paratarafa maitai
Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.
– Robert Louis Stevenson
te ao Māori principles
There are five key principals that we as an English Department consider important as part of a holistic study at school. Please read through these and know that we will come back to them as we begin looking at texts.
- Kaitiakitanga: Guardianship of natural resources and elements of sustainability
- Rangatiratanga: Leadership, authority, Mana, empowerment, Respect
- Manaakitanga: The process of showing respect, generosity and care for others.
- Whanaungatanga: A relationship through shared experiences and working together which provides people with a sense of belonging.
- Tikanga: The customary system of values and practices that have developed over time and are deeply embedded in the social context.
Key Terms
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a statement that tells readers what the rest of the paragraph is about. |
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be or show evidence of. |
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a statement or account that makes something clear. |
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a way of carrying out a particular task, especially the execution or performance of an artistic work or a scientific procedure. |
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the process of separating something into its constituent elements. |
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a relationship between two things or situations, especially where one connects with the other. |
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a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing. |
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exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. |
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a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words (e.g. over the moon, see the light ). |
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a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. |
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a word, name, or expression used as a substitute for something else with which it is closely associated. (e.g. Washington for the US government) |
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the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something non-human, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form. |
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a short, well-known pithy saying, stating a general truth or piece of advice. |
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a question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer. |
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a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid |
Learning Objectives
- Develop structures for separating information into paragraphs.
- Identify and discuss parts of a paragraph – TEXAT.
- Recognise punctuation in writing.
- Use structures within writing to create meaning.
Exercises
Spelling
| eager | script | naval | satellite | yield | volunteer |
| preparation | friendship | tunnel | suggestion | abroad | strict |
| reputation | detective | attorney | journey | drama | rhythm |
| routine | spite | pure | basically | substitute | tale |
| complaint | involvement | acre | beauty | servant | relative |
Pangram
Remember, to become faster at writing, you should practise writing out the following phrase as many times as possible for 5 minutes.
- Two driven jocks help fax my big quiz.
Reading Warm Up
Read the following passage. Pay special attention to the underlined words. Then, read it again, and complete the activities. Use your English book for your written answers.
Today, Manhattan is the busy center of New York City, one of the least “natural” places in the world. It is covered with concrete, steel, and cement. Cars and trucks jam the streets. Skyscrapers fill the air. However, some centuries ago—just a few hundred years—Manhattan was completely different. Crossing the island didn’t mean getting into a taxi or taking the train. Instead, it meant hiking through the woods. The island was covered with trees, not buildings. Deer and foxes roamed through the forests.
Back in the early seventeenth century, the Dutch had just settled on the island. They had bought it for a ridiculous price, paying about $25 in goods to the Native Americans who lived there. They had just built a small city at Manhattan’s southern tip. The city grew and grew. Over time, it took over the whole island and beyond.
In today’s Manhattan, sitting on the stoop of a building is a lot easier than taking a walk in the woods. Still, there are a few places left where trees outnumber the buildings. One of them is Fort Tryon Park. You’ll find it on the island’s northern tip, overlooking a highway. In the park, you’ll find the Cloisters, a famous museum. You’ll find playgrounds filled with kids and benches near the entrance, where elderly people can relax and enjoy good weather. You will also find lots of green spaces filled with trees and birds. If you ignore the sounds of the highway below, you may be able to imagine how Manhattan used to be. The park is beautiful. Though some years ago it was filthy, the city has been hard at work. Employees of the parks department have been working to keep it clean and garbage-free.
Questions
- Write down the words that tell you what centuries means.
- What are the words that tell you where hiking is performed. Then tell what hiking means.
- Show the words that tell what the ridiculous price was. Then tell why that price might seem ridiculous.
- Write the words that tell what a stoop is part of. Then tell what stoop means.
- What are the words that tell what the park is overlooking. Then tell what your classroom window is overlooking.
- Jot down the words that tell what you can find by the entrance to the park. Then tell what entrance means.
- What are the words that tell what elderly people do in the park. Then give an antonym for elderly.
- Show the nearby words that mean the opposite of filthy. Then tell what filthy means.
Perfect Paragraphs
paratarafa maitai
Marcel Proust was a French writer and he put together a list of ‘character questions’ but not character as in writing necessarily, more character as in the type of person you are. It has been translated to a interview context in modern society so it functions as both good for your made up character, and good for preparing you for interview questions which are obviously not too far away!
Marcel Proust Character Questionnaire
These questions are frequently used in interviews so you may want to pretend you’re interviewing your characters.
- What do you consider your greatest achievement?
- What is your idea of perfect happiness?
- What is your current state of mind?
- What is your favorite occupation?
- What is your most treasured possession?
- What or who is the greatest love of your life?
- What is your favorite journey?
- What is your most marked characteristic?
- When and where were you the happiest?
- What is it that you most dislike?
- What is your greatest fear?
- What is your greatest extravagance?
- Which living person do you most despise?
- What is your greatest regret?
- Which talent would you most like to have?
- Where would you like to live?
- What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
- What is the quality you most like in a man?
- What is the quality you most like in a woman?
- What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
- What is the trait you most deplore in others?
- What do you most value in your friends?
- Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
- Whose are your heroes in real life?
- Which living person do you most admire?
- What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
- On what occasions do you lie?
- Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
- If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
- What are your favorite names?
- How would you like to die?
- If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
- What is your motto?
I am certainly not suggesting you need to answer every single one. But have a go at a few and pretend asking your character that. If you can answer (as them) then you are well on your way to creating a believable character,
Today’s task. Choose one of these questions and write a short paragraph as your created character. So here is an example as my made up character, Steve
- What is my favourite occupation?
I always wanted to be a cop like my dad. I would see him coming home after work and sit just outside the living room late into the night and listen to him and mum talk in hushed tones about his day. His day usually comprised of catching someone and ‘taking them down’ – that was his favourite phrase ‘take them down’. He wore each as a badge of honour. However, I could never get through Police College because of my leg, so I ended up going into the butchery trade. Then I got a job at Countdown, which was Foodtown in those days, and worked my way through university until I got my entry into medical school when I was 24. But I never stopped wanting to be a cop. Something about ‘taking a crim down’ that still gets my blood pumping. Another life maybe.
Choose a question and have a go at answering these yourself.
Now we come to it. Over the past few weeks we have learned how to use the building blocks of writing – the words – together into sequences – the sentences – and now it is time to put those together to make the next iteration of the writing process, the paragraph.
Paragraphs are important for organising text into sections. In a written texts paragraphs are used to deal with one aspect of the subject.
In a narrative text, a new paragraph is used to indicate a new incident in the story. In a poetic text (a poem or song), paragraphs, which are called stanzas or verses indicate a division between ideas or images.
Another useful way to determine when to start a new paragraph is to note that a new paragraph is necessary when there is a change of focus on a:
Person: This could be a character in a story or an important figure in a history, for example. This could also refer to a change in speaker when writing dialogue. When there is a significant shift in focus from one person to another in a piece of writing, it’s time to indent or skip a line!
Place: As with a changing focus on a person, a shift from one location to another is most often best noted with a corresponding change in paragraphing. Instruct students that a move to a new paragraph in their writing is symbolic of the physical change of place – this will help them remember to start a new paragraph.
Time: Important shifts in time most often require a new paragraph too. These changes in time may be a mere matter of minutes or a significant movement through different historical periods. If the change in time opens up new material to the reader, students must mark this in their paragraphing.
Topic: Though usually united by the thesis statement or similar, a piece of writing will often explore clearly differentiated topics in its course. Usually, these topics will become apparent during the planning process. Each clearly identified topic will require at least one dedicated paragraph.
Sentence Order
Just as each paragraph should have a sequence or an order, so too should the sentences within the paragraph. Look at this paragraph on head lice:
Head lice are tiny parasites. They are usually less than 3mm in length and are greyish-white in colour. Head lice have six legs and live on humans, not pets. They position themselves close to the scalp where they bite and suck blood.
Compared with…
Head lice are tiny parasites. They position themselves close to the scalp. They are usually less than 3mm in length. They bite and suck blood. Head lice have six legs and live on humans. They are greyish-white in colour and do not live on pets
Both paragraphs contain the same information. The first has the information logically organised; the second is jumbled and more difficult to follow.
Exercises
Here is an older text on the introduction of Nintendo Game Boy – a 90s hand held gaming system. Rewrite the text and use paragraphs to split the ideas.
- Underline the topic sentences in your rewritten text on Nintendo.
- Select one of the subjects below and write a piece of text (one page in length) on your subject. Really focus on the words and sentences that you use as part of your response. Make sure you are using:
- the appropriate text type.
- the correct scaffold for each text
Subject list
- the Olympic games are more trouble than they are worth
- a typical weekend
- how to make the best ever sandwich
Topic Statements
Every paragraph should include a topic sentence that identifies the main idea of the paragraph. A topic sentence also states the point the writer wishes to make about that subject. Generally, the topic sentence appears at the beginning of the paragraph. It is often the paragraph’s very first sentence. A paragraph’s topic sentence must be general enough to express the paragraph’s overall subject. But it should be specific enough that the reader can understand the paragraph’s main subject and point.
When choosing a topic sentence, remember these guidelines:
- The topic sentence should identify the main idea and point of the paragraph. To choose an appropriate topic sentence, read the paragraph and think about its main idea and point.
- The supporting details in the paragraph (the sentences other than the topic sentence) will develop or explain the topic sentence. Read all the supporting details in the paragraph and think about the ideas they discuss.
- The topic sentence should not be too general or too specific. When considering the options, look for a topic sentence that is general enough to show the paragraph’s main idea instead of just one of its details. The answer should be specific enough that the reader understands the main idea of the paragraph.
Exercises
Think about the process of writing a topic sentence for the following paragraph
During the 1990s, I really enjoyed watching Friends on television every Thursday night. I really wanted Rachel’s haircut—I think every girl wanted Rachel’s haircut back then! Rachel’s haircut went really well with the Guess Jeans that were so popular in the 1990s. I remember all the advertisements for Guess and Calvin Klein Jeans that were in each month’s Sassy magazine. I don’t think Sassy magazine exists anymore, but it was one of the most popular magazines for young women in the 1990s.
The process:
- This is about the TV show Friends. So you should have some reference to TV or the show itself.
- It is a memory that is being discussed so again, talk about a memory of the 1990s.
- Fashion and popular culture are also a big part of this discussion, so they could be included.
Consider the following topic statement
Thinking about the 1990s brings back a lot of memories for me about fashion and popular culture.
- Does this tick all the boxes of the process steps?
- Is it clear what this paragraph is going to be about?
The great thing about English is that there is never just one way to do something. We have a huge vocabulary – so use it!
Have a go at writing your own version of a topic statement for these paragraphs. You only need to write the topic statement, not the whole paragraph.
TOP TIPS FOR TIGHT PARAGRAPH WRITING
- Consistency is Key – Be consistent in your verb tenses and point of view. For example, shifts from the past tense to present tense without good reason can be as disorientating as time travel itself.
- Use Transition Words and Phrases – These words and phrases are a great way to link concepts and ideas within a paragraph, as well as helping to form a bridge to the next paragraph. Some useful transitional words and phrases include: although, in spite of, therefore, for this reason, as a result.
- Employ Parallel Structures: Using parallel structures brings flow to a piece of writing, making it easier to read and understand for the reader. Parallel structures involve using two or more phrases or sentences that use the same parts of speech and grammatical structures. Not only does this make the writing easier to read, it helps the reader make connections between ideas.
- Breathe Life into the Writing: We often forget that the origins of the written word lie in speech. We lose a lot of the colour and expression of the spoken word when we lay it out cold on the page. Fortunately, you can breathe life back into your words with a few simple techniques. Weave in stories, verbal illustrations, rich details, and facts and figures throughout their writing.
- Edit and Proofreading: Unlike speaking, with writing you get more than one bite at the cherry. Writing is a craft and like any craft some refining is required. Ensure you take the time to polish their final draft.
In some classes this term (and each term following) you will be reading through some texts together. This is part of a wider reading programme that you will be required to follow throughout the term.
Each chapter will have some questions on books that you may like to think about. If your class is not studying a text, you may like to look at these questions yourself.
- What type of text is it? (ie novel, short stories, poems etc)
- What is the name of the book?
- What image is on the cover?
- Based on the name and the image on the cover, what do you think the book is about?
- How does the blurb add to your knowledge?
- What is the genre of the story? (ie action, romance, adventure)
After reading the first chapter
- From whose perspective is the story told?
- Who do you think is the main character?
- What do you learn in the first chapter?
You may also like to try using Reading Circles of five people. Each person is given one of the following roles and you can work through the story together.
- “The Leader” – facilitates the discussion, preparing some general questions and ensuring that everyone is involved and engaged.
- “The Summariser” – gives an outline of the plot, highlighting the key moments in the book. More confident readers can touch upon its strengths and weaknesses.
- “The Word Master” – selects vocabulary that may be new, unusual, or used in an interesting way.
- “The Passage Person” – selects and presents a passage from that they feel is well written, challenging, or of particular interest to the development of the plot, character, or theme.
- “The Connector” – draws upon all of the above and makes links between the story and wider world. This can be absolutely anything; books, films, newspaper articles, a photograph, a memory, or even a personal experience, it’s up to you. All it should do is highlight any similarities or differences and explain how it has brought about any changes in your understanding and perception of the book.
An extract from The Fat Man by Maurice Gee
Colin Potter was a hungry boy. His mother said he had a hole in his stomach andone day she’d get a needle and thread and sew it up. ‘Ha, ha,’ he said. She never let a joke go until she had hammered it to death. And her sayings, most of them to do with food, nearly drove him mad. They were like the holey tea-towels she hung on the line to dry and should have been thrown out years ago. ‘Chew your food thirty-two times otherwise your stomach won’t digest it,’ she said. Or: ‘You should was each swallow down with Adam’s ale.’ Colin wanted cordial and fizz. He wanted cake and biscuits and fresh white bread and strawberry jam.
‘Hard food for hard times,’ she said, and gave him a crust with a smear of dripping on it. She sent him to the scullery for some Adam’s ale. ‘And use the same glass, don’t take a new one,’ she said. Fat chance, he thought. They only had four glasses – four old peanut-butter jars – and all of them were dirty already.
They were hard times. They were hungry times. Colin could remember when his father had a job and brought home two pounds ten a week and they had roasts for dinner, with gravy and baked kumara, and date roll for pudding, and a custard trifle for a treat. Now they had mince stew, and not enough of it, and curly kale, and a spoonful of mashed potato without any butter, and once a week a bread pudding to use up the crusts. Sometimes they had sago. Of all the puddings in the world, he hated sago most.
He was a skinny boy. As well as being hungry he was greedy, which got him into trouble so bad that he could have ended up in a hole down by the creek. He did end up with a broken arm, but that healed quickly. It took longer for other things to heal – but [-p.10] we must not get ahead of our story, which begins on the day his mother gave him bread and dripping and sent him outside
Taken from “https://backyardbooks.wordpress.com/2011/05/02/the-fat-man-maurice-gee/”
Ko te reo te tuakiri | Language is my identity.
Ko te reo tōku ahurei | Language is my uniqueness.
Ko te reo te ora. | Language is life.