Wordsmiths+2010

We are learning to use the language and features of information report writing.
 * WALT: Write in sentences that make sense.
 * WALT: Add detail.

Adding Detail... Why do people choose to live in New Zealand?
 * Not much crime
 * Low crime rate
 * Food and clean drinking water, food that is not contaminated.
 * No wars in NZ, we are friends with our neighbouring countries.
 * Not much pollution.
 * Family may live here.
 * Temperate weather.
 * Work.
 * Diseases or chance of catching diseases in their home country.

People may move to New Zealand for work opportunities. __Some people get transferred to New Zealand for their work. Others might apply for a job in New Zealand and get it. They will then move to New Zealand from their home country.__

What is a sentence? An idea with a verb and subject. Can't start with a conjunction. Starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop. A group of words that makes sense.

Think about how you become a refugee. What will our main ideas be? Lets add detail... media type="custom" key="7223599"
 * WALT: Identify the structure of an information report.
 * WALT: Identify and use a definition.
 * __ WALT: Add detail to our ideas. __

Take your copy of our brainstorm. Add your ideas about refugees from famine, war and disaster.

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What do we notice about the report "Humpbacks"?
 * 1) Facts
 * 2) Title
 * 3) Paragraphs about different information
 * 4) Head, body and foot
 * 5) Introduction, body, and conclusion
 * 6) Some paragraphs have headings.
 * 7) You can include pictures

Find a definition of "Refugee", rewrite it in your own words.

We are learning to use the language and features of persuasive writing.


 * WALT: Identify and use the head, body and foot of an argument.
 * WALT: Identify modal verbs.
 * WALT: Support our ideas with lots of detail.
 * WALT: Add detail to our ideas.
 * WALT: Write in sentences.

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Shorter lunch times are good for student's learning because you will have more learning time. This means you will get more teacher time. If you are struggling, teachers will have more time to spend with you and help you. Having more learning time will result in more time to practise new skills and understand them better. When students understand what they are learning they enjoy school more.

It would be good to have a shorter lunchtime because you will get more learning time.

School gives you skills for life such as...

You can go to polytech or university and get a good job.

Too much TV

What is our PK about Argument writing? You're not agreeing with someone. About something you want but don't have. You're trying to persuade the reader to agree. Write in paragraphs. You can use First, Secondly and Finally.

An argument is made up of a head (intro), body, and foot (conclusion).

What does the head need? Position. Your opinion, a statement that says what you think about the topic. Audience. You need to think about who you are writing for. Introduce main ideas.

What does the body need? Main ideas. Supporting ideas. (reasons)

What does the foot need? You can offer a solution to the problem. Concluding ideas. (An idea about each main point you have made.) Position.

Dear Miss Gilbert and Mr Carroll. We should not have an extra hour at school if we do not achieve. The teacher has better things to do. The students could have other activities and six hours is way too long for a children.

Modal Verbs include... Should, shouldn't  would, wouldn't  could, couldn't  must, mustn't  might, mightn't  will, won't will not

Modal verbs help us to express our mood.

WALT: Support our ideas with lots of detail.

We need to anticipate what Mr Carroll will be thinking as he reads our arguments. Then we need to write an idea that will make him change his mind.

__What Mr Carroll may think...__

__People will achieve in their work.__

You may think that children will achieve more in their learning, but they won't. They will struggle to learn during this time as they will be distracted. They will be thinking about what their friends are doing.

__They might be at the bottom of the class and need to catch up.__ It is not fair for students who are at the bottom of the class to do extra work after school to catch up.

__They could do the extra work at lunchtime.__

We are learning to use the language and features of narrative writing.

We have learned a lot about poetic writing. What do we do in poetic writing to make it interesting for the reader? Use onomatopoeia and other language features. Precise language. Include anecdotes. Add our thoughts and feelings. Use punctuation for effect. Organise our ideas into paragraphs. Be selective. Proof read and edit. Think about whether we would find our own writing interesting.

What does a narrative need? Problem Solution Setting: Time and place Characters Good beginning Plot Plan Can have a villain it must have a hero

What if it is a mystery? Character who detects... mystery clues crime scene action red herrings: fake clues. Clues that lead to the reader making wrong conclusions.

We are learning to use apostrophes appropriately. ' you are you're they are they're did not didn't does doesn't

I'm going to Esmey's house. I'm going to Jess's house. I'm going to Jess' house.

There were lots of dog's.

We are learning to add detail to our ideas to give good descriptions.

The kiwi who got stuck in Australia... The kiwi in the city...  The Kiwi in the Grand Canyon...  The kiwi that could swim...  The kiwi that tried to fly...

The kiwi that tried to fly...

One day a little kiwi got tired of walking, so he decided to try and fly like the other birds. Little Kiwis first attempt at flying was interesting. __He got flown up a tree by his friend Big Hawk and he fell out of the tree before he could start flying.__ He didn't have his wings and he fell in a stream. Then he tried climbing up the tree but a possum punched him out of the tree.

One day a little kiwi got tired of walking, so he decided to try and fly like the other birds. Little Kiwis first attempt at flying was interesting. Zoom, Big Hawk had Little Kiwi gripped in his claws, he soared high above the tree. __Little Kiwi slipped out of Big Hawks claws. Snap! Crash! Bang! Luckily he landed on a strong, tough branch near the tip of the old oak tree.__

We are learning to... Be selective to keep the reader interested.

What is a narrative? A made up story.

A narrative needs...
 * Characters
 * Setting, in place and time
 * Problem
 * Solution

I n Room 4 we have three writing groups. The wordsmiths are going to Las Vegas. They won a prize from Mr Carroll who was feeling really generous. The next day they packed their stuff and hopped on the plane. April, Jessica, Georgia, Thomas, Karlin, Callum, Mike, Bailey and Miss G The Room 4 wordsmiths were really happy to be in 1st class.

In 1st class there were little televisions. Mike couldn't stop repeating what the characters were saying on his personal tv. Callum was terribly annoyed that the food they served in 1st class was mashed carrots and broad beans.

We are learning to... Add detail and comments to our ideas in a recount. To do this... We write our thoughts or what we were thinking. Add more ideas to describe in more detail.

"Here they come" Miss Gilbert said. Yuck, gross, it's dripping out of the

bag. The eyeball was bloodshot and veiny. Half the cow was still

hanging off the eyeball. The eye was still wide with the fear of death.

Include language features to keep the reader interested.

What are the language features we already know? Onomatopoeia: Bang. Crash. Words that sound like they are. Simile: I was as cold as ice. A comparison using like or as. Rhyme: Rhyme, time. A word that sounds like another word. Punctuation for effect: Punctuation is in the right place. We read it out loud to hear if it sounds good. Personification: The tree was shivering in the cold breeze. When you give something that is not human, human like qualities. Alliteration: Jessica jumped for Joy. Words that begin with the same sound. Metaphor: A comparison without like or as. I was a cold piece of ice.

WALT: Write with impact to keep the reader interested. What is impact?

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The Monster's Lair

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How will we know we are successfully writing with impact to keep the reader interested? This is our criteria...

Onomatopoeia We won't make it boring by using lots of "then". Keep the reader interested by using a good beginning sentence. ||
 * What do we need to do to write with impact, so that we can keep the reader interested? ||
 * *Descriptive and precise language.