*Meet Langston Hughes

This is Langston Hughes. He was born in 1902. He is a famous poet, writer and playwright.

HW:

1) From what you have learned about American history, what was the USA like in 1902 for black people? Write a short text. Use specific vocabulary. (Ex: civil war, segregation, equality)

2) Read this short text about the Harlem Renaissance. 

3) Watch this film.

3) Describe in your own words what the Harlem Renaissance was and why Langston Hughes played an important part. 1/2-1 page.

10CD for Wednesday 9th of September
10EF for Wednesday 9th of September

*Book discussion - more info!

9EF; we will start the book discussions on Thursday April 9. Take a look at the blog post from last week to see how you should prepare.


Remember that you also are to create questions - write at least seven questions and bring to class the date your group is to have the discussion  - make sure that your questions are quite open and that it is possible to explain and elaborate (try to steer clear of YES/NO questions). Ex: What would you say is the main theme in the novel and why?


These are the dates you and your group have to be ready:


April 9:

• Tuva, Lotte, Munir, Andrea, Ole
• Felix, Oskar, Cora, Adrian, Emma H, Kasper, Mads Severin
• Leon, Erlend, Sunniva, Nicolai, Ada, Matteo, Mathilde

April 14:

• Joakim, Stina, Benjamin, Kristian
• Linn, Eskil, Oliver, Aurora, Thomas, Simone
• Martine, Karoline, Hedwig, Pernille, Lars Bendik, Borge, Mads Kristian

April 16:

• Marie D, Julie, Kaja, Elle, Linnea, Najma
• Cecilie, Mattias, Marie, Goman, Henriette, Sebastian, Julian, Kristine
• Petter, Emma T, Embla, Thea, Erik, Jens Petter, Amanda

COME PREPARED!

Happy Easter!

*Book discussions coming up

We will start book discussions the week after your Easter holiday. This is how you should prepare:

• Make sure that you are done with your novel.
• You have to be able to shortly describe what the book is about (without revealing how the book ends).
• You have to be prepared to answer questions and elaborate about the setting (miljøbeskrivelse - tid, sted, rom) and theme (tema - hva handler egentlig boka om, eks: forbudt kjærlighet), the main character(s), the genre (boksjanger, eks: spenningsroman) and the target audience (målgruppe, eks: ungdom).
• You have to be able to explain thoroughly what you think about the novel – did you like it? Why? Why not? Give examples! Would you recommend the novel to your fellow students? Why? Why not?

NB! Remember that when you describe a character you should not just describe their looks and age, you should also describe their personality and whether the character is static or dynamic throughout the story.

Our advice to you is to rehearse a lot before the book discussion. Find a friend, a parent, a sibling, whoever, and discuss the book!  Try to use transition word and phrases - take a look at this webpage. Also check this webpage for useful phrases for discussion.



You will be evaluated and given the grade UM, M or OM - take a look at the assessment criteria below:



Kjennetegn på måloppnåelse
                                                                            

Under middels 1/2	Middels 3/4	Over middels 5/6
Du kan si noen setninger, men mangler ordforråd for å kunne uttrykke det du ønsker. Du svarer kort på spørsmål.	Du snakker stort sett flytende, og har et for det meste tilstrekkelig ordforråd. Du bruker språkets strukturer, selv om det forekommer den del feil.	Du snakker flytende og med et variert ordforråd. Du bruker språkets grunnleggende formverk rimelig korrekt, selv om feil kan forekomme.
Du snakker utydelig og med mye uttalefeil.	Du snakker stort sett tydelig og har for det meste god uttale.	Du snakker tydelig og med god uttale.
Du forstår noe av det som blir sagt, og kan svare på direkte spørsmål.	Du forstår stort sett det som blir sagt, og deltar til dels aktivt i samtalen.	Du forstår det som blir sagt, og deltar i samtalen på eget initiativ.
Du kan i noen grad uttrykke egne meninger, men klarer i liten grad å begrunne eller utdype påstander.	Du gir i noen grad uttrykk for egne meninger og kan til dels begrunne/utdype påstander.	Du gir uttrykk for egne meninger og kan begrunne/utdype påstander.
Du viser i liten grad egen refleksjon omkring bokens tema og rollefigurer.	Du presenterer i noen grad egne tanker omkring bokens tema og rollefigurer.	Du reflekterer i høy grad omkring bokens tema og rollefigurer.

*Rainstorms in Guatemala

Some moments stay with you forever. It can be the moment you scored the crucial goal for your football team, it can be that kiss you shared with someone special or it can be that time you danced in the rain with a good friend. Read about a special moment for a young American girl - it happened during a rainstorm in Guatemala.

Read the text and pick ten words you believe is important to know from the text. Use them in ten sentences.

This is homework for 9EF for Tuesday March 10

*Slam

Now we would like to introduce you to another great author: Nick Hornby. Nick has written many fabulous books, like About a Boy and High Fidelity. If you haven't read him already, it's about time. This week you'll read an excerpt from Slam.

Read the excerpt and learn all the words!

This is homework for 9CD for Friday 6th.
This is homework for 9EF for Thursday 5th.

*Prepare to read

Your winter vacation is right around the corner, and we urge you to READ a lot during the holidays. When you come back in week 9 you guys are to read in each and every English lesson. Let's call it "The Book Week"! We will start book conversations in week 12, so you have to be done with your novel by then.

So; enjoy your vacay, have fun and READ!

*Read on!

Once a week you guys will get time at school to read. Make sure that the book you bring next week is a book you truly want to read, because you guys are to keep a log (you will get a logbook in class).


Here's the link (once again) to the Time's list of the hundred best young adult books of all times.


9E: You guys will read every Thursday in your fifth lesson of the day. So bring your book to class Thursday January 22nd!


9F: You guys will read every Monday in your first lesson of the day. So bring your book to class Monday January 19th!


9CD: You guys will read every Friday. So bring your book to class Friday January 16th!

*My Hero

Welcome back to a new year, new opportunities and a new issue of Perspectives Magazine! This time the main topic is "Heroes". You will meet everyday heroes, heroes from history, young heroes and old, and heroes who changed the world.


The first text we want you to read is a text about two everyday heroes, one was a lawyer and the other is a teacher. The text is called "My Hero" and is to be found at page 4 in Perspectives Magazine.


Read the text and learn all the difficult words. Then write a small text (half a page) where you describe what a hero is to you. Is it someone who has done great deeds? Or could it be your next-door neighbour?


9EF: You will get Perspectives Magazine in class on Monday. The homework above is for Thursday January 15.

*Get Your Reading On!

As you all know we are soon to enter a wonderful world where you will get FOUR English lessons a week! This means that we will be able to read more at school :)


Find an English novel that appeals to you and bring it to class.


BTW: Time Magazine just released a list of what they believe to be the best 100 Young Adult books of ALL TIME! On top? Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Remember you read the excerpt about the young Indian boy who really loved his grandmother? Well - that's the book :)


Click here to see the whole list - you might be inspired to read one of them!


9EF: Bring your novel to class on Thursday January 15!

*Book discussions coming up!

PREPARING FOR THE BOOK DISCUSSION WILL BE YOUR ONLY HOMEWORK THIS WEEK!

9EF: We will start the book discussions on Thursday November 6th - come prepared! Also bring your novel to class on Tuesday November 4th.

9CD: you need to be prepared Monday 3rd of November.

In week 45 we will start book discussions one on one. We will talk to each and everyone of you – this is how you should prepare:

·        Make sure that you are done with your novel (remember how we told you to pick and read an English novel this fall).

·        You have to be able to give a short summary of the book, describe the setting and theme, the main character(s), the genre and the target audience.

·      You have to be able to explain thoroughly what you think about the novel – did you like it? Why? Why not? Give examples! Would you recommend the novel to your fellow students? Why? Why not?

·        You should also be able to explain why reading is important when it comes to language learning.

Our advice to you is to rehearse a lot before the book discussion. Find a friend, a parent, a sibling, whoever, and discuss the book! Remember that you also should be able to explain and give reasons for why reading is good for you. Try to use transition word and phrases - take a look at this webpage. Also check this webpage for useful phrases for discussion.

For input on the benefits of reading and the assessment criteria - see below:

*Yellow Ribbon

This week's short story is a wonderful, wonderful tale about an old man and the love of his life. Read the text in Perspectives Magazine and learn all the words by heart (you might be tested).

This is homework for:
9AB for Thursday October 23rd
9CD for Wednesday October 22nd
9EF for Tuesday October 21st

*Meet Tupac Shakur

Many of you have heard about Tupac Shakur. He is mostly known under his artist name 2pac. He was (and still is) a well known rapper. In addition to this he also wrote poetry.

Watch the short biography here.

Read the poem "The rose that grew from concrete" in Perspectives Magazine. Write a short text (half a page) about what you think this poem is about. How do you think this links to Tupac`s life and what`s your opinion on the poem. Bring the text to class!


This is homework for 9CD for Wednesday 22nd of October.
This is homework for 9EF for Thursday 23rd of October.

*An act of kindness

Sometimes in life, your heart tells you to do something unexpected. Read the story of a boy who chose to follow his heart, and really made a difference in someone's life.

a) Read the text "An act of kindness" and learn all the words.
b) If you were handed 10 000 Norwegian kroner to give to someone. Who would you give it to? It can be a person or an organization. Give good reasons for your answer. Write 1/2 a page.

This is homework for 9CD for Wednesday 10th of September.
This is homework for 9EF for Tuesday 9th of September.

*Millions

We would like you to read an excerpt from a novel called "Millions" written by Frank Cottrell Boyce (it is to be found in Perspectives Magazine). It is a fantastic story about two boys finding a lot of money. Maybe some of you would like to read the whole novel after reading this?The book was made into a film in 2004, if you have seen it, we would love your verdict! Write a comment to this post. Share your thoughts!

Homework: 9CD this is for Wednesday the 3rd (although we will not talk about it until the 8th because of the camping).

Homework: 9EF this is for Tuesday the 2nd (although we will not talk about it until the 4th because of the camping).
Optional:

• Watch the trailer from the movie here.
• If you want to learn good ways to talk about a movie, read the review here (a bit difficult, but we bet you're up for the challenge!)

*Welcome back!

Welcome back to school! Hopefully you have all enjoyed your summer vacation and that you now are fit and ready for your second year here at Nordseter.

This year we will start off with two English lessons a week. Then when the new semester starts after Christmas we will have four English lessons a week up until the summer vacation. We will be using Perspectives Magazine a lot - the first issue will be handed out to you this week. DO NOT LOSE IT!

9CDEF - you guys know the drill! Homework will be posted here every Thursday at 2 PM. All of the posts labeled with a star: * are obligatory, meaning that you have to read it and do the tasks.

To 9AB: WELCOME to the world of blogging! We are thrilled to have both you guys and Helle on board :)

9 CD: Bring a book on Monday 25th! 

9EF: Remember that you have to bring an English novel to class on Thursday 21st! Make sure that you choose a book that appeals to you :)

These are some of the books and authors we recommend:

• The Hunger Games triology
• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
• Everything by J.R.R. Tolkien
• Everything by Roald Dahl
• Everything by J. K. Rowling
• Everything by Morris Gleitzman
• Everything by John Green
• Everything by Paul Jennings

To find more titles take a look at this link!

*Perspectives Magazine is now available!

This season's issue of Perspectives Magazine is now available! This time the main topic is WORDS. To find it log on to Fronter and click on the folder called Ressurser and then click on the icon CAPPELEN DAMM. You have to type in your Fronter username and password. It might take a while before you are admitted the first time because one of us teachers has to confirm that you are a pupil at Nordseter. Just wait a while and then try again (the same procedure). 

We will work with the texts at school after the holidays, but you should grasp this opportunity to read the magazine during Easter. Because it is a great issue! We're talking Roald Dahl, six-word stories plus lots of other interesting texts. Remember that each text has an audio file so you can listen to the text being read while you read it yourself. We really recommend you to do that!

And OMG, there's a brilliant article on slang in the magazine:

"So, FYI: You better start studying, innit, so your exam will turn out money instead of an epic fail! #yolo"

*The True Story of the Wolf and Three Little Pigs

 

You have all probably heard the story of the Three Little Pigs. You know, the one where they build three houses in different materials in order to keep the Big Bad Wolf out (if you don't remember the story - click here). Well according to the Big Bad Wolf himself that story is not the real story. The real one is to be found in Key English at page 36 - 37. Read his story and do task 5 - 7 page 38.

If you want the story read out loud by the Big Bad Wolf himself - take a look at the video above!

8EF - this is homework for Tuesday April 8th - bring both Key English and your homework to class.

*Cinderella

In addition to writing the most fantastic children's books and short stories, Roald Dahl also writes poetry! This week we want you to read his hilarious take on the famous fairytale about Cinderella.

Read the poem here. Do not worry if you don't understand all the words, Roald Dahl tends to make up his own words sometimes.

If you would like to listen to it while you read, follow this link. It might be helpful.

This is homework for 8CD for Wednesday 19th of March.
This is homework for 8EF for Tuesday 18th of March.

Optional: Here he has a go at Little Red Riding Hood as well. Enjoy, it is so funny!

*Man from the South

As we mentioned in last week's blog post, Roald Dahl did not just write books and stories for children. He wrote short stories for adults as well, and one of the most famous stories is "Man from the South".

You are to read the story and write a short summary (approx. 100 - 150 words) - bring your summary to school. Click here to find the story!

NB: You should not wait until the last evening to read the story and write the summary - this is quite a lot of work, so why not start today?

This is homework for 8EF for Tuesday March 11th
This is homework for 8CD for Wednesday March 12th

*Behold! Great Author!

We would like to introduce you all to Roald Dahl. Many of you already know him, he has written fantastic children's books such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and The Witches. But did you know that he also wrote fantastic ghost stories for adults and teens? Some really creepy ones... We can not wait to read them with you. 

But to prepare you for this, we would like you all to read THIS biography about him. Please spend time understanding the text, and look up words you do not understand.

This is homework for 8CD for Wednesday 5th.
This is homework for 8EF for Tuesday 4th.

Optional: For those of you familiar with The BFG, read this cute story.