Sunday 30 March 2014

Class work on 31 Mar (Mon)

Please do the following during class time.  I will come online to check your work and give you feedback live during your lesson time.

First priority:
Look at the Self-Study guide on essay planning given as your March holiday homework. Choose a point to work on as a group. For your chosen point, write a content paragraph as a group. You may incorporate the examples given in the guide (if they are not outdated), or include your own examples. You might need to research the details of the examples given if you are not familiar with them.

Write your group paragraph on Google Doc on the class folder under
English Class Materials > Writing > S4-02 Paragraph Development > Can we tackle global warming successfully?
You can reach the folder directly here.

Second priority:
Complete the Introduction and Conclusion writing exercise we did not manage to finish the previous time.
English Class Materials > Writing > S4-02 Paragraph Development > Introduction and Conclusion

Friday 28 March 2014

Homework and Preparation for Term 2 week 2

For the reading programme this week, please read the two sets of readings given out during assembly and answer the application question as well as all the comprehension questions.

Many of you have also not submitted your EL files for checking. Please bring them during the first lesson of the week.

We have not completed the feedback for your Mar holiday homework Unpacking the text compre exercise. Please bring it for lesson. Also complete the preparation required for the two paper 1 questions. You are required to come up with points after our feedback today.

Friday 21 March 2014

Term 2 Groups

Please sit in your new groups for Term 2 from the first lesson onwards. Click here for your group list.

Sunday 16 March 2014

March Holiday Homework

All holiday homework will be checked (except the optional item) and those who do not do the work will be dealt with. 

Reading Programme
Deadline - 20 Mar (Thu), submit response on Facebook
I have shared the following two documents on the SST 2014 Sec 4 group on Facebook.
1) Identity
2) Courage

Read the passage in each document and respond to the application question given. You are only required to write one paragraph in response to each file. You are to write your response as a comment to my post. In your response, you must refer to one idea from the text as well as one idea from one person (need not be from your class) who posted before you (Exception: The first person who comments will not need to refer to another person's idea)

File Check
Deadline - 1st lesson of Term 2 Week 1
Bring your EL file for the 1st lesson of Term 2 Week 1 for file check. Organise your file based on the instructions found on the Admin Guide (Use the link at the sidebar on your right or click here). Look under the section "Blue Ring File.

Comprehension skills revision
Optional:
For those of you who often have difficulties understanding comprehension texts and overall meaning, please work through this exercise on Unpacking the Text at the Global level. It comes complete with a video explanation. The skill taught is for an exposition text, but you can come up with your own tool after you have gone through it.

Compulsory (Deadline - 3rd lesson of Term 2 Week 1):
Either print or work on your LDs (you will have to bring your LDs to class if you work on your LDs) the document found here on Unpacking the text for details. We need this for the 3rd lesson of Term 2 Week 1.

Essay skills revision
Deadline - 1st lesson of Term 2 Week 1
Take a look at the sample essay plan found here. Using exactly the same format, complete with all the sections, do essay plans for the following questions.
1) Some people say that the Internet does more harm than good. What is your view? (Cam 2010)
2) “Singapore has turned into an intolerant nation.” Do you agree? (St Theresa’s Convent Prelim 2013)

Wednesday 5 March 2014

5/3/14 Lesson Summary by Index No. 12(John Cheong Zhan Hao)

Quick and Dirty way to Write Intros for Essays

Example:
Parents often believe that it is better to be safe than sorry. Do you consider young people to be too protected?
Issue: Parents being too protective.

Word Association
Sorry
killed, regret, harm, guilt, bad situation

Safe
Risk Averse
Assurance
No Danger
Precaution

Too protected
Overbearing
Tyrannical
Anxiety
No freedom
Prison

Sample Intro: Many young people find their parents overbearing. Parents often restrict their charges' freedom as they believe some harm may befall their children should they be left entirely alone. Therefore, they take various 'precautions' really necessary? I think not. I think that the way parents behave has resulted in your people being over protected.

Tuesday 4 March 2014

Homework due in Term 1 Week 10

There is no reading task this weekend. Instead, please do the following:

1. Crescent Girls' School 2013 Prelim Paper 2. Deadline: 10 Mar Monday

2. Project Ace (Click here for instructions). Deadline: 14 Mar Friday 12 noon

Sunday 2 March 2014

Homework and Preparation for Term 1 Week 9

Reading Programme
Deadline: 3 Mar (Mon)
The files you have submitted this week will be returned on 3 Mar (Mon). Please take 5 min to get ready this week’s reading tasks for submission by the end of the day.  You are to read the article given out in class on Meritocracy for this week's reading task and complete the question at the end. 
 
A  student's response for last week's reading task has been posted on the cohort Facebook page for your review. If you are not sure how the reading task should be done, please read the response.
 

Writing Introduction and Conclusion

After we compete the feedback for the CHIJ Comprehension Paper, we will be working on writing Introduction and Conclusion. You will need to bring your LDs to school for these writing lessons. Please analyse the samples in the handout given to you a few days ago before coming for lessons. In addition, please familiarise yourselves with the materials you worked on for the following essay questions:
1) Should the media be completely free?
2) Discuss the problems and benefits of hosting major sporting events.
3) Parents often believe that it is better to be safe than sorry. Do you consider young people to be too protected?
4) 'The way we dress reveals who we are'. What are your views?

Lessons on Speaking

After our lessons on writing Introduction and Conclusion, we shall move into lessons on speaking. As a group, you are to choose the following which we will work on in class:
(a) 1 speech found here (no 2 groups may choose the same speech)
(b) 1 photo from here (no more than 2 groups may choose the same photo. NOTE: This instruction is different from the one above!!)

Make your choices as a group and put it as a comment to this post. First-come-first-served.

For the speech, each student is to consider the Purpose, Audience, Culture and Context for the speech and write down the expected features of such a speech which will aid you in delivering the speech.
For the photo, each student is to come up with possible discussion questions which might be asked for the discussion section of an oral examination.