@rachelm
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Lesson 30 Report
Great work this week! Thank you for all of your hard work and energy – and congratulations to Joy for scoring a double win on this week’s Vocab Bingo. The students engaged well with the extract. Although we didn’t have much time this week to discuss the extract, I hope the students will be inspired to read the book, as well as some of the others that we’ve studied over the course of these lessons.
Vocabulary
– Define each word, put it into one of four categories (noun, adjective, verb or adverb) and, where applicable, note down a synonym or antonym.
1. Devise
2. Scope
3. Annals
4. Melodrama
5. Vast
6. Republican
7. Contemporary
8. Barricade
9. Deteriorate
10. Constitutional
11. Bourgeois
12. Preside
13. Propertied
14. Enrich
15. Capitalism
16. Rival
17. Obscurity
18. Penury
19. Vice
20. Intrigue
21. Connive
22. Fidelity
23. Plagiarism
24. Memoir
25. Machination
26. Magnanimous
27. Mythic
28. Trait
29. Instinctive
30. Drone
Homework
– Revise the vocabulary we have learned today.
– Now we’ve read the introduction to the Three Musketeers, have a go at writing the opening. How do you think this story would start?
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Lesson 29 Report
Fantastic work from everyone this Sunday! Well done Joy for winning Vocab Bingo! Again, I’m very happy with the progress everyone is making and the excellent engagement with the extract this week. Keep up the lovely work!
Vocabulary
– Define each word, put it into one of four categories (noun, adjective, verb or adverb) and, where applicable, note down a synonym or antonym.
1. Immense
2. Profusion
3. Crevice
4. Dahlia
5. Confounded
6. Ramshackle
7. Venture
8. Musing
9. Ally
10. Endure
11. Perish
12. Steadfast
13. Persistent
14. Blanche
15. Desisting
16. Lament
17. Indefatigable
18. Aloft
19. Kindle
20. Gleam
21. Mellow
22. Penitence
23. Alas
24. Respite
25. Helter Skelter
26. Semblance
27. Promptitude
28. Dwindle
29. Bellow
Homework
– Revise the vocabulary we have learned today.
– You are wondering through a derelict house, thinking about its past inhabitants. Describe what you can see using ten of the words from the vocab list above.
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Lesson 28
Excellent lesson today! Congratulations to Candice for winning this week’s vocab bingo, particularly when the words were so tricky this week. Thank you for everyone’s stories today as well! Today we looked at an extract from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter, and discussed a little bit of the context of the novel as well as its modern day implications.
Vocabulary
– Define each word, put it into one of four categories (noun, adjective, verb or adverb) and, where applicable, note down a synonym or antonym.
1. Throng
2. Garments
3. Edifice
4. Colony
5. Utopia
6. Invariable
7. Allot
8. Vicinity
9. Seasonable
10. Nucleus
11. Congregate
12. Sepulchre
13. Ponderous
14. Pertain
15. Unsightly
16. Congenial
17. Condemn
18. Token
19. Narrative
20. Inauspicious
21. Frailty
22. Century
23. Petrify
24. Physiognomy
25. Augur
26. Betoken
27. Culprit
28. Tribunal
29. Verdict
30. Inference
31. Indubitable
32. Scourge
33. Vagrant
34. Solemn
35. Demeanour
36. Meagre
37. Transgress
38. Penalty
Homework
– Revise the vocabulary we have learned today.
– You are a judge, and it is your responsibility to decide whether or not the people brought before you are guilty. Write a report on a particularly difficult case that you have seen that day.
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Lesson 27 Report
Great work on Sunday! We worked through quite a tricky extract this week, but the students engaged with the text and its themes and vocabulary very well. I continue to be confident that all of the students are picking up the vocabulary very quickly, which is a great sign! Keep up the good work!
Vocabulary
– Define each word, put it into one of four categories (noun, adjective, verb or adverb) and, where applicable, note down a synonym or antonym.
1. Garret
2. Oblige
3. Invariable
4. Scowl
5. Abject
6. Contrary
7. Verging
8. Hypochondria
9. Trivial
10. Pestering
11. Prevaricate
12. Axiom
13. Bustle
14. Scaffolding
15. Overwrought
16. Profound
17. Refined
18. Accustomed
19. Shabbiness
20. Proximity
21. Preponderance
22. Accumulate
23. Fastidious
24. Former
25. Clutch
26. Bespatter
27. Unseemly
28. Akin
Homework
– Revise the vocabulary we have learned today.
– Write a letter from the protagonist to a friend explaining the situation that he’s in and asking for help. Use ten of the words from the vocab list in your response.
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Lesson 26 Report
Fantastic work today! Congrats to Candice for winning Vocab Bingo in what must have been record time, and well done to Luis for coming a close second! Today we looked at an extract from Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. This was a particularly tricky extract, both in terms of vocab and general readability, but the students engaged with it really well. I’m very happy with the progress the students are making with the vocabulary. Everyone is able to define and use the majority of the vocabulary with confidence. Keep up the good work!
Vocabulary
– Define each word, put it into one of four categories (noun, adjective, verb or adverb) and, where applicable, note down a synonym or antonym.
1. Estate
2. Palliate
3. Infamy
4. Atrocity
5. Distinguished
6. Confidential
7. Soiree
8. Livery
9. Indiscriminate
10. Invalid (n)
11. Disconcerted
12. Reception
13. Forefathers
14. Patronising
15. Intonation
16. Peculiar
17. Complacent
18. Indifference
19. Courtesy
20. Fete
21. Pall
22. Listless
23. Pose
24. Inclination
25. Affected
26. Consciousness
Homework
– Revise the vocabulary we have learned today.
– Write a response from the Prince to Anna Pavlovna’s invitation using ten words from the list above.
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Lesson 25 Report
Great work for today! Congratulations to Sissie for winning this week’s Vocab Bingo – a lot of tough words in there today as well. Thanks to Luis for suggesting this week’s extract from John Buchan’s Thirty Nine Steps. Everyone engaged well with the extract and the new vocabulary introduced today. The stories everyone created using the new vocab were unique and very entertaining to read – thank you to everyone who shared theirs!
Vocabulary
– Define each word, put it into one of four categories (noun, adjective, verb or adverb) and, where applicable, note down a synonym or antonym.
1. Loft
2. Nausea
3. Palsy
4. Lade
5. Dovecot
6. Moor
7. Chaff
8. Threshold
9. Cobbled
10. Merciful
11. Prospect (v)
12. Ascent
13. Giddy
14. Masonry
15. Parapet
16. Swoon
17. Fumes
18. Prospect (n)
19. Wisp
20. Rotund
21. Captor
22. Lisp
23. Ransack
24. Blistering
25. Glen
26. Fringed
27. Plateau
Homework
– Revise the vocabulary we have learned today.
– How did Richard Hannay get into this situation? Write a diary entry exploring how Hannay ended up where he is in this extract. Use ten words from the vocab list in your writing.
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Fantastic work, Joy! This is an excellent piece of writing, and you’ve used all of the vocab beautifully. This is a very sophisticated piece of work, and I’m very impressed with how you’ve handled some very difficult words here. You write very eloquently, clearly and concisely. Keep up the very good work!
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Really lovely work here, Joy. This is an excellent response. You have used all of the words from the vocab list perfectly here and with flare and imagination too. You have managed to capture the voice of the protagonist very accurately while also making it your own.
Just be careful with ‘hypochondrial’ which should be ‘hypochondria’ in this context, and it should be ‘on the verge of committing suicide’ not ‘to commit’. But otherwise, thorough and fantastic work! Keep it up!
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Excellent work, Linxi. This is a very tense and impressive story. Really great use of the vocab here, although one or two of the words don’t quite fit, such as ‘prospected’ – a synonym might work here instead? Great description of action here, I especially like the way you have used varied sentence structures to increase tension and impact. I also like how you’ve finished on a cliffhanger – makes me want to read on!
Just be careful with your grammar and punctuation. If you read back through you’ll notice that some of the commas should be full stops. Also the phrase is ‘the stakes were high’, as ‘stakes’ is always plural. Otherwise, really fantastic work!
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Beautiful work, Joy! I can tell how much care, attention, time and effort you’ve put into this piece. You’ve achieved the tone and register of a newspaper article perfectly, as well as the language of the time too. You’ve used all of the vocab perfectly as well, and well done for using many more than ten! This is a very concise and well-written piece of writing, and lovely to read! Well done!
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Really great work, Luis! Very effective tone here – you’ve managed to get a sense of the age of this really well. You’ve adapted your register perfectly for audience and purpose. You also use a nice range of vocab. This is a very convincing piece of writing!
However, next time you might try and include some of the words from the vocab list. Otherwise, great work!
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Really lovely work here, Linxi! I really enjoyed reading this, in particular your use of voice and character. You’ve created a very vivid voice for Emma here, I get a great sense of the kind of person she is. I can tell you’ve really put some thought into it – I especially like the moments when she’s a little bit rude to Miss Taylor, such as when she says ‘I am rich and you aren’t’ – this is very in character for Emma!
There are one or two misuses of words – such as ‘nominally’ and ‘right’ instead of ‘write’. I’m also not sure if Emma would call herself a valetudinarian? Maybe have a look back at the definition.
Otherwise, really fantastic work, Linxi. I really enjoyed reading this!
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Really lovely work, Joy! This is a very impressive piece of writing, and you’ve used all of the words from the vocab list with flare and confidence. I especially like the description of the future as ‘indistinct’ – I feel like this really captures her position perfectly. You also adopt the perfect tone of voice for the era that the book was written – great work!
Just be careful with the use of the word ‘through’ – I think what you’re looking for here is ‘threw’. Otherwise, fab work! Keep it up!
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Really lovely work, Joy! This is a very impressive piece of writing, and you’ve used all of the words from the vocab list with flare and confidence. I especially like the description of the future as ‘indistinct’ – I feel like this really captures her position perfectly. You also adopt the perfect tone of voice for the era that the book was written – great work!
Just be careful with the use of the word ‘through’ – I think what you’re looking for here is ‘threw’. Otherwise, fab work! Keep it up!
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Lesson 21
This is really quite beautiful, Luis! I genuinely felt moved while reading this. You describe the scene with great care, precision and detail, and you use the vocabulary in surprising but very effective ways. The detail of the ‘matrix of colour’ is particularly impactful. Fantastic work!
Lesson 22
Great work, Luis! You adopt the voice of Sissy very well here. Just be careful with the use of ‘underscore’ – just double check the meaning of that word. Otherwise, great use of voice and tone!
Lesson 23
Nice work, Luis. Nice tone and voice here, very similar to the way in which the author writes in the extract which is good! Just be careful with the use of the word ‘valetudinarian’ – just double check what it means. Otherwise, lovely work! And I’ll check out The Thirty Nine Steps for next week, thanks for the suggestion!
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