Module: 	Study, School Life and Work
Unit: 		Through Students’ Eyes
Task 2: 	The School Paper

Description
Learners are editors of the school newspaper. They have decided that the next issue will focus on the theme of school life. So far they have collected a poem and some student writings for inclusion in the paper.

In Part 1, learners read a poem about the characteristic features and interests of the various members of a class. They then work out an answer key for the questions regarding the poem.

In Part 2, learners read the various contributions they have received from their fellow-students. They identify their main ideas. Based on this information they write in groups about a memorable/interesting school experience not already found in the student contributions.

5 Fundamental Intertwining Ways of Learning and Using Knowledge
	Communicating 	(Learners read students’ writings on school life and write 					about their own interesting/memorable school experience.)
	Conceptualizing	(Learners organize their knowledge about interesting school 
experiences)
(Learners apply their knowledge of various forms of 		writing)
	Inquiring		(Learners find out and use knowledge of different forms of 					writing)
	Reasoning		(Learners decide on and explain their choice of topics that 					should be included in the school paper to fully cover the 					theme of school life)
	Problem-solving	(Learners select, plan and present in writing a memorable 					school experience)

Learning targets (KS4) (Only relevant parts of the Learning Targets in the syllabus are presented below.)

To develop an ever-improving capability to use English
�h	to converse and justify points of view about preferences, ideas, and experiences (IDb)
�h	to identify and discuss ideas in spoken and written texts, make connections, refine or generate ideas, express or apply them (KDc)
�h	to develop a response to a wider range of imaginative literature through activities such as identifying and interpreting themes (EDa)
�h	to respond to characters and themes in imaginative texts through written means such as making inferences and analyzing the characters (EDb)
�h	to give expression to one's experience through activities such as providing written descriptions of feelings and events, incorporating where appropriate reflections on their significance (EDd)

Learning objectives
 Text-types
     poem
     letter
     account of personal experience
     diary 

 Vocabulary
	Physical characteristics: freckles, blonde     
	Personality: jolly, patient
 	Interests/activities: Guides, Recorders, netball, penny whistle
	relationship: fit into

 Language Items and Communicative Functions (KS4)
e.g.		Use adjectives, adverbs, formulaic phrases, etc, to make comparisons and 
		descriptions of processes and situations
		The computer helps us study more effectively.
e.g.		Use adverb phrases and adverb clauses of reason, concession, result, etc, to justify one's behaviour and point of view in simple situations
I knew it was wrong of me to break school rules, so I was prepared for the worst.
	e.g. 	Use adjectives, adjective phrases, formulaic expressions etc to describe one’s feelings and responses to happenings and states of affairs in some detail
		He felt encouraged by his achievements.
e.g.		Use modals and common expressions to invite, make and refuse suggestions and proposals
		I suggest that we write an account of Sports Day.
e.g. 	Use conditionals, inversions, common expressions, etc., to express gratitude and regret
		We could not have made it without your help.

 Language Skills
	1. Listening 
	Listen for intended meaning, feelings and attitude (KS3)	
-	identify key ideas in a passage, discussion or conversation 	
	
	2. Speaking 
	Present information, ideas and feelings clearly and coherently(KS3)
-	convey ideas and information in conversations or discussions

	Participate effectively in an oral interaction (KS4)
-	make judgements and suggestions, support and develop each other's views, disagree and offer alternatives, reply, ask relevant questions, explain, give examples, and use formulaic expressions where appropriate

	3. Reading 
	Understand, interpret and analyze different written texts (KS4)
-	use linguistic and contextual clues and general knowledge to determine meaning of the written text
-	follow and evaluate the development of a point of view or argument	

4. Writing 
	Present information, ideas and feelings clearly and coherently (KS4)
-	evaluate and make use of given information to complete specific tasks 
-	describe, express or explain ideas, feelings and experiences
-	produce written texts appropriate to context, purpose and audience
-	plan and organize ideas, and use appropriate cohesive devices

Language Development Strategies 
-	Develop thinking skills (KS4)
�Y	use reasoning skills (analyze for a particular purpose, make inferences, induction, deduction, conclusion, etc.)

-	Develop reference skills (KS3)
�Y	use a dictionary to find out about pronunciation, usage and grammar

-	Work with others (KS4)
�Y	Employ negotiation skills to solicit support, reach agreement or solve problems

Attitudes
-	Keenness to participate in activities leading to improvement of knowledge and
 	skills in the language (KS1)
-	Enjoyment of reading (KS2)

Module: 	Study, School Life and Work
Unit: 		Through Students’ Eyes
Task 2: 	The School Paper, Part 1 

Part 1
At the editorial board meeting, the editors of your school newspaper have agreed that the next issue will focus on the theme of school life. They have chosen to include in the paper a poem which describes the characteristics of the members of a class and the members’ relations. Questions regarding the poem have been designed to add interest and to encourage greater reader involvement. 

You are a member of the team of editors who have been asked to provide an answer key. In groups read the poem carefully and work out the answers to the questions. Write all your answers in the answer key box.

The poem chosen for this task is Judith Nicholl’s “Classifying”. It is available in Collie, J. and Ladousse, G. P. (1991). Paths into Poetry. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 

1. Can you identify the qualities and interests of the students described in the poem by completing the tables below?
 A.
Name	Physical Appearance	
1. ________, Sammy, ________, “I”
	tall	
2. Jim, Sue, Tracey, Jenny, ________, ________, ________
	small	
3. Jenny, Sally , “I”	________ hair
	
4. Jim, Sue, Sammy, Tracey, “I”	have ________
	
5. Philip, Jim, ________, ________	wear glasses

B.
Name	Character	
1. Philip, Sammy , ________	cheerful

 C.
Name	Extra-curricular Activities	
1. Sue, Clare, ________, ________	Guides
	
2. Sue , Helen	________
	
3. Clare, “I”	________

2.	Complete the following list by identifying the persons who have qualities or interests not shared by the other classmates. 
_________	blonde hair	
_________	good for a quiet chat	
_________	netball	
_________	penny whistles	

3.	Which of the following best summarizes the main idea of the poem? 

A.	In school we have the chance to study with a lot of classmates. Most of them participate in extra-curricular activities.

B.	The classroom is a place where we can meet friends from different backgrounds. While we share some characteristics with our classmates, we are in some ways special and have our own individual qualities.

C.	We may differ from our classmates in physical appearance, but we all share the common interests of studying and participating in extra-curricular activities.

4.   Do you think “Classifying” is an appropriate title?  Give your reason(s).

Answer Key

Q#1

Table A
1. __________, __________
2. __________, __________, __________
3. __________
4. __________
5. __________, __________

Table B
1. __________

Table C
1. __________, __________
2. __________
3. __________ 

Q#2
__________
__________
__________
__________

Q#3
__________

Q#4
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________	

Module: 	Study, School Life and Work
Unit: 		Through Students’ Eyes
Task 2: 	The School Paper, Part 2

Part 2
The editors of your school paper aim to put together a collection of student writings on the various aspects of school life. In addition to the poem “Classifying”, they have collected some texts (see the following pages), each of which covers an interesting/memorable experience in school.

1.	Read the student writings to find out their main ideas. Decide which of the following topics have been covered by the texts. Write the letter of the text in the spaces provided.

_____ fun of playing tricks on the teacher
_____ support and encouragement from fellow classmates
_____ fun of organizing extra-curricular activities
_____ discovery of the fun and usefulness of a subject
_____ satisfaction of getting high marks in assignments and tests
_____ successful communication between teacher and students
_____ playing computer games in class
_____ luck of escaping punishment
_____ teacher as a source of fun in class

2.	Decide which of the following types of writing have been used. Write the letter of the text in the spaces provided.

_____ report
_____ story
_____ dialogue
_____ letter
_____ account of personal experience
_____ poem
_____ diary
_____ poster

3.	Based on the information you obtained in Questions 1 and 2, discuss in groups to decide on what other texts or topics should be included to cover the theme of school life more fully. Then in groups write about a memorable/interesting school experience not already found in the collection. The length should be about 100 words. (You might like to express your ideas in any written form, including the ones identified in Question 2.)

(A)

Dear F2C class members:

Though our Swimming Gala was over
more than two months ago, it remained
in our mind like it was yesterday.  We 
won the Junior Form relay race.  We had 
an exciting finish, as we beat the second 
team by just half a second.  We were not 
really great swimmers, but we did it.  One 
reason was that we practised hard.  The 
more important reason, however, was 
that you supported us.  When we heard 
your claps and cheers, we felt encouraged
and strong, and we actually swam faster.  
We could not have made it without your
support.  Thank you, 2C!

F2C Swimming Team 

                                          (C)
Tuesday January 23

I was scared stiff in the first period this morning when I was told to see “YOU KNOW WHO” during recess.  He is a big man with a strong voice, and is the most “respected” person in school next to the principal.  I thought he saw me talking during morning assembly.  I knew it was wrong of me to do what I am not supposed to do as a school prefect, so I was prepared for the worst.  Luckily the meeting turned out to be much better than I thought.  He only wanted me to find more student helpers for Open Day.  What a relief!

J.Lee 5B

(C)

Wednesday February 15

We won, we won!  We were allowed to work on the topic we came up with for our presentation, i.e. the role of young people in protecting the environment in Hong Kong.  Got our permission in a most unexpected way.  While we were discussing in class our assigned presentation topic, Mary remarked, “What’s the point of all this?  Isn’t the causes of environmental pollution obvious to us all?”  Susie echoed this feeling by saying “Well said!”  While we had a great time tearing the topic apart, we had little idea that Miss Tang was all this time standing behind us.  I thought she was going to scream at us.  Much to my surprise, though, she was friendly and patient.  She was willing to listen to us and agreed to let us work on our own topic.  Before today I always had the idea that teachers were difficult to talk to.  But I was glad to find I was wrong.

D. Ho   6A

            (B)                                  On Computing

It’s a great idea that Computer Studies is included as one of 
our subjects.  I used to be very afraid of the computer.  
Every time I hit the keyboard, I was afraid that if I made a
mistake, something seriously wrong would happen, like the 
computer would blow up.  I feel much more confident now, 
as a result of the computer classes at school.  Computer 
lessons are fun and useful.  To give you an example, last 
week I had a great time learning how we could correct our 
own writing on the computer, like moving paragraphs around, 
removing unnecessary words or phrases, using the spellchecker, 
etc.  The computer is not just for games; it actually helps us study
more effectively.

E. Leung   
4S