Year 7 Homework Project

Assessment

The final deadline for the project will be set by your teacher. To ensure that you are completing the homework on a regular basis, your teacher will also ask to check the project at 3 points throughout the term.

1. Date____________ Teacher’s signature_________________

Name__________________________

Form__________________________

2. Date____________ Teacher’s signature_________________3. Date____________ Teacher’s signature_________________

Overall Reading Level Overall Writing Level Challenge Activity Level

Teacher’s comments:

Student’s comments:

Year 7Term 1 Homework Project

This term you will be reading a novel in your English lessons. Your homework this term will be a series of reading and writing activities based on your reading of the novel. Some of the activities you can do whilst you are reading the book, while others you will only be able to do once you have finished reading the novel.

You should be spending at least half an hour a week on your English homework. It is important that you do regular homework and don’t leave it until the last minute! Your teacher will ask to check on the progress of your homework project a couple of times each term to make sure that you are working well.

Here’s what you’ve got to do…

Section A You MUST complete 5 of the 15 tasks. You SHOULD complete 8 of the 15 tasks. You COULD complete all of the tasks.

Section B You MUST complete 2 of the longer writing tasks You SHOULD complete 3 of the longer writing tasks You COULD complete 5 of the longer writing tasks.

These tasks are designed to offer 3 levels of challenge with Level 3 (3 stars) being the most difficult.

Ask your teacher if there’s anything you don’t understand!Keep working hard and enjoy!!

SECTION A: Investigating the novel

Task 1First Impressions and predictions

My first impression of the novel is ___________________________________________

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My first impression of the main character is ___________________________________

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I predict that _____________________________________________________________

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My favourite part of the story so far has been __________________________________

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At the moment I think the main character looks like: (sketch a quick picture of what you think they look like)

Task 2Reading Journal

Once a week fill in the boxes of the reading journal about the novel you are reading in class. Use the journal to record:

Important moments in the book Your feelings about the story and characters. Explain why you feel that way.

Example: Week 1

So far in class we’ve read three chapters. I’ve really enjoyed it and like the main character – he is funny and he reminds me of someone I know. There haven’t been many main events yet as the author seems to be introducing us to characters and setting at the moment. I like it when other people read out loud in class but I’m a bit worried about having to do this.

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Task 3Front cover and blurb

You have been given the job of designing a new front and back cover including a blurb of the novel you are reading. Think about the main themes and ideas of the novel and the images you would want to include.

On the front and back cover you could also include:

Quotations from famous people or newspapers saying what is so great about the book.

Any awards it has won?

The name of the book and the author.

On the back you might also want to include the price, etc.

Look at other novels you’ve read to get some ideas.

Remember to make your design as neat and as colourful as possible.

There is space on the next page for your front cover design and blurb.

Task 4Map drawing

Now draw a map of the area of your novel, highlighting all the key places. You could also label places where important events have happened.

Make a list of all the significant places in the novel.

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Task 5Storyboard

Make a list of the 12 key events of the novel.

Most important events:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

Task 6Characters

Choose your favourite character in the novel. Draw a picture of what you think the character looks like and explain your reasons in the boxes below.

Name of character: ________________________________________

Picture:

Why I think they look like this....___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Task 7Film Activities

Imagine the novel you are reading is being made into a film. Complete the following tasks based on a new film adaptation of your novel.

1. Who are the main characters and who would play them in the film?

Character Actor

2. Design a costume for a character in the film. Explain the reasons for your choice.

Reasons here:

3. Design the film poster. Look at the example film posters to help you with ideas of the type of things to include in a film poster.

Example film posters:

Design the film poster for the new adaptation

Task 8Acrostic poem

Choose a word which you think is associated with the novel you are reading (for example ‘flying’ in Skellig). FLYING

Now write your own acrostic poem based on word of your choice!

Write an acrostic poem based on the ideas of the novel.

Task 9Timeline

Draw a timeline of the novel highlighting the key events with words or pictures.

Day 1Day 2

Task 10Song

Write a song or a rap based on one of the characters in the novel. It needs to be at least 3 verses long and have a regular beat and rhyme.

Section BLonger Writing tasks

Choose the tasks you want to complete and use the pages at the back of this booklet. Remember to plan your work before you start. When you have finished check your work carefully.

This is your chance to be creative. You may not have covered all of the different types of writing in your English lessons yet but have a go and see what you can achieve!

Use the following checklist to help.

Have I paragraphed my work?

Do all my sentences start with capital letters?

Do all my sentences end with full stops?

Do all my sentences make sense?

Have I used capital letters for the names of people and places?

Have I used other punctuation, including speech marks correctly?

Have I checked my spellings?

Tasks:

1) Talk to an adult at home about the story you’ve read in class. Tell them about the story (characters, setting and events) and what you liked about it. Once you’ve done this write a few bullet points to show what you discussed. Get them to sign next to your notes to show you’ve completed this task.

2) Write an extended piece of personal writing explaining how you felt after reading the novel. Comment on the ending, the characters, your likes and dislikes, etc.

3) Choose a dramatic moment from the novel where something happens to one of the characters. Write a diary entry from the point of view of that character exploring their feelings at that moment.

4) Choose an important moment in the novel and re-write it as a play script.

5) Write an alternative ending to the novel.

6) What happens next? Write another chapter of the novel based on the lives of the characters in 10 years time.

This is an optional task if you want to really push yourself in English!

Task:

Get together with a group of friends and write the script for a radio programme. The programme is for teenagers and discusses recent books. You and your friends should be the presenters and the panel. You could actually record the programme and give this recording to your teacher with the script.

You could include:

A name for the programme Catchy title music for the start and the end of the programme A list of the books you are going to discuss Interviews with the panel members

These are just a few ideas – feel free to be as creative and imaginative as you wish in this task. Discuss your ideas with your teacher and then go for it!