Year 8

Year 8 Transition Topic: The Island

Overview:  In preparation for transition to high school for our Year 8’s, they are asked to complete a home learning version of The Island topic. Usually this topic is begun in Year 8 and finished during the first term of Year 9. The theme of the topic is about a character being stranded on an island -and planning how they will survive, before planning and writing a narrative opening featuring their ideas and showing off their writing skills.

Resources: Links to clips of the opening of LOST; survival techniques; extracts of survival information texts; extracts of narrative openings; PowerPoints containing the challenges for the children to complete.

Reading: Pupils should read their Accelerated Reader(library) book each day and record their reading in their Reading Record. If the children finish their reading book, they should quiz their book using the Accelerated Reader link on HMS website. They may also read and research famous survivors and survival techniques (some texts provided).

Grammar and Punctuation: Focus on using formal sentence structures and vocabulary, correct use of terminology and presenting information texts appropriately.

The Island challenges (all found on the accompanying PPTs):

o   Know the aims of the unit

o   Set your own writing targets

o   Learn key topic vocabulary

o   Research a famous survivor and present information text

o   Write a recount of the opening of LOST TV programme

o   Write a review of a TV programme

o   Create and describe a new character

o   Create and describe a fictional uninhabited island

o   Research survival techniques – making useful notes

o   Present survival techniques as a leaflet appropriately

o   Analyse effective narrative openings

o   Plan and write a narrative opening about being lost

Good Luck Year 8. You could take your Island project with you when you begin Year 9- to show your new English teachers. If you would like a new book to do this in, you can collect one from school.

Reflections and Transition

Lesson 1 and 2:- Reflections of your time at Highfield

As you are coming to the end of your time at Highfield, I would normally get you to spend some time reflecting on your time at Highfield and talking about things you have enjoyed, achieved, or maybe a funny story about something that happened at some point in your form class. It will probably bring up some nice memories about things that have happened to you.

I would give you (around) 30 pieces of paper and an envelope, and you would have to write a nice, positive message to everybody in your form class (with your name at the end - so no possibility of nasty messages). At the end of the lesson, everybody in the class would then have their own envelope of messages that they could keep forever. I remember doing this when I left Year 11 and I still have the envelope and messages in a safe place!

As you are at home, you could do it on paper and send them to school or do it electronically, send them to me or your form teacher, who will then collate them and send you back your own batch of messages from your class mates.

I anticipate this would take you 2 hours of home learning – enough time to write lots of nice messages to people!

Lesson 3 and 4:- A Transition Letter to the Year 4 Pupils

Again, moving to High School may be a daunting and slightly scary prospect. So, I would like you to put yourself into the shoes of the Year 4 pupils who are about to embark on a similar journey.

I would like you to either make a leaflet/brochure all about school or write a letter telling them all about the great things that we offer at Highfield (lessons, teachers, clubs, school trips etc.)

You could spend one week thinking and drafting a letter, and the second lesson doing a neat version. You can email me directly as I would really like to use some letters to show the Year 4’s when they first arrive at school in September, making them feel more at ease about the transition to middle school.  

Enjoy, take care and good luck at the High School.

Mr Mills

This last half term we would have been using Kodu to create and program a computer games.

The tasks are on the link below; you can complete the work on the sheets or use separate paper.

Computing is scheduled on the suggested timetable once every two weeks so one task can be completed each lesson.

Hi Everyone…. Hope you're keeping well!

Just a quick message about your Geography work for this half term!

Some of you have completed Unit 12 kerboodle tasks which is brilliant, if you have finished have a go at the extension tasks. If you haven't finished or started yet, click on the lesson by lesson breakdown to help you.

Additional Work

You can do a research project on a country….I’ve set you Australia or Sweden. Download the project and complete it on your computer, print it out or write in your home work book. Add any extra interesting stuff you find!

If you like map skills have a look at this webpage https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapzone/ its got some fun stuff you can have a go at!

And remember, you can do loads of geography in your outside spaces too, looking at the types of rocks, plants, insects that live there, we would normally do fieldwork during the summer term. Try this webpage https://www.geography.org.uk/Geographical-investigations-around-the-house-garden-local-area-and-school-grounds if you need inspiration for a fieldwork task near you.

Have fun with your work everyone and Stay Safe

Miss Lomax

Teacher i/c KS3 Geography

Year 8 R.E – Christianity & Philosophy

Week 1

This week, you will be looking at the Christian tradition of Lent. You should look at the PowerPoint and information sheets provided as well as conducting your own research to fill in the Lent answer sheet. Once you have completed this, you should write on the back of your sheet 5 things you think you could give up and why and also any things you think it would not be possible to give up and why.

Week 2

This week you will be looking at Holy Week and creating a timeline of events. You must carefully read through the PowerPoint attached then either use the timeline template I have provided or make your own which depicts the key events of Holy Week. I have also attached a template of an Easter egg for you to use for an extension task or you can make your own. I would like you to decorate the egg so that it reflects Holy Week. You can make symbols of your own and also include images that relate directly to the events of Holy Week. Try to think creatively and also add colour/decoration.

_____________________________________________________________________

Lessons for final term

Week 3

For week 3, pupils should focus on the events of Maundy Thursday. Read the PowerPoint slides, watch the video and use the information sheets (different accounts from the Bible). Consider and discuss. Pupils should then write two diary entries. One will be from the point of view of Judas trying to explain why he decided to betray Jesus. The other will be from the point of view of Jesus and how he felt when he was betrayed by his close friend. Pupils should try to write at least half a page of A4 for each.

Week 4

NOTE: If completing in school, it would be helpful for pupils to have a print out of the Good Friday slides.

Finally, for Week 4 focus on the events of Good Friday. Pupils should use the PowerPoint (there is also a link included to a website with a timeline of events) to create a storyboard (text and pictures) of what happened on Good Friday. This will be on paper if in school but could be word processed if working from home.

Philosophy of Religion

Week 5

Pupils would have been completing transition work for high school based on the topic of philosophy of religion. Although they won’t be completing assessed work, they can still begin to examine the themes they will be focussing on in Year 9. In this lesson, use the PowerPoint provided to get pupils to start thinking about their own beliefs. Start by examining the example question on the existence of karma. Pupils should decide what they think and share ideas or they can write them down (if working independently at home). Then read through the example answer so that pupils can see the standard required and also how to structure their responses. They do not need to write point, evidence, explain when doing their own – this is just to show them how to break their response down and ensure it flows properly. Pupils should then have the belief survey (if possible, discuss the first two questions as a class or with somebody at home to help prompt ideas). Pupils should then complete their answers on separate paper. If in school, they can then compare their responses with their peers and see if they are similar/different and why.

Week 6

Following on from the previous lesson, pupils will consider their own beliefs in greater depth by creating a ‘belief web’ (if in school this would be best on A3 paper). This will feature all of their own beliefs – they should try to think of as many as possible and see if any of their beliefs link in with others. Encourage pupils to use different colours and to illustrate their work. If in school, pupils should also try to share their ideas.