Educating Essex - Episode 1, from 10 minutes 40 seconds

Together, we are going to watch the remainder of episode 1 of Educating Essex. As we are watching, you should answer the questions below. You can copy and paste them into a Word document and type your answers underneath.

1.‘Without wishing to sound kind of _________ about it a teacher has to entertain.´

2.Why does Mr Drew believe that a teacher has to entertain? What example does he give?

3.‘When you look at it like that, _________!’

4.Do you think it is acceptable for a class to be interrupted to celebrate a teacher’s birthday? What do you think viewers might think of this scene?

5.‘The hardcore kids we’ve got are really fairly hardcore. They are massively ____________.’

6.‘Her mobile phone is becoming a ________________ with the staff.’

7.According to Mr Drew what is the way of stopping pupils ‘make a disaster of their lives’?

8.Is expelling a student the solution according to Mr Drew? Why or why not? Develop your answer.

9.‘She is one of the most __________ young people that we’ve ever had.’ (talking about Carmelita)

10.‘Once a young person decides they don’t care, and they don’t care what you do, you’re ______________ .’

11.Why does Mr Drew want to suspend Carmelita?

12.Why does the other teacher end the phone call with Carmelita’s mother?

13.How does Carmolita’s description of the event vary as the story progresses?

14.CCTV cameras in the school were crucial in helping to prove Mr Drew's innocence. Do you think that all schools should have CCTV cameras installed? Why?/Why not? If you do, where in a school should/shouldn't they be installed. Justify your opinion.

Focus on an episode

Focus on an episode

Character and storyline

1) Watch one of the other episodes of Educating Essex (2-7) and focus on one character or storyline.

Write a short description of what happens (250 words approx - 5 short paragraphs) with at least 5 images from the show taken using screen captures.

Explain:

• What happens in this part of the show
• Who is involved
• What the viewer might think about this part
• The different camera angles used to tell the story (see below)
• Whether you think that it's ethical to film or broadcast this part of the show
• Your own personal opinion of this storyline

Debating: Key phrases that will help you to 'win' an argument and wow your teacher!

In order to argue and counter-argue in an effective and sophisticated manner, it's really important that you are able to use a range of appropriate words and phrases. Below are a range of words and phrases that you might consider using. Spend some time studying them and try to make use of the ones you like the most!

VERBS:

To improve / worsen

To encourage / prevent

To support / object to

To develop

To provide (with)

To implement

To solve

To allow / permit / let

BE CONVINCING

Without a shadow of a doubt, …

It is absolutely vital that / crucial that …

There is no question that

TECHNIQUES TO INVOLVE THE LISTENERS / AUDIENCE

We all know that… (get the listeners on your side)

Think about it: … (use imperatives to attract the audience’s attention)

I’m sure that everyone in the room would agree / recognize / accept … (encourage your listener to agree)

Let’s face it, … (making something seem like a self-evident truth)

Imagine a school where … Does this sound ……….? (scenario)

Would you really ………? (rhetorical question – add detail)

What next? Would you accept …(use exaggeration)

CONNECTIVES

·Although / Even though / Though

·Despite / In spite of

·Therefore / As a result of this / Consequently

·On the other hand / However / Yet / Conversely

·Otherwise / If not

·This may  lead to / This could cause

·Without

·If

·As

·Whereas

·While

·Therefore

·Due to this

·First of all / Firstly / Secondly / Thirdly / Furthermore / Moreover / In addition to this

·In conclusion / In summary / To sum up, …

·…for two main reasons: Firstly…., Secondly, …

·Unfortunately / Undoubtedly / Currently / Unsurprisingly

LISTS OF THREE:

Adjectives (It is expensive, inefficient and unreliable)

Nouns (It would negatively affect students, parents and teachers.)

Verbs (to improve, renovate and develop …)

Points (It would lead to an increase in the profits of the company, a positive impression of the business and a number of new customers)

KNOCK DOWN THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ARGUMENT
While it’s true that …,

Although many people may agree that…

Yes, …. Yes, … and yes, … However, have you seriously considered ….?

After listening to your points, I must point out that …

While it’s true that ……, you must admit that …

I would like to point out one major flaw in your argument: …

Although I accept that …., as you have said, I find …. absolutely preposterous!

Don’t you think that it’s a little naïve to assume that … ?

You claim that … But it’s completely realistic to suggest that…

Debating Verbs

As part of your preparation for the debate that you will be conducting, you should be familiar with a range of debating verbs. Click on the following link and spend some time revising some of the key debating verbs: http://quizlet.com/27286431/flashcards. 

Understanding what we´re listening to...

Understanding what we´re listening to...

Watch the opening 10 minutes, and think about the vocabulary below:

Click here to watch episode 1 (sorry about the Swedish subtitles!)

COPY AND PASTE THIS TABLE INTO A WORD DOCUMENT.

 YOU CAN USE YOUR VOCABULARY CARDS FROM LAST LESSON (StudyBlue) TO HELP YOU. 

Vocabulary:	What does this refer to?
Clear off scumbags!	A teacher says this in the opening credits to dismiss his class. He is joking because ‘scumbags’ is a derogatory term but the pupils don’t mind. This suggests they have a good relationship.
Their headteacher has grand ambitions.
The mantra that we use is…
That’s easier said than done.
…without a shadow of a doubt.
This little sergeant major character is what he is… who is ‘uber-focused’ on everything…
There is no reason for you to wear that dead animal.
… I will restrain you!
I give you credit for your ingenuity.
…is often the last resort…
…that’s what does my head in.
A lot of young people struggle with the concept of boundaries.

How the film-makers create a narrative:      Which characters are developed?      Which storylines have the producers chosen?      How are the teachers and pupils portrayed?
Use of non-diagetic sound compared to diagetic sound:        Why is non-diagetic sound used?        Do you notice anything else about how the programme is made or put together and edited?
Realism:        Is it 100% realistic?       Are there any ethical concerns about the programme?
Vocabulary or expressions            Make a note of any new words or good vocab

Understanding what we´ve read...

Understanding what we´ve read...

TASK: It is important that we are able to follow an argument... 

Comprehension questions on: 'What sort of example is this to set our children?'

1) How does this article present the teachers in ´Educating Essex´? You must use your OWN words AND a quotation from the text to prove your answer.

2) How are the pupils from this school presented in this article? You must use your OWN words AND a quotation from the text to prove your answer.

3) According to the text, what are the problems with putting cameras in classrooms?

4) Find an adjective that means ´in a bad/unattractive/uncomplimentary way´.

5) Find an adjective that means ´not serious or jokey´.

6) Find a verb that means ´to mess around/to not take things seriously´.

Comprehension questions on: 'Is Educating Essex a realistic view of classroom life?'

1) Do the pupils´views differ from the teachers´view about the program? If so, in what way.

2) What did Claire Marsh find disappointing? In your own words.

3) What did James Diggory find disappointing?

4) Find an adjective that means ´positive´ (used to describe a teacher).

5) Find an informal word for 'people who talk a lot and are loud'.

Educating Essex - What´s it all about?

Educating Essex - What´s it all about?

We are going to watch and study a British documentary called 'Educating Essex'. Below are links to two news articles about it. For each article:

1. Read the article(s) below.
2. Pick 10 words you don't know from each article.
3. Using either StudyBlue, Headmagnet or Quizlet make your own vocabulary list using your 20 new words. Think carefully about your list, you could use Spanish words, English definitions, synonyms...
4. Learn the words using your online resource

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2040729/Educating-Essex-What-sort-example-set-children.html

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2011/sep/29/is-educating-essex-realistic

Smart Tip:

To speed the process up, why not use Lingro? This page allows you to find instant definitions for the words that you do not know. (The quick link is at the top of the blog page for use throughout this year!)

Welcome to Year 10!

Welcome to our Year 10 2015/16 English blog! Here, I'll be posting many of the resources that you'll need for this year's tasks.