Robert Smyth Academy English Homework Name You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. Christopher Columbus What have you been reading recently? Fill in the details here and impress your English teacher. Each week you are expected to complete three tasks: reading, writing and spelling. The reading should be discussed at home. Be ready to share your writing in class. The spellings have the added benefit of expanding your vocabulary. Autumn Term 2012 : One
1 writing Due week beginning 10.09 Similes One way of making your writing more descriptive and engaging is to use a simile. Here are some examples: as sour as vinegar as straight as an arrow they fought like cats and dogs as steady as a rock as wise as an owl my love is like a red, red rose As you can see, the words like and as are important: you re comparing one thing to another in order to describe. Now write about yourself using as many similes as you can. 2 spelling character metaphor plot theme literature setting summary symbolism irony analysis
3 reading The moon s reluctant hero Neil Armstrong, moon landings astronaut In 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon and arguably the most famous man in the universe. Asked how he felt that day, he replied "very, very small". Neil Alden Armstrong was born in Ohio on 5 Aug 1930. His father worked for the state government and the family were constantly on the move as he took up new positions. Armstrong took his first flight aged six with his father and formed a passion for aeronautics that would last all his life. His hero was Charles Lindbergh, and by the age of 16 he could fly before he could drive. Armstrong served as one of an elite group selected to pit technology against nature's limitations. During an earlier Gemini 8 mission, Armstrong had managed to correct a spinning space capsule and save the lives of himself and his co-pilot. He was famously shy but his flying skills made him the natural commander of Apollo 11. By 1969, the team was ready. In a spacecraft which had control systems with less than a thousandth of the computing power of a modern laptop, Armstrong and his colleagues Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins made for the moon. People across the world bought television sets for the first time to witness their endeavour, and more than 500 million watched every moment of Apollo 11's arrival on the lunar surface on 20 July. After steering to avoid large rocks, Armstrong had only 20 seconds of fuel left when he finally landed the module safely between boulders. From inside the capsule, he reported back to an emotional Mission Control in Houston that "the Eagle has landed". And as he disembarked from his lunar nest, he uttered his carefully prepared phrase, that what he was making was "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind". He meant to say "a man" but, in the circumstances, most people forgave the fluff. Instead, they watched awe-struck as, with Aldrin at his side, Armstrong planted an American flag on the Sea of Tranquility and even played a little golf. No one has walked on the moon since 1972 and, for many people today, the idea of landing there again has been overtaken by the prospect of missions to Mars and beyond. But, the millions around the world who sat glued to their television sets in July 1969 saw their most fantastic dreams made real. For them, the shy man from Ohio opened a fresh frontier and there will be no forgetting Neil Armstrong and his awe-inspiring achievement.
1 writing Due week beginning 17.09 Introducing a character The porter rang a bell, and a young boy appeared, like a sudden solidification of all the grime in the city air. His jacket was torn in three places, his collar had come adrift from the shirt, and his hair looked as if it had been used for an experiment with the powers of electricity. The Ruby in the Smoke (Philip Pullman) Write your own passage in which you describe a character. Use the above to inspire you. You can base your description on a real person or you can invent a new character. 2 Shakespeare style reference meaning narrator poetry poem creative opinion journalism spelling
3 reading Some of the things you should know about the Paralympic Games Although there are sports that only disabled people play, you'll recognise most of the events at the Paralympics. Swimming, cycling and athletics will happen in a similar way to their Olympic equivalents, albeit split into many different classifications, and with added prosthetics, wheelchairs and human guides. Spectators at sports like wheelchair rugby, sitting volleyball and blind football, who are familiar with their able-bodied equivalents, will quickly realise that the Paralympic versions bear little resemblance to the sports they know and love. The ball used in blind football is less bouncy than a regular one and contains ball bearings to make it audible. It is played on a hard surface by two teams of five players. The area of play is smaller than in regular football and is surrounded by boards. The boards not only stop the ball from going out, but also reflect sounds from the ball and from footsteps, which helps players to orientate themselves on the pitch. Outfield players, blind or partially sighted, wear eye covers to level the playing field. The goalkeeper is fully sighted but is not allowed to leave his area. A "guide", also sighted, directs players from behind the goal. In the absence of visual communication between players, they use specific terms. Shouts of "voy" - the Spanish word literally meaning "I go" but idiomatically "I'm here" - act as a warning that one player is about to tackle another. Teams rely heavily on numerous audible clues, so spectators must stay silent during play.
1 Look! writing Due week beginning 24.09 The photograph above was taken during a manned mission to the moon. Imagine you have taken this photograph and write at least 100 words explaining your feelings and what you have been doing. 2 angry embarrassment prudence wariness energetic thoughtful miserly joyful subtle intelligent spelling
3 reading Forty years since the first picture of earth from space Earthrise, December 1968 the first picture of our world taken from space was published 40 years ago and still retains its haunting power They went to the Moon, but ended up discovering the Earth. The crew of Apollo 8 were the first people to leave Earth's orbit and pass behind the far side of the Moon. They had been drilled and trained for just about every eventuality, save one the awe-inspiring sight of seeing our own planet hanging over an empty lunar horizon. It later became known as "Earthrise" and the image of the world rising in the dark vastness of space over a sun-lit lunar landscape became an iconic reminder of our lonely planet's isolation. The image was captured during Christmas Eve 1968. It was an image that would eventually launch a thousand environmental movements, such was its impact on the public. The three-man crew of Apollo 8 Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders were carrying out the necessary groundwork for the later manned landing on the Moon and were the first people to orbit the Moon, flying around the far side which is not visible from Earth. They were also in effect the first people to lose complete contact with their own planet, not being able to see or radio Earth for the duration of their journey behind the Moon. It was only when they completed the orbit that they could regain contact. Ironically, for the first three orbits, the crew had their backs to the Earth as it reappeared over the lunar horizon and did not see the view that would change their lives. It was only on the fourth orbit that one of the men turned round and saw the spectacle for the first time. "Oh my God! Look at that picture over there! Isn't that something?" he said, his words captured on the on-board tape recorder. They quickly scrambled for a camera the first couple of images of "Earthrise" were in black and white, subsequent photos were taken in colour. And so it took catching sight of our own place in space to realise that the Earth is the only home we have, and we had better look after it.
Recommended reading David ALMOND Fire-eaters A novel dappled with light and dark, filled with wonder and mystery. Terence BLACKER Boy 2 Girl BOY2GIRL is one of the funniest comic novels you will ever read. Malorie BLACKMAN Noughts and Crosses Deeply disturbing and totally absorbing inter-racial fiction. John BOYNE Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Tragic World War 2 drama about the friendship of two boys. Meg CABOT Airhead Role reversal comedy. Anne CASSIDY Looking for JJ Explores motives behind the murder of a child - by her friend. Sarah DESSEN Just Listen An emotional teen romance novel about the power of friendship and music. Cornelia FUNKE Inkheart Magically reading characters out of books is a wonderfully inventive idea for a fantasy novel. Alan GARNER The Owl Service An all-time classic, combining mystery, adventure, history and a complex set of human relationships. Mark HADDON Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time Funny and tragic, an autistic boy s investigation of why next door s dog has been stabbed by a garden fork. Carl HIAASEN Hoot This novel perfectly captures the frustrations of being picked on, and unaccepted as a child. Susan HILL The Woman in Black An excellent ghost story... magnificently eerie... compulsive reading. Ursula Le GUIN Left Hand of Darkness This science fiction novel is a love story, polar adventure yarn and meditation on gender. Catherine MacPHAIS Roxy s Baby A teen-mum runs away and ends up staying with a couple who have dark plans for the baby... Michael MORPURGO Private Peaceful This journey from agricultural labourer to cannon fodder in WW1 is movingly told. Patrick NESS The Knife of Never Letting Go Furiously paced fantasy with terrifying, exhilarating and heartbreaking moments. Linda NEWBERY Nevermore A good, old fashioned mystery that keeps you guessing until the end...the plot is eerily thrilling. Mal PEET Keeper The story of a world cup hero. The book tingles with mystery and suspense. Philip PULLMAN Northern Lights A phenomenally popular fantasy novel about a young girls perilous quest. Bali RAI Angel Collector A dark, edge-of-your-seat thriller that will keep you guessing until the last page! Celia REES Witch Child Her grandmother is executed for witchcraft, and Mary is forced to leave her home to avoid the same fate. Meg ROSOFF How I Live Now Set in a modern day England that has been occupied by an invading army. Dodie SMITH I Capture the Castle A poignant, warm novel about an impoverished 1930's family living in a crumbling old castle. Jenny VALENTINE Finding Violet Park Both witty and with moments of genuine sweetness Excellent. Robert WESTALL The Watch House A great ghost story. One of the best ever. John WYNDHAM Day of the Triffids The triffids - huge, venomous, large-rooted plants able to 'walk', feeding on human flesh - have their day. Gabrielle ZEVIN Elsewhere This book creates an exquisite, clever and wonderfully inspiring picture of the afterlife.