This is my 1,000th Blog Post! And Year Five Homework

Bald Worm' Blog began way back in Autumn 2007 to promote the use of baldworm.co.uk - my 11+ short story techniques sites, and to provide girls with a simple method for learning about their English homework. Over the years the blog has grown to include photos, video and podcasts, and examples of the pupils' work - like the digital recreation of King Duncan's murder above.

Since Autumn 2007, 'Bald Worm's blog' has received over 192,000 page views - and over 100,000 unique visitors! Thank you to all the girls and visitors who have taken the time to visit. I hope it has proven useful!

Here's to the next 1,000 posts!

Year Five homework
Please complete your Montmorency at the Jewellers story. Write 1 1/2 sides of A4.

Due: Thursday

Year Five Composition: Montmorency's Sewer

We are studying Eleanor Updale's brilliant Montmorency!

Task:
1. Please write a second draft of the 'stinking sewer' description. Try to include lots of colour - and the olfactory sense!

2. Please complete the 'Self-Assessment for Self-Improvement' sheet. Be self-critical!

Write 10-15 lines

Due: Tuesday

P.S. Falcons Girls! Learn again by listening to the 'Bald Worm on Setting the Scene' podcast:

Year Five Fiction: Montmorency Shared With Montmorency

Tomorrow we're going to record part of your second 'Montmorency' draft as a podcast...and I'm going to email Eleanor Updale, author of the Montmorency series telling her about it. Maybe she'll take a listen? Who knows!

We use Web 2.0 technologies - videos and podcasts - to share our creative writing with the world!

Task: Please complete your redraft; you must bring in your book tomorrow!Pay close attention to the 'self-assessment for self-improvement' success criteria.

Year Five Fiction: Writing a Montmorency Story

Please write your first full attempt at the 'Jeweller' Montmorency story, paying attention to the ideas on the 'Self-Assessment for Self-Improvement' sheet.

Write 1 1/2 sides of A4.

Due: Monday

Year Five and Six Weekend Homework

Year Five Weekend Homework

Task:
1. Read the ‘Flushers’ chapter.
2. Write a conversation between two flushers where they discuss the strange things they keep finding in the sewers, e.g. false teeth; false legs; old prams, etc. Write half-a-page of A4.

Due: Monday

Year Six Weekend Homework
Please complete the plan sheet; if you are confident it it detailed and includes a sub-plot, you may type up your plan onto the Crogan wiki. If you're not sure, you can check it with me on Monday.

I'll be writing to the brilliant Chris Schweizer early next week to share with him our progress on the project, and you never know, he may take a look - so make sure you plan is as brilliant as possible, and includes a good sub-plot.

Due: Monday.

Year Five Comprehension: Victorian Thief

Tonight's comprehension gives you the opportunity to revise summarising a passage using Bald Worm's annotation techniques

Missing out? Download a copy from box.net here.

Due: Wednesday

(Image by Benjamin Forrest; used under Creative Commons agreement. Please note that the gentleman in the picture is not a thief!)

Wednesday 20th April Year Five and Six Homework

**Year Five**
Please read chapter 2 and 3 of Montmorency, our brilliant class reader.

**Year Six**
Welcome to the Flat Classroom Project on PhotoPeach

Year 5 Fiction: Description Revision

We're revising descriptive techniques. There are games and activities here on the pupil wiki. You may find my mini-guide helpful:


Task: Please complete the description of the Marimion hotel room.

Due: Thursday

(Image by JoeMadison; used under Creative Commons agreement)

Year 5: Montmorency Story

We've been using the punctuation pyramid.

Please complete your 'Scarper in the Sewers' story based on your story mountain plan. Don't forget to include Bald Worm's characterisation techniques.

Due: Friday.

Year 5: Revising Questions about a Character

We're continuing our characterisation revision by looking at questions about a character.

Task: Please complete the 'cowboy' questions about a character task

Year 5 Fiction: Show, Don't Tell

A writer must remember to 'show, don't tell.' You have to use details, movement and expressions to bring your characters to life! Clever-clogs will also include thoughts and 'questions about a character'.

Task: Please complete the 'Montmorency' showing and telling worksheet. Due: Tuesday.

Year 5: Stories Set in the Past

L.O. To analyse a text for examples of shown feelings



Over the next two weeks we are going to be focussing on developing your use of characterisation as we study stories set in the past.

Please read through the Montmorency text and highlight in a bright pen any examples of shown feelings or details that tell you something interesting about the character. We'll be sharing these at the beginning of next Wednesday's session, so make sure you bring your homework in Monday!

Year 5 - Impact Paragraphs

L.O. To revise the use of short, impact paragraphs in a passage of suspense

Imagine Montmorency is creeping around a house late at night. Write a scene of suspense, using all of Bald Worm's suspense techniques, where Montmorency fears he is going to be caught.

Write 10 lines - then annotate your writing using a gel pen to show me where you have used the different suspense skills! Make sure you include some short, impact paragraphs, and perhaps an ellipsis or two...

Due: Thursday

Don't forget we'll be making one of these next week!

Year 5 Creative Writing - Full-length Montmorency Story

L.O. To include all four characterisation techniques in a short story

You are going to write your own Montmorency short story! This is the scenario:

Montmorency is coming home from a crime through the sewers when he realises someone is following him…

Plan and write a story based on this scenario. Write 1 1/2 sides of A4. Make sure you include direct speech, lots of shown feelings, questions about the character and thoughts.

Feeling clever? Don't forget to combine all of our descriptive techniques as you 'set the scene', e.g. describe the sewer.

Year 5 Spellings & Montmorency

Please learn your spellings for next week, and ensure you read the Montmorency extract for tomorrow's lesson, when we'll be revising the four characterisation techniques, and attempting a piece of timed writing.

Year 5 Characterisation - Including thoughts in a Dialogue

Please write the Cissie thought homework task. Visit the 'Characterisation' area on the Year 5 page to learn more.

Year Five - Identifying Impact Sentences

Impact sentences bring interest and variety to your writing. Read through the next few chapters of Montmorency, highlighting impact sentences with a gel pen or highlighter.

Year 5 Creative Writing - Questions about a Character

L.O. To understand that when writing in the third person ‘questions about a character’ develop characterisation

Please complete the 'Donkey/Cowboy' task. Write 1/2 side of A4.

Revise questions about a character at http://www.baldworm.co.uk/skills/more_techniques.html

Click here for the characterisation revision pupil wiki page.

Year 5 'Show, Don't Tell'

L.O. To revise the difference between an author ‘telling’ and ‘showing’

Please complete the Montmorency Doctor Farcett 'show, don't tell' task. Remember to study the advice at baldworm, here, before you begin!

Attention, Montmorency fans!