Mastery Writing

student self-study

workbook

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Mastery Writing Self-Study Unit: Parent and Student Guide

This booklet is for KS3 students to practice writing on their own or with the help of a parent

or carer.

What will I do and learn?

• You will learn to write a well-structured love story with an opening, problem, solution and happy ending.

• You will learn about key grammatical rules that will make your writing more accurate

and precise.

How do I use the booklet?

• Set aside 1 hour to complete each lesson (20 minutes on grammar tasks and 40 minutes on the writing task).

• Read the grammar rules and explanations carefully before completing the tasks.

• For the grammar tasks, you can find the answers in the answer booklet.

How do the lessons work?

Each lesson is divided into four parts:

1. Do Now reviewing previously studied grammar: 5 minutes

2. New grammar instruction and exercise one: 5 minutes

3. Revision exercises two and three: 10 minutes

4. Explanation of how to structure your story: 10 minutes

5. Planning and writing your story: 25 minutes

6. Reading and checking your story: 5 minutes

How can I check the quality of my writing?

• After finishing your writing, re-read and check through it. Circle the key vocabulary. Underline and label the Mastery Checks.

• If you have not used all of the Mastery Checks or key vocabulary, edit your work to

include them.

Can parents, carers and siblings help?

Yes, of course! Family members can help in the following ways:

• Help you check your work using the answer booklet we provide.

• Help you with the planning of the story and check their writing after you have completed it using the Mastery Checks.

• Write a story at the same time as you. You could then compare your stories and check each other’s writing.

What else can I do if I love writing and I want more of a challenge?

• Keep writing stories using your own ideas.

• Use the structure you learn in this unit to write other types of stories, such as fantasy quests and mysteries.

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Lesson 7

Do Now:

Task: Correct the errors in this student’s work.

Thunder rolled and cracked across the hills. as rain lashed the rocky

mountainside. the two travellers staggered on they were t ired cold and hungry

they felt more dead than alive. “There is hope one of them

gasped, “because I can see lights in the castle

Exercise 1

Task: Underline the subject in these sentences.

1. Last December, a party of students set out to climb Mount Everest.

2. Ahmed Khan, a drama teacher, said that their performance was fantastic.

3. After they had filled the raisins with sleeping pills, Danny and his father fed them

to the pheasants.

4. It was a few days later than this that the pigs discovered a case of whisky in the

cellar.

5. It is a 3 pipe problem.

6. I have done nothing but in care of thee.

7. Fortunately, the fall was not serious.

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Exercise 2

Read the information below to understand what an independent clause is.

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Task: Decide whether the following examples are independent clauses or fragments.

If they are independent clauses, name the subject and the verb. If they are

fragments, explain why.

Sentence

Independent

Clause or

Fragment?

If it is an independent clause,

what is the subject/verb?

If it is a fragment, explain

why.

1. The lonely boy stumbled into the

dingy room.

2. The guard laughed loudly.

3. Despite his many flaws.

4. Billy thought about dancing.

5. Because her mother encouraged her

to be ambitious.

6. Although she couldn’t explain it.

7. The characters display a variety of

emotions.

8. The geese, ducks and hens staged a

month-long strike.

9. Jeremy dodged the ball.

10. Claudia’s cat stretched out on the

rug laid before the fire.

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Exercise 3

DEFINITION: An independent clause is a group of words that:

1. Contains a subject

2. Contains a verb

3. Expresses a complete idea

DEFINITION: A subordinate clause adds extra information to an independent

clause.

Read the information below to understand the difference between an independent

clause and a subordinate clause.

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Task: Circle the subordinate clauses in these sentences. Underline the independent

clauses.

1. As Sherri blew out the candles on top of her birthday cake, her hair caught on

fire.

2. Sara begins to sneeze whenever she opens the window to get a breath of fresh

air.

3. When the doorbell rang, my dog barked loudly.

4. After the basement flooded, we spent all day cleaning up.

5. Even though my alarm had gone off twenty times, I hit the snooze button.

6. After we had had lunch, we went back to work.

7. The children need to take the bus no matter how much it costs.

8. I first saw her in Paris where I lived in the early nineties.

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Correct the errors in this passage (There are 4 errors)

Error Correction

Although Orwell presents Boxer as a stupid animal, the reader is

also sympathetic towards him. They want him to succeed even though

they know that he is wrong to trust Napoleon. Orwell shows that Boxer

cannot learn the alphabet past “d” can’t remember anything and

doesn’t listen to Benjamin when he is being warned about the pigs. Whilst Boxer may

be stupid. He does have some moments of clarity. This is

demonstrated when he says “Then we have won back what we had

before. He recognises that the war was pointless.

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Read the information below to revise how you can use a problem solved structure to

write a love story. We will look at the opening in more detail.

Read the information below to find out more about what the opening of a love story

involves.

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Story Writing:

• Look at the vocabulary below the image. You will need to use each of these

words in your writing to say what happened in the image. Tick off the words as

and when you use them.

• You will also need to make sure you have included all of the mastery checks in

your writing. You have 30 minutes to complete your writing

• You should plan your story by writing your ideas for each part in the boxes.

Part one: Opening Part two: Problem

Part three: Solution Part four: Happy ending

Vocabulary

approached fascinated infatuated nervous

rival smiled realised heartbroken

Mastery Checks

Mastery Check 1 Mastery Check 2 Mastery Check 3

I have used capital letters

correctly.

I have written consistently in

the past simple tense.

I have not used any

fragments.

Crafting check: I have written a problem solved love story with a clear opening,

problem, solution and happy ending.

Christina

Kaito

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Lesson 8

Do Now:

e subjects and circle the main verbs in the sentences below. Remember,

tell the action that the subject was doing.

A bowler hat, magnifying glass and old boot lay on the table. Sherlock’s face

furrowed in contemplation. This case had attracted attention from across the world.

A loud bang, followed by a noisy crash, interrupted Sherlock’s reverie. Suddenly, the

table and all its contents flew into the air. Watson, who was late for his meeting with

Holmes, dashed into the room.

Underline th

main verbs

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Exercise 1

Read the information below to understand the difference between singular and

plural.

Task: Complete the table.

Subject Singular/Plural Convert the verb into past simple tense

He

[teach] geography.

The girls

[drink] lemonade.

They

[build] a wall.

Twigs and leaves

[lie] on the forest floor.

Holmes

[ban] the boy from speaking.

Deborah’s pet

goldfish

[eat] algae.

Ashley and her friends [do] their homework every Friday

night.

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Exercise 2

Read the information below to understand how what makes an independent clause

rather than a subordinate clause or fragment.

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Task: Change the first 3 fragments into independent clauses.

1. Because Linda had eaten all of the cake.

2. Even though Nick loved Drama.

3. Whilst Emma ran home.

Task: Change the last 3 fragments into subordinate clauses in longer sentences. You

can make up the rest of the sentence.

4. Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Watson, and Irene Adler.

5. In the battered old suitcase.

6. At 5 o’clock in the morning.

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Exercise 3

Read the information below to understand what a temporal clause is.

Task: Punctuate these sentences correctly.

1. Whenever Daisy looked through the window she always saw things that

she wanted to buy

2. Kaleigh twisted the dial on the machine before Makayla could reach it

3. As Holmes and Watson investigated the case more clues were revealed

4. Brenda said before I go to the shops I need to get some petrol

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Error Correction

Correct the errors in this passage (there are 5 errors).

Until 1547, King Henry VIII reigned over England, Ireland Scotland

and Wales. Catherine of Aragon, his first wife and a Princess of Spain. The only child

she had was a girl called Mary. King H enry was angry. He

wanted a son. After he realised Queen Catherine was not able to have a

son. He divorced her. He married a woman called Anne Boleyn, soon

afterwards. She was incredibly pretty and funny. Anne Boleyn had a daughter

called Elizabeth, but no sons. Lots of people thinks that Anne Boleyn was the

most intell igent wife. King Henry executed her in 1536.

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Writing

You have written problem solved love stories. Read the information below to revise

this structure.

Read the information below to understand what the problem part of a love story

looks like.

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Story Writing:

• Look at the vocabulary below the image. You will need to use each of these

words in your writing to say what happened in the image. Tick off the words as

and when you use them.

• You will also need to make sure you have included all of the mastery checks in

your writing. You have 30 minutes to complete your writing

• You should plan your story by writing your ideas for each part in the boxes.

Part one: Opening Part two: Problem

Part three: Solution Part four: Happy ending

Vocabulary

threatened departed infatuated painful

career desperate relieved romantic

Mastery Checks

Mastery Check 1 Mastery Check 2 Mastery Check 3

I have written consistently in

the past simple tense.

I have not used any

fragments.

I have included a temporal

clause and punctuated it

correctly.

Crafting check: I have written a problem solved love story with a clear opening,

problem, solution and happy ending.

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Poetry and Metaphor Booklet

Name:

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Poetry Self-Study Unit: A Guide for Students and Parents

This booklet is for KS3 students to practise writing on their own or with the help of a parent or

carer.

What will I do and learn?

• Enjoy reading a range of poems and write your own.

• Talk and write about each poem’s meaning and the way it is written.

• Develop a deep understanding of one of the most important poetry concepts: metaphor.

How do I use the booklet?

• Set aside about an hour to complete each lesson.

• Complete all the activities in each lesson in the order they appear.

• When completing written tasks, such as answering questions or writing paragraphs, you

should use full sentences and take care to use capital letters and full-stops correctly. • You will need an exercise book or lined paper to complete some of the exercises.

How do the lessons work?

Each lesson includes one new poem. The lesson is divided into four parts:

• Do Now Activities: These tasks help you remember things that will help you do the later tasks.

• Read: Read the poem out loud at least twice.

• Understanding: These questions help you to understand what the poem is about.

• Think Harder: In this section, you will be asked to write more about your thoughts, feelings

and reflections about the poem.

Can parents, carers and siblings help?

Yes of course! Other family members can help in the following ways:

• Read the poems out loud to you or listen to you reading them aloud.

• Talk with you about the questions before you start to write.

• Suggest ways to start your sentences or paragraphs.

• Check your writing, especially full-stops and capital letters.

• You could challenge them to write their own poem and share it with you.

What else can I do if I love poetry and I want more of a challenge?

• Choose one of the poems to learn by heart and perform it to family members.

• Read some poems with a younger sibling and ask them what they like about them.

• Find more poems you love in our second poetry anthology (available on our website).

• Complete tasks from the homework bank at the back of the booklet.

• Create and illustrate your own book of poems by copying out the poems you’ve written,

your favourites from the booklet and others you’ve found online.

I’m a parent, what do I need know to help with this booklet?

The most important and challenging learning in this booklet is:

• What is literal and non-literal language? What is metaphor?

• How do tenor, vehicle and ground help us to understand metaphor?

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Do Now Activities

Activity 1: Look at the two images below and give a possible ground between them (the ways they are similar).

Reading: ‘The Eagle’ by Alfred, Lord Tennyson Read the poem below twice.

Understanding: ‘The Eagle’ by Alfred, Lord Tennyson Write three sentences about your initial feelings towards the eagle. Explain

why you feel like this.

‘The Eagle’

Alfred, Lord Tennyson,1809 – 1892

He clasps the crag with crooked hands;

Close to the sun in lonely lands,

Ring'd with the azure world, he stands.

The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;

He watches from his mountain walls,

And like a thunderbolt he falls.

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Understanding: ‘The Eagle’ by Alfred, Lord Tennyson Write a phrase from the poem underneath each image to describe it.

Thinking Harder: The Ground Fill in the final column explaining the ground for each metaphor.

Tenor Vehicle Ground

The eagle’s claws

(line 1) “crooked hands”

The sea

(line 4)

Something “wrinkled”

The sea

(line 4)

Something that

“crawls”

A mountain

(line 5)

“walls”

The eagle

(line 6)

“a thunderbolt”

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Think Harder: Planning Writing

Which phrases (from the options below) best describe how Tennyson wants us

to feel about the eagle?

in awe of him angry about him sorry for him

impressed by him offended by him scared for him

Think Harder: Writing Paragraphs

Write a paragraph to answer this question, ‘How does the poet use metaphor

to describe the eagle?’.

Now answer the question yourself. Remember, you can format your

paragraph using the following structure:

1. Write your topic sentence.

2. Introduce and provide the quotation.

3. Explain what the quotation shows us about the eagle.

When you have finished, check your writing:

Check 1: Are there any run-on sentences?

Check 2: Does each proper noun begin with a capital letter?

Check 3: Have you used pronouns clearly and accurately?

Check 4: Have you checked your spellings?

Think Harder: Editing your work

Activity: Read the model below. Do you need to edit your paragraph?

Tennyson wants us to feel in awe of the eagle. This can be seen when he

says, ‘like a thunderbolt he falls”. This quotation shows us that the eagle is fast

and powerful. It can appear out of nowhere to strike its victims which makes it

frightening. However, it also makes it awe inspiring and this metaphor

suggests that it would be stunning to watch such a spectacle. The word

‘falls’ also makes it sound very natural, as if swooping down to catch its prey

is effortless for the eagle.

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Lesson 8, ‘The Tyger’, by William Blake

Do Now Activities

Activity 1: Answer the questions below in note form.

• How would you describe a tiger?

• What would you compare a tiger to? Why? What ground do they

share?

• Imagine that somebody made the tiger.

• What would you ask the person who designed it?

• What would you ask the person who made it?

Information: William Blake

In this poem, the writer is looking at a tiger. The poet is asking what kind of

person could design the animal, and how they could make such

a fearsome creature! The poem was written in 1794 (after Shakespeare and

before Dickens) by William Blake. William Blake is a famous writer who is

also famous for illustrating many of his poems. He even painted a scene

from A Midsummer Night’s Dream! Today, he is known just as much for his

fascinating paintings as he is for his poems.

The poem is about the creator of a tiger.

The poet wonders who could have been the creator of the tiger and where

such a ferocious animal could have been made.

The poet asks who could have been able to create the heart and brain of

the tiger and what tools the creator would need.

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Reading: ‘The Tyger’ by William Blake.

Each of the words below is found in the poem. Highlight and annotate them as you read through the poem for the first time.

The Tyger

William Blake, 1757 – 1827

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,

In the forests of the night;

What immortal hand or eye,

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies,

Burnt the fire of thine eyes?

On what wings dare he aspire?

What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, and what art,

Could twist the sinews of thy heart?

And when thy heart began to beat,

What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain,

In what furnace was thy brain?

What the anvil? what dread grasp,

Dare its deadly terrors clasp!

When the stars threw down their spears

And water'd heaven with their tears:

Did he smile his work to see?

Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger Tyger burning bright,

In the forests of the night:

What immortal hand or eye, Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

immortal – can live forever

symmetry – same on both

halves

thine – your

aspire – hope

sinews – tendons, part of

muscle

furnace – a container that

melts metal

Lamb – Jesus; thee – you

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Understanding: ‘The Tyger’ by William Blake Answer each question below in a full sentence. A stanza is a verse.

1. When does the poet see the tiger? (stanza 1)

2. What word does the poet use to describe the tiger’s ‘symmetry’? (stanza

1)

3. Where does the poet say the tiger’s brain was made? (stanza 4)

4. What tool was used to make the tiger’s brain? (stanza 4)

5. The poet wonders if the creator of the tiger smiled after he made the tiger.

Why do you think the poet wonders this? (stanza 5)

Think Harder: Let’s look at the metaphor in the first line.

‘Tyger Tyger, burning bright’.

Below are some possible grounds for this metaphor. The ground is the feature

that the tenor and the vehicle have in common.

Circle which of these examples of ground are successful.

• This indicates that the tiger is on fire.

• This suggests that there are two tigers.

• This suggests that the tiger’s fur stands out brightly against the night.

• This indicates that the tiger can breathe fire.

• This tells us that the tiger is dangerous, just like fire.

• This tells the reader that the tiger is burning brightly.

• This tells us that the tiger is hard to control or to tame.

• This is comparing the tiger’s bright orange fur to a fire.

Additional activities for ‘The Tyger’

Here is one person’s opinion about ‘The Tyger’.

‘Blake thinks that the tiger was created by a strong and

powerful god.’

1. Write down whether you agree or disagree with this statement.

2. Explain why you agree or disagree.

3. If you can, use some evidence from the poem to support your opinion.

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