think Dickon has any negative traits at all or that Mary and Colin’s perception of him might have changed over time? Overall wonderful work- well done! 😊
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Hi Beth
Here is my homeworkDickon is a character with many interesting traits. What are some of his traits and what skills does he have ? How is he seen by Mary? How is he seen by Collin ? How is he seen by the animals ?
Some of the traits are that he likes staying in the garden and playing with the animals in the garden.
I think he is very kind and that he is a very good friend to everyone. His skills are communicating with animals and being kind. This is shown when he When every morning or afternoon Mary comes to see him in the garden and then when Mary speaks to him, he is really polite and soft-hearted .
I think that he is a kind hearted and gentle friend to Mary and helps her look for the key for the gate. This shows that he is helpful and caring to Mary.I have to say that Mary and Dickon will be friends for the rest of their Lives .To Collin he is a really good friend and cares for him all along the book this shows that he is loving and they both share a really good friendship together.He cares of when he is sick and gives him food when he ids hungry.To the animals he is really careful of hurting them and taking care of them. This shows that he cares for them as if they were his pets and feeds them, plays with them making sure that they have the best time of their lives. According to this, this shows that Dickon was extremely caring and loving.
Not only is he the owner of the garden he is also the most thoughtful character and is a role model to all the characters in the book and possibly all the books in the whole would. He is a strong kind character in the book and stands out across all of the moments in the book as well as showing love.I hope you like it
veedemoodoo
sanya 🙂-
Outstanding work Sanya- well done! You have analysed Dickon’s character here beautifully, making some great comments and arguments about his role in the novel. I love that you have identified him as the novel’s role model and pointed out many moments where he stood out in the book as a beacon of kindness and strength. You have thought about loads of different aspects of his relationships with others in the novel, picking apart the important moments this gives light to. Your vocab here is wonderful (i.e., phrases such as ‘according to this’ demonstrate a fab level of analysis) and I love your concluding paragraph which sums up why he is so crucial in this story. Could you even use some quotations from the book to prove your point? Overall excellent work- well done! 😊
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Summary for Lesson 12
In today’s class we finished our work on The Secret Garden, discussing the lessons and morals we could discern from the story. We began with a discussion on the themes of magic and health, before analysing a passage from the book that deals with the beauty and profoundity of nature. The class learned about sibilance (repeated s sounds) and metonymy (using a word associated with something to describe it- for example suit for businessman, or the White House to mean the US government). We then spoke about the ending of the book and whether magic was necessary for it- and the class came up with some excellent ideas. Lastly we spoke about four central themes, thought about the role of class and upbringing in the novel and touched on the way in which connection with nature is so important in this book, and in the real world. The class then shared some beautiful thoughts on what they had learned from this story. Amazing work everyone- well done for all your energy and great ideas. You’ve all worked really well over the past 12 weeks and I have loved hearing all your fab writing, debates and thoughts. Keep it up and hopefully see you in the next few weeks! 🙂
Homework
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Hi beth,
Here is my homework:
I think that the most important are that the key and the gate are hidden because when Mary was out the day that she found the key, that’s when she met the robin bird and then the robin bird showed her the way to the gate. This moment of the book is discover that the key was buried in the mud and that no one knew about that because the key was hidden as well as the gate was hidden.
Sorry but i did both of the homework.
Thank you,
veedemoodoo
Sanya 🙁-
Wonderful work Sanya- well done! I love that you have thought about secrets through the lens of a key moment and have thought about how it ties in with the themes of nature and magic. You have analysed the way in which the secret is uncovered beautifully and thought about the consequences of this secret and how it propels the story forward. To make this even better, could you use a quotation from the book to back up your point i.e., when she finds the key she says: ‘“Perhaps it has been buried for ten years,” she said in a whisper. “Perhaps it is the key to the garden!”’. Overall gorgeous work- well done!
Also did you say you did the movie poster too? You can post it here for me to look at if you’d like! 🙂
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