English

Learners will have a 'spooky' return to lessons after half term in English.focussing on how literature fires the imagination. We will introduce them to the world of nineteenth century Gothic Fiction where we will study a range of excerpts from exciting, complex texts such as 'Frankenstein' and 'Dracula'. The learning plans also encourage analysis of poetic forms such as 'The Raven' by Edger Allen Poe. Gothic themes, settings and imagery will be studied. Learners will be assessed on their oracy, reading and writing skills.  A blended learning approach will continue to be taught through online and offline activities.

International Languages

We start Year 8 by revisiting key phonics in French. The learning of these sounds is reinforced in every unit of work, when we introduce new sentence builders.  In the autumn term, we build on the key grammatical ideas on which all languages are built.  Students start by introducing themselves in the present tense, describing where they live and introducing family members.  This allows students to learn how adjectives behave, the importance of the gender of nouns, cognates, subject pronouns and verbs. When appropriate we also ‘plant’ chunks of language.  This exposes students to common chunks of language before students are expected to understand the grammar behind the phrase. Our students learn about famous Francophones and their contributions not only to French society but to the world. Learners also get to participate in lots of activities during language week in September.  They are invited to become Language Ambassadors.  Learners can also access online vocabulary learning from their own home via www https://uk.language-gym.com.  We also offer students the opportunity to purchase Mary Glasgow magazines, which enable them to read articles designed for learners of their own age on current affairs and contemporary topics.

Welsh

Learners will learn how to express a good opinion this term through the topic YSGOL (School).In order to ensure learners can do this well, learners will be revisiting the present tense with some past tense also introduced. Learners will also learn lots of good adjectives to enable them to give opinions in all areas of school life. At the end of the topic, learners will be writing an email to an old friend describing their new school and will have an oral assessment. Throughout the term, we will be developing oracy skills, reading skills and writing skills. Learners will learn lots of new vocabulary and will use apps such as Quizlet, Blooket and Memrise to reinforce the vocabulary learned. Learners are encouraged to use these apps at home, and parents could log on too to have fun learning new vocabulary with their children. Duolingo is also a very useful app to help improve language skills at home. All homework is posted in Google Classroom. We have a twitter account and parents can follow us on @LGSCymraeg

English

In the Spring Term, Year 8 will be moving on to the topic of ‘Conflict’ after finishing ‘Media’. Although this is a multi-faceted module of work, the primary focus will be an introduction to poetry skills. Using a range of poems all centered around ‘conflict’, students will explore meaning by probing the subtext of poetry and will be able to understand the implications of using poetic techniques to impact the reader. This will result in a reading assessment that is designed to measure their inference and deduction skills. After writing a non-fiction piece through Media, students will explore how far literature can fire their imagination by producing their own conflict ‘slam poetry’ which will amplify their already wide-ranging creative skills from the Gothic module.

International Languages

Early on in the spring term, students will be completing assignments based on the previous topic of work.  To enable our students to become successful language learners, we have reviewed our curriculum and created teaching resources to implement the Extensive Processing Instruction (EPI) method principles into our lessons.

Where possible we replicate the order by which children naturally acquire their first language.  The learning of key sounds is reinforced in every unit of work, when we introduce new sentence builders.  In the spring term, we build on the key grammatical ideas on which all languages are built.  Students continue by introducing themselves in the present tense, describing where they live and introducing family members. This allows students to learn how adjectives behave, the importance of the gender of nouns, cognates, subject pronouns and verbs.  When appropriate we also ‘plant’ chunks of language. This exposes students to common chunks of language before students are expected to understand the grammar behind the phrase. Students access their work through google classroom and complete their work on an online digital exercise book.

Students can also access online vocabulary learning from their own home via www https://uk.language-gym.com. 

Welsh

This term, students will be continuing to learn how to give good opinions and will start to learn how to give examples to support their opinions.  Students will be learning new adjectives and revising the rules on adjectives. Students will also be learning how to form a new tense, the future tense, as well as revising tenses previously learned.  Students will be developing these skills through the topic Ffasiwn (Fashion).   We use  a variety of strategies within lessons to help with learning. We do lots of listening and speaking exercises as well as reading and writing work. We play lots of games to help reinforce vocabulary and also use apps such as Quizlet , and Kahoot, Blooket and Memrise to further reinforce learning. Learners are encouraged to use these apps at home, and parents could log on too to have fun learning new vocabulary with their children. Duolingo is also a very useful app to help improve language skills at home. All homework is posted in Google Classroom. We have a twitter account and parents can follow us on @LGSCymraeg

INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGES

This term, the International Languages department will continue to employ a range of strategies to ensure students learn in an enjoyable, positive and inclusive environment.    The learning of key sounds will be reinforced in every unit of work, whilst learning the key grammatical ideas on which all languages are built.  We will begin by looking at the topic of family.  Once this is completed we will be looking at two key verbs “avoir” and “être” which will help pupils develop their knowledge of the 3 key tenses - present, past and future.  We will also begin to watch a classic French film “Être et Avoir”.  We will also continue our cultural journey by looking at francophone countries and a range of French festivals throughout the year.  Pupils can access online vocabulary learning from their own home via www https://uk.language-gym.com,  https://senecalearning.com/en-GB/ and look at the vocabulary we have studied so far this academic year

https://lewisgirlsschool.padlet.org/madameweber/ltl1u83hxnd2bbqt.  Please follow us on our twitter account @LGS_MFL.

ENGLISH

Our learning journey continues into the summer term with a focus on how literature fires the imagination through different forms. Students will continue to develop their understanding of Shakespeare and poetry, furthering their understanding of  the many ways that literature can fire the imagination whilst exploring our rich literary heritage both, in Wales and the UK. There will be opportunities for analytical reading, creative writing, individual presentations and group oracy tasks. 

The final focus for Year 8 will be a close study of one of the following novels: Noughts and Crosses, or The Hunger Games.These dystopian texts will support students in becoming ethical, informed citizens who are knowledgeable about their culture, community, society and the world. They will also explore how essential it is that we respect the rights and needs of others as members of a diverse society.

We will continue to use a blended learning approach to maximise learning opportunities and develop the core skills of reading, writing and oracy even further. All units of work have a ‘digital book’ that includes all lesson materials, tasks and support pages.

There are a number of resources available to help your daughter with her English studies including:
Seneca Learning Platform: https://app.senecalearning.com/dashboar

Please encourage your daughter to read for pleasure at home. All English classrooms have a vast range of books suited to all interests that can be borrowed.

WELSH

This term, students will be continuing to learn how to give good opinions and will start to learn how to give examples to support their opinions.  Students will be learning new adjectives and revising the rules on adjectives. Students will also be learning how to form a new tense, the conditional tense, as well as revising tenses previously learned.  Students will be developing these skills through the topic Bwyd a Bwyta’n Iach ( Food and Healthy Eating).  Pupils will be given the opportunity to create healthy menus and to compare menus from different restaurants.  We use  a variety of strategies within lessons to help with learning. We do lots of listening and speaking exercises as well as reading and writing work. We play lots of games to help reinforce vocabulary and also use apps such as Quizlet , and Kahoot, Blooket and Memrise to further reinforce learning. Learners are encouraged to use these apps at home, and parents could log on too to have fun learning new vocabulary with their children. Duolingo is also a very useful app to help improve language skills at home. All homework is posted in Google Classroom. We have a twitter account and parents can follow us on @LGSCymraeg