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Summary for Lesson 1
In today’s class we began our work on narrative writing, using adventure as a framework to help us think about why stories matter. We began with a big class discussion about why we as humans tell stories, thinking about how they can entertain, teach us things or help to solve the big questions of life. We looked at what narrative means and how we see it in the structure of story mountain and then spoke about the genre of adventure. The class looked at an adventure masterclass featuring lots of great tips such as creating risk for the characters and placing them in unusual environments. Finally we read an extract from Treasure Island introducing one of the characters and used this to create character descriptions of our own. The class made up some incredible adventure characters, describing them with beautiful detail and including some really exciting and compelling twists and turns. Very well done today everyone, it was a pleasure to see you all and hear your fun, creative and fascinating ideas. See you next week 🙂
Video from today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NESGqweSwI
The PowerPoint is attached below to help you with the homework.
Homework
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Dear Beth,
Here is my homework for this week. I hope you enjoy it and have a wonderful week!
Kind Regards,
Claire
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sorry my link is working on my laptop
here’s my work
The wind howled through the trees, carrying with it the scent of salt and the promise of the unknown. I stood at the edge of the cliff, staring out over the churning sea below. The horizon seemed to stretch endlessly, a vast expanse of water and sky, and with every breath I took, my heartbeat faster, matching the rhythm of the waves crashing against the rocks.
The map had been handed to me in secret, its edges worn and fragile from age. It spoke of a place no one had dared to visit for centuries, a hidden island that held a treasure lost to time. Most dismissed it as myth, a sailor’s tale spun to entertain the weary. But I knew better. There was something real about it, something my grandfather had whispered about in his final days before he died.
The faint sound of footsteps behind me made me turn. A shadowy figure emerged from the mist, a tall man with a scar running down his cheek. He’d been trailing me for days, and though his intentions were unclear, one thing was certain: he had come for the map.
“You’re not the only one looking for it,” he said, his voice low and gravelly. “And you’re not the only one who believes in its power.”
I narrowed my eyes, my fingers instinctively brushing the map in my pocket. I had no choice but to start running. The guy immediately started sprinting.
“Just give me the map and ill be on my way!” he shouted now six feet away.
I turned a sharp left to a small cave. I climbed in. The guy was looking for me somewhere out there for however long it takes. -
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Hi Beth this is my homework for lesson 1.
In a dark forest, came out a girl with beautiful ocean blue hair and glowy eyes that are torches to guide her. She walks with soaked boots on while the stormy rain continues. Her body trembles each time a lightning bolt makes a sound. She grips her little hands that are numb and red. She quickly found a boat nearby to steer when the flood starts, the tall trees starts to fall and the little girl didn’t know what to do…
This was inspired by Zoe’s escape from “Floodland”.
Have a nice weekend.
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Hi Beth this is my homework for lesson 1.
In a dark forest, came out a girl with beautiful ocean blue hair and glowy eyes that are torches to guide her. She walks with soaked boots on while the stormy rain continues. Her body trembles each time a lightning bolt makes a sound. She grips her little hands that are numb and red. She quickly found a boat nearby to steer when the flood starts, the tall trees starts to fall and the little girl didn’t know what to do…
This was inspired by Zoe’s escape from “Floodland”.
Have the best weekend!
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Summary for Lesson 2
In today’s lesson we finished our work on narrative and adventure, thinking about how setting and tension play a huge role in making a story tense and exciting. We began by refreshing our ideas on how a narrative works learning about structures such as the Hero’s Journey, before moving on to our adventure masterclass. The students considered the importance of a dangerous or suspenseful setting and came up with fantastic examples of their own. We then focused on tension and how to build it, using six key tips, before finishing up by describing our settings and sharing ideas for ‘calls to adventure’ which can act as the inciting incident for a story. Amazing work everyone, very creative ideas throughout our class and brilliant sharing from each and every one of you. Keep it up and see you next week 🙂
Homework
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Tension video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS_-UeTzZ-Y&t=1s
Narrative video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajTwQOFJzJQ&t=60s
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Summary for Lesson 3
In today’s class we thought about character and dialogue, discussing why these are such important elements. The class brainstormed and debated their personal approach to character, coming up with some amazing ideas for the way in which they create characters that their readers care about, and they shared their ideas in break-out rooms beautifully. We looked at an eight step process for creating character, digging into elements such as backstory and using archetypes, and the students came up with some of their own ideas. Finally we looked at dialogue and its importance. Well done everyone, fantastic work today. Keep it up and see you next week 🙂
Creating character: https://milanote.com/guide/characters
Dialogue vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLdZsmxxqMw
Homework
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Dear Beth,
Here is my homework for this week. Have a brilliant week and see you next lesson!
Kind Regards,
Claire
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Hello Beth,
I don’t think you saw the whole story.
If you cannot see the document this is it:
Usually Furina was not scared of the dark, usually the dark was not forty foot tall. It didn’t have milky black wings, and most certainly didn’t have a chariot pulled by two horse who look like they were stepping on smoke.
Nyx was too much to take in. Her dress was a void of black, her face was hard to see except for the pinpoint of her eyes. Her horses nickered.
‘Down both of you,’Nyx hissed to her horses, “These little prizes, I will kill myself.’
Furina didn’t feel confident but her instincts all screamed talk. After all, two demigods couldn’t take Nyx down. At least not two demigods using force.
‘Oh, please don’t kill yourself! ’ She cried. ‘We’re not that scary are we?’ Furina nudged Lisa, forcing her to agree.
‘Ha ha, yes that would be sad, killing yourself.’
‘Do you know who I am?’ Nyx demanded.
‘Well, your Night, I guess, as your so dark. But we thought we weren’t going to meet you as the travel guide hadn’t included you. Let see, where have we been? The river Phlegethon, the Cocytus, even the random Titans and giants here and there; but Nyx… you weren’t featured.’
‘Not featured?’
‘Yeah,’ Lisa added, warming up to the idea. ‘We came down for the Tartarus tour. I mean mount Olympus is so overrated.’
‘Gods totally,’ Furina agreed. ‘However, nobody said we would run into Nyx. I guess they thought your not important.’
‘Not important’
‘But we could change that,’Lisa added. ‘How about a photo with you and your children. We would then personally add it to the travel guide.’
Suddenly, a dozen demons and minor gods spawned in front of Nyx. Furina wanted to run, but that would only kill her. Her insides screamed in fear.
‘Sorry, but you guys are so…dark. Even if I used a flash it wouldn’t come out,’ Furina complained.
‘Yeah,’ Lisa managed, ‘You guys are not photogenic.’
‘You miserable tourists!’ Nyx hissed. ‘How dare you not tremble before me, not beg for my autograph.’
‘Its getting late, Furina lets go have lunch in one of the restaurants the tour guide recommend,’ Lisa insisted.
‘But first, I think we should get Nyx to have a photo with her darkest child, as having all her children won’t come out. So who do you choose?’
‘I am the darkest’ Eric hissed, spraying darkness everywhere.
‘I am darker still’
‘No, behold my darkness’
‘Wait!’ Nyx called, suddenly panicked ‘I cannot see anything.’
‘Yes!’ Shouted shouted one of her children, ‘It was me.’
‘No it was me’
‘Fool, I did it,’
Lisa squeezed Furina’s hand, ‘ Ready?’
“Someone, give me some light!’ Cried Nyx. ‘Gah, I cannot believe I just said that!’
‘Jump,’ Furina called. Together they jumped, reaching for the doorway far, far below.
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Summary for Lesson 4
In today’s class we continued our work on characterisation, thinking about some key tips to get inside our characters’ minds. We spoke about psychology and what it can help us think about as writers and we focused on the importance of motivation. The class completed a writing exercise taking their characters to dinner and then did some hot-seating in small groups, embodying their characters and being interview by their partner in order to more fully understand who they were. We thought about how asking yourself where your character goes from here is important and the class worked beautifully together to get a sense of how strong characters can push the plot forward. Amazing work everyone, very well done and see you next week 🙂
Homework
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Dear Beth,
Here is my homework for this week. Have a brilliant day and I’ll see you next lesson!
Kind Regards,
Claire
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Summary for Lesson 5
In today’s class we completed some work on rhetorical devices, persuasion and rhetoric. We began by learning about the Ancient Greeks and how they used rhetoric, thinking about ethos, pathos and logos. We then thought about techniques such as the tone of the powerful and sounding as confident as possible in our language, before looking at a speech by Nelson Mandela where he used lots of really powerful techniques such as rule of three, similes and alliteration to emphasise his ideas passionately. The class shared ideas on this speech, completed some amazing research on rhetoric and finally read a poem that inspired Mandela out loud. Very well done everyone, I look forward to reading all your amazing pieces! Great job 🙂
Homework
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Hi Beth,
Thanks for the wonderful lesson,
My homework is attached below.
Bruce
P.S I did some research.
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Dear Beth,
Here is my homework for this week. Thank you for the fantastic lesson; I enjoyed reading about Nelson Mandela a lot! I hope that you enjoy reading my homework and have a brilliant day! See you next lesson!
Kind Regards,
Claire
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Hi Beth
here’s my homework for this week
Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests, and friends,
Today, I want to talk about a shift we all need to make in how we approach the world around us. A shift from merely skimming the surface to engaging with depth, from rushing through life to taking the time to truly absorb and reflect. In a world constantly pulling us in a thousand directions, the ability to stop, reflect, and engage thoughtfully is becoming more essential than ever.
We are living in an age of instant gratification. With the swipe of a finger, we can access information, communicate with anyone across the globe, and consume an endless stream of media. We are constantly ostracising ourselves from the world. But in this rapid exchange, something critical is slipping through our fingers: the opportunity to truly engage and do many things that people can’t do. We are skimming through books, conversations, ideas, and relationships. But let me ask you this: Are we really understanding anything in the process?Are we making connections? Are we letting the deeper meaning settle into our minds?
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Hello Beth,
Here is my homework. Thank you for the wonderfully lesson, I really like looking at the poem, it was very beautifully written!
Hope you have a great week,
Jasmine
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Summary for Lesson 6
In today’s class we continued our persuasive writing work, thinking about how to build arguments. We learned about what a contention is and thought about structuring a persuasive essay, discussing how to use the intro as a roadmap and how to finish on a call to action. We then spoke about how to keep our thinking and argument original before the class responded to some persuasive prompts and then had mini debates in break out rooms. The students came up with some wonderful ideas, shared lots of questions with one another, and built on their thinking. We concluded with some work on counterarguments and why they are important. Amazing work everyone, very well done and see you next week 🙂
Homework
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Homework video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMC1i5foRzM
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My link isn’t working on my iPad so here’s my homework
While some may argue that products are being developed too quickly, it’s crucial to recognise that this rapid innovation is a reflection of technological progress that benefits society in
There is a growing need for tools that are more efficient, faster-to-use, and have better capabilities. More and more people use their devices for various purposes, including communication or entertainment at home and work. Therefore, tech businesses are meeting consumer demands by designing quicker devices capable of handling many activities, thus guaranteeing users a seamless and pleasant user interface. Ultimately, faster and more efficient tools enable people to engage more effectively.
Prolonged market competition is behind the fast launch of fresh products. Constantly trying to offer innovative features, quicker processing speed, and more advanced designs to keep or expand market share, companies This competitive pressure helps to create new ideas at a great pace, therefore. Consumers finally profit from superior goods, more choices, and improved characteristics as businesses compete to beat one another.
Rapid advancements in technology drives major business expansion. It drives research and development investments (R&D), spurs technological innovations, and creates several sectors’ new employment possibilities. The fast advancement of technology has a ripple effect on sectors from software development to hardware production to marketing and logistics that drives economic activity and employment.
Faster devices let advancements across many fields including communication, education, and healthcare. Faster processing power, for instance, lets appliances run more advanced simulations, increase virtual reality quality, and even help real-time medical diagnostics. These developments directly affect society by physically improving standard of living in measurable ways. The fast rate of technological development guarantees we keep creating means to handle some of the most urgent issues globally, including access to good healthcare, educational resources, and effective communication.
The quick rise of gadgets is not a fluke but a natural course of events caused by improvements in materials, manufacturing techniques, and computational power. The demand for quicker, more efficient products will of course rise as technology keeps developing. Steading up this progress would limit the potential for technical advancements and hinder society from gaining advantages from innovations that could potentially tackle major global challenges such as energy efficiency, public health issues, and climate change.
Energy efficiency is positively influenced by faster devices. More modern gadgets generally run faster on less power. Lowering the rate of innovation could lead people to depend on obsolete, less energy-efficient technology for a long time to come, therefore aggravating environmental problems. The pursuit of swift innovation propels the creation of products that are both more powerful and energy-efficient, thereby contributing to a more sustainable and eco-friendly future.
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Summary for Lesson 7
In today’s class we looked at descriptive writing, focusing on how to utilise emotion and perspective in our description. We opened with a discussion on how to create interesting descriptive passages, looking at an example where narrative and description collided and discussing how it played upon the senses to paint an image in the reader’s mind. We then learned about the role of perspective in description, thinking about how digging into empathy and emotion can connect our word choice to our wider themes. The class wrote some amazing pieces keeping this in mind and discussed them in pairs, explaining the imagery and emotions they were aiming for. Incredible work everyone, very well done for all your brilliant thoughts and see you next week 🙂
Homework
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Hi Beth
Here’s my homework for this week
A crumbling asylum, which stood on the cliff topso many years ago. The building is a crumbling gothic edifice, the stone walls cracked and worn by the passing of time. The windows are covered in darkness and pieces of glass, some gaps gaping with empty space behind. There is the overwhelming stench of rust and mildew hanging thick in the air, and a cold chill is left on damp stone. A rusty, deformed iron gate at the gate groans with every burst of wind, protesting the interloper.
The abandoned grounds are heavy with brambles, their thorny stems crawling over the broken pathways leading up to the central building. In the distance, the sound of waves crashing against shattered rocks beneath carries eerily, contributing to the desolate atmosphere. The sky itself is perpetually grey and featureless, casting an unnatural grey light over all, and making the atmosphere even more stifling.
Inside, the halls are quiet save for the groaning of the boards and the faint echo of some. or someone, moving through the blackness. Fading, yellowed wallpaper sticks to the walls, where twisted, ghostly shapes seem to leap from the corners of the rooms, as if the building itself is alive, and waits. The empty patient rooms are filled with broken furniture, rusty hospital equipment, and torn sheets—remnants of forsaken lives. Every corner is weighed down with untold stories, whispers of suffering that seem to reverberate through the emptiness.
There is no escape from the sense of fear that lingers in the air, like a choking presence that never leaves. It’s a place forgotten by time, but never left behind.
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Hi Beth,
Thanks for the fantastic lesson; I really like descriptive writing. Here is my Homework.
Thanks
Jasmine
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Dear Beth,
Here is my homework for this week. I hope you enjoy it and have a nice day!
Kind Regards,
Claire
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Summary for Lesson 8
In today’s class we continued work on descriptive writing, learning some masterclass tips and playing around with ideas such as context, the narrator’s focus and unique details. We looked at examples from a masterclass guide on how to keep descriptive writing fresh and then worked together on thinking about how the reader finishes in their imagination what the writer begins in theirs. We looked at different ways of thinking through setting choices, read and analysed famous author’s passages of description, and finally played a writing game based on Google street view and description. Very good work today everyone, it was super enlightening to hear all your brilliant work. Well done and see you next week 🙂
Homework
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Dear Beth,
Here is my homework for this week. Have a brilliant day and I’ll see you next week!
Kind Regards,
Claire
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Hello Beth,
I really like the idea of having to chose a random place on google maps and having to describe it! So creative.
I hope we get a similar activity in the future. Hope you like my HW
Thanks,
Jasmine
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Summary for Lesson 9
In today’s class we had a writer’s workshop, working together on workshopping and revising our past two months of work. We spoke about our favourite genres and the lessons we have learned about writing, thinking about practicing the four styles of writing we’ve studied, and the class did some excellent writing jumping between genres. They then planned some really fab stories in groups and we finished by looking at some final tips. Amazing work everyone, good luck with revising for next week’s mock and very excellent work today! See you next week 🙂
Homework
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Hi Beth,
This is my homework from lesson 8,
sorry for the late homework!
An interesting street
This street is unbelievably creative and fashionable, and it is nothing like anything I’ve seen before! There are lots of cartoon drawings with perfectly clean tall buildings. out of everything, this is why I picked this street because it is very interesting since lots of cars are really fancy and it’s more like a super expensive street that only rich people go to. There’s also lots of famous shops like Chanel, Dior and Louis Vuitton. Every pupil there where’s in total around like 2,000 euros! I can’t afford to wear all that!!!
There were pink buildings, blue buildings, whatever colour you can imagine! I love that place and I really want to go visit.
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Hi Beth,
This is my writing from the mock exam!
have a nice time!
The unexpected adventure
One morning, Klara was getting ready for her flight, she was going to Italy! She has always wanted to go to Italy since she has heard such good things about going there. Additionally, she also has a friend there that she always wanted to meet, Paulina, they have been chatting online since they started work! That was three years ago!
Klara boarded the flight (which took like 3 hours in the queue) that was 2 hours to get to Italy.
She arrived! She was jumping with excitement. The second she got to the hotel and put her luggages in the room, she sprinted outside and went in the first interesting place.
Place 1: The Madonnina statue.
The Madonnina statue was absolutely amazing, the weather was also really suitable for eating an ice cream or having a walk around the forests next to the statue.
Place 2: Paulina’s house.
Klara was chatting to Paulina earlier and told her that she just got to Italy and maybe she could go to her house? And Paulina said yes, so Klara went to Paulina’s house and drank tea, they were just chatting (because that’s what adults do) and enjoying their time.
Klara loved this visit and would like to be here again in the future, sadly she has to go to work so she can’t stay.😢
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