10F English

We are doing a film study on October Sky. The film is based on the true story of Homer Hickman and his humble beginnings in the coal mining community of Coalwood, West Virginia and his ambition to go to space.

The story focuses on the friendship of 4 boys who triumph against the odds to build a rocket of their own after the launch of Sputnik. The boys go on to enter the a National science competition and win scholarship to university.

This inspiring story leads to loads of opportunity to discuss themes and the development of the characters in the film. We will also be doing some historical research into the events of the time and the students will be asked to write an essay at the completion of the unit.

Worksheets:

October Sky Question Sheet

Year 12 English

Moulin Rouge


The second film we are watching this term is Moulin Rouge a romantic comedy musical with a tragic twist. This Baz Luhrmann film stars Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman.


It tells the story of a penniless writer, Christan, in Bohemian Paris at the turn of last century who falls in love with the leading lady, Satine, of the Moulin Rouge. Their story is cleverly told through the production of a play "Spectacular Spectacular" in which Satine stars and the Christa in writes.


We will be focusing on techniques used in the film to create effect. Costume, music, lyrics, lighting, film angles and camera movements will all be discussed.


The students will be sitting an assessment in Week 7 of term 3. This will be the second half of the unit standard 12424.

To see the standard please click on link below.

Worksheets:

Moulin Rouge Editing and Symbolism

Moulin Rouge Notes

Year 12Eni is doing a film study for the first 3 weeks of term 3.

This is to work towards unit 12424.

The film is rated M13.

Slumdog Millionaire is the story of Jamal Malik, a penniless eighteen year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, is one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India’s “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” But when the show breaks for the night, suddenly, he is arrested on suspicion of cheating. After all, how could an uneducated street kid possibly know so much? Determined to get to the bottom of Jamal’s story, the jaded Police Inspector spends the night probing Jamal’s incredible past, from his riveting tales of the slums where he and his brother Salim survived by their wits to his hair-raising encounters with local gangs to his heartbreak over Latika, the unforgettable girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of Jamal’s increasingly layered story reveals where he learned the answers to the show’s seemingly impossible quizzes. But one question remains a mystery: what is this young man with no apparent desire for riches really doing on the game show? When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question, the Inspector and sixty million viewers are about to find out… http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/slumdogmillionaire/

As a class we will be looking at the main ideas of the movie and investigating both verbal and visual techniques used by the director to create different effects in the film.

Here are a list of worksheets we have used in class so far:

Film Shots

Year 11 English

We are currently doing a unit standard 2977 - Read to Succeed

Students credited with this unit standard area able to read written and printed text to meet a practical purpose. It involves identifying subject and purpose of the text. Being able to summarise the main ideas, interpret any abbreviations or technical words and link any prior knowledge the students may have to the text.

This is for 4 Literacy credits.

Read to succeed is an online unit which students are doing in class.

This can be viewed at English Online.

Any students who are absent from class can download missed worksheets to complete in class.

Year 9 English

Year 9 English

This term we have started reading our extended text The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne.

This is a very clever World War 2 story told through the eyes of a nine year old boy called Bruno. The novel tells a very tragic story of the horror of the concentration camps and the value of friendship. I have encouraged the studentsd to do independent research into Nazi Germany and the Holocaust and would appreciate any disscussion at home on the topics of discrimination.

The students will have 3 weeks to complete the novel and will be asked to write an essay at the units completion.

Essay questions

I have attached chapter question sheets, should they be misplaced, that can be printed at home.

Chapter 3 and 4

Chapters 5 and 6

Chapter 7 and 8

Chapters 9 and 10

Chapters 11, 12 and 13