Welcome to the second edition of the S1 English Department Homework booklet.

Remember: . Choose two tasks from the booklet at the beginning of each month. . Complete both tasks throughout the month. Do not leave it until the last minute. . Get a parent or guardian to sign your work. You will gain merits for any extension work undertaken. You can avoid demerits by handing your homework in on time. The homework is due at the end of each month.

1) Personal Writing Some experiences in life are unforgettable. Write about a time in your life which was memorable; maybe a time when you were excited, happy or proud. You may also choose to write about a less pleasant experience; perhaps a time when you were frightened, sad, angry or lonely. Remember to: Plan carefully think carefully about how to structure your writing and make the opening memorable. Include details of thoughts and feeling throughout. Check over Remember to proof read your work. You should aim to write at least 600 words. Extension: Celebrities and writers often write whole books about their own experiences. These books are called autobiographies. Read an autobiography and write a short summary of what you have learned about the person. Ask your English teacher or the librarian for advice about which books to read and where to get them. You should aim to write around 300 words.

2) Discover a New Country Do a research project on a country you are interested in. You should consider such details as the countrys culture, language, traditions, food, population, history, geographical information etc. You should include pictures and illustrations in your project.

Extension: Write in any way you choose about what you think it would be like to grow up in the country you have researched.

3) Film Review Imagine you are a film critic. Watch a film of your choosing and write a detailed review of it. You should include information about the plot as well as character and setting. Explain in detail why you enjoyed the film.

Extension: Create a poster to advertise your chosen film.

4) Joint Reading Project Choose a book to read with an adult it can be a relative or even a teacher. Prepare a joint review of the book, outlining what you and your partner liked/disliked about the book. This can be presented in written form (aim for 400 words) or as a short talk (Between 2 and 3 minutes). Extension: Design a poster for the library which will encourage others to read your book.

5) Review One of Your Own Photographs For this task you will need to take and develop a photograph. Find an interesting scene such as a landscape, street scene or intriguing person. Write about the process of selecting the scene for your photo and then write about the photograph in any way you choose. (Short story, poem, review etc.) Your photograph should be the inspiration for your written work.

Extension: Choose another photo you find interesting (it could be from a newspaper, the internet, the family album etc). Write a diary entry for the day the photograph was taken. You should write from the point of view of the person who took the photograph.

6) Interview Interview an adult about their favourite book. Try to design open questions which will encourage a detailed answer. You might ask them, for example, what part of the book is their favourite part and why. You should present your interview in written format or you could record it as a podcast. Extension: What is your favourite book? Prepare a short talk explaining why you like the book and what you remember about the time of your life when you first read it.

7) Write a How to Make Guide Write an instruction booklet explaining how to make something. You should consider including the following: a list of the materials required, the skills needed, diagrams, a clearly explained step-by-step guide as well as any other relevant information. The guide could be on anything which you find interesting; a craft, DIY, cooking, survival skills etc.

Extension: Follow your own instructions and make the item in your guide. Bring it into school and explain the process to the class.

8) Writing Poetry O my luve is like a red, red rose Love has always been a favourite topic of poets. Write a love poem in any form you wish. Remember, poems do not have to rhyme! You should also illustrate your poem. Extension Find a poem about love which you enjoy. Memorise it and be ready to recite to a small group.

9) Fifty Things About Me Write a list of things about yourself the key here is to keep going: in your list you must include fifty different pieces of information about yourself.

Extension: Write a poem about yourself including the most important items from your list of fifty.

10) Write a Letter We all have strong opinions about things which affect our lives. Write a letter to someone outlining your thoughts on an issue which affects you. For example, you may wish to write to the council about the facilities on offer for young people in your local area, or you could write a letter to the school explaining your idea for a recycling scheme or a new extra-curricular activity. Remember the rules for layout see your teacher if you are unsure. You should aim for at least 500 words. Do not send the letter! Extension If you have a great idea for improving the school, why not let the school council know. Write a short explanation of your idea and get a member of staff to sign it before passing it on to your school council representative.

11) Persuasive Leaflet Create and design a leaflet persuading people to do something; support a charity, join a club etc. Think carefully about the content of your leaflet: layout, font, persuasive language, illustrations etc.

Extension: Research a charity of your choice and write a factual essay about the work they do.

The following two tasks need you to use the Greek Alphabet. It is rather different from ours. There are 24 letters and thats including 2 letter es and 2 letter os! Some letters are obviously missing.
Here it is in full:Capital Small ( or at end) t u ph ch (as in loch) ps o (as in pot) English sound a (as in cat) b g d e (as in belt) z ee (as in feet) th i(as in fit) k l m n x oo p r s

12.

Reading Greek

Use the Greek alphabet to help you work out what these Greek words are in English. The first six are all proper names.
1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 6

13.

The Olympian gods

Here are the gods and goddesses of Olympus. Their names are written in Greek. Copy out the names and translate them into English.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14. Fan Mail Its great to hear youve done well! Choose a book which you have enjoyed and compose a letter to the author, explaining why you enjoyed the book. Aim for at least 400 words. Extension write a short story of your own based on something you enjoy in books perhaps you enjoy horror stories, or romantic tales write one of your own! 600 words minimum. 15) Newspaper Report Imagine a celebrity has come to Haddington! Write a newspaper article about the event. Why have they come? What did they do when they were here? How did the town react? Remember to include: A headline A short opening paragraph which outlines the story. Some quotations from people involved. 500 words minimum. Extension: Write a real report about something which has happened locally, or even in school. 16) Cross curricular You spend many hours in other subjects learning about lots of interesting topics. Choose a topic from another school subject which interests you. Either: Produce a booklet which gives information about your chosen topic (5 pages minimum) or prepare a short talk (2 -3 mins) on your chosen subject.

17) Creative Writing Write creatively in any way you wish, using the picture below as inspiration. You may wish to do a story, a poem, an imaginary diary entry, a script, the first chapter of a novel

18) Create your own myth using characters from traditional ones (gods, heroes or monsters!). You should aim to write about 500 words.