News, diary and (very) rough scheme of work for Literacy Workshop students 2001

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This diary was originally updated and made available to students on the Sunday before each lesson. It contains links, comments and teaching ideas. A (very rough) scheme of this year's work now follows the diary below. This page updated 30/07/07
8/7/02: See you all at our chosen venue for a drink and a chat.
1/7/02: Last class of the term. Progression interviews. Taking a look at the on-line practice tests now available on the Read Write Plus - Adult Numeracy & Literacy Tests site.
24/6/02: Looking through student portfolios, which will be collected tonight and returned next week. Listening to student talks, end of term reviews.
17/6/02: Students will be using "TextHelp" to read back internet pages, including the online version (updated 30/07/07) of the newspaper article we were looking at last week and our previous individual descriptive writing pieces. Students will then continue their work on individual projects (some will be planning a short talk about their project - to give next session).
	10/6/02: Discussion of notes written up after last session's listening / note taking exercise (we used the leading article from last week's Abingdon Herald - about the sinking War Memorial). Pooling of students' notes, using them for some joint class writing on the whiteboard (focusing on paragraphs and linking words). Students will then continue their work on individual projects. (Read a version (updated 30/07/07) from the online Oxford Mail) We will also be discussing some of the new vocabulary that arose last week - artesian well (Abingdon Herald article) and obelisk (Abingdon Herald and Three Men in a Boat. We will finish with a hilarious piece from Three Men in a Boat (recommended by Linda - thanks!) describing an encounter with a tin of pineapple. Note for students and visitors: We've found a new link. Take a 3D interactive tour of Abingdon Market Place.
3/6/02: Bank Holiday / Half term : no class this week.
	27/5/02: 1) Listening / writing exercise - take short notes whilst listening to a short piece about Abingdon (this will be read twice). After the exercise students will be given a copy of the source and we will discuss how to take useful notes (from both text and aural sources). 2) Looking at the Abingdon web sites (links below) - after half term students will be collecting information about Abingdon from a variety of sources for personal investigations. Tonight, students need to decide on a topic (Abingdon's history? Abingdon's parks? Shopping facilities? Walks? Scenery? Favourite places? New Sports Centre? Local News?) and think about possible sources of information (library - books, magazines, local papers; web - pictures, information; talking to people - history, views; listening / watching - local radio, TV, videos).
Plenary: We will finish the session by listening (just for fun - but listen out for the "old fashioned" language) to another travel text about Abingdon. Jerome K Jerome (Three Men in a Boat) seems to have similar views (on Abingdon) to those of Bill Bryson even though his piece was written 100 years earlier! We are still continuing our quest for an author that doesn't find Abingdon "boring"! We think it's a great place! Post script: after discussion we decided not to give out the original text until the next class. Students also decided to write up notes at home or next session - as this would show that they really were relying on their notes and not on their memory. We also had a look at how newspapers (and prices and salaries!) have changed over the last 40 years. This was prompted by one class member (thanks Ross) bringing in a copy of "The Daily Telegraph and Morning Post" - found in the bottom of an old chest of drawers! Dated Saturday February 20 1960 the main headline was: THE QUEEN: A SECOND SON BORN.
	20/5/02: Tonight we are going to look at the features of information texts (Rt/E3.5, L1.4) starting with a free tourist leaflet available from the Abingdon tourist office (updated 30/07/07). We will also be practising scanning techniques (Rt/E3.7 L1.5) looking for specific pieces of information (working in pairs to set each other scanning challenges). We will start to look at the features of information texts on the web (continued next week) - use of hyperlinks, interactive menus, pictures, bullets, etc. - our first port of call will be the official Abingdon web site (updated 30/07/07), followed by several other informative sites (1, 2) and finishing with a light-hearted online pub crawl around England's oldest town.
13/5/02: New topic delayed for a week due to unavoidable student absences / illness on 29/4/02.
6/5/02: No class tonight due to May Day holiday.
	29/04/02: Starter activity - we'll be listening to another piece from "Notes From a Small Island" (not about Abingdon this time). Students will be doing some work using a 3D style printed tourist map of Oxford City - trying to follow Bill Bryson's very descriptive and persuasive (but not very instructive!) tour around Oxford. We will also be looking at his use of adjectives and other persuasive language, using a large A3 shared PDF text (updated 30/07/07) taken from his book. I've also found a book of old Abingdon photographs which students are welcome to have a look at. If any one wants to write down their memories of "How Abingdon used to be..." between now and half term I will add them to this web site.
22/04/02: This evening we are going to take a look at multimap.com. Students will begin the session by typing in their postcodes to obtain a large scale street map. The 1:10 000 map has just the right amount of detail although students that live some distance from college may need to use the navigation arrows and print out several pages (use the "Print Friendly" button for best results). Students will use the maps to help them write directions for their route to college this evening. Students' instructions will then be compared to those given by the "directions" facility in Multimap. To obtain Multimap directions: click on the directions tab, then type in your own post code and the college's postcode (OX14 1GG). Multimap directions are certainly clear and concise - but do they work? If there is time we will also be looking at the aerial photography section (see if you can find your house!). There are also some (small) historic photos that students might want to look at (this ties in nicely with our previous class discussion about changes in Abingdon).
	15/04/02: Starter activity (listening): interpreting and following oral instructions (directions to a place - using maps as below). Continuing individual work as below.
	08/04/02: Review the main features of instructional text. Write some instructions as a group. Followed by individual work - giving clear instructions to other class members (both orally and in writing) using map worksheets printed from BBC Skillswise site.
Two week Easter break. Class restarts on Monday April 8th.
18/03/02: End of term reviews. Individual work. Class discussion - new sports centre, how Abingdon has changed, wheelie bins!
11/03/02: Due to student absences / illness last week please see last week's plan (below).
	04/03/02: This week we are going to start the session by listening to a short piece of text (from a Bill Bryson book - worksheet coming soon). We will have a quick recap on instructions before students continue with last weeks individual work - looking at instructional texts on the web. Some students will be copying and pasting their favourite instructions into a Word documents. We will then look at these texts in greater detail and use formatting (bold, underline, colour, etc.) features to mark out imperatives, connectives, and possibly adverbials.
	25/02/02: starting a new topic tonight - instructional texts. Remember to bring in some examples from home. After some group discussion we will be doing individual web investigations - click here for details
	18/02/02: learning plan reviews with students who were absent last session. Overview of purpose of texts and what we have learnt about descriptive/persuasive texts. A final "sweet" (!) writing project (focusing on adjectives) before we move on to instructional texts. Class survey and discussion - which group teaching session have you found to be the most interesting / useful?
	11/02/02: Half Term.
03/02/02: tomorrow night is the last session before half term so we will be doing learning plan reviews with all students. We will also be chatting about the topics we have covered this term (and what's coming up next!). The individual writing project page has been updated to include latest pieces of students' work.
27/01/02:in tomorrow night's session we will continue discussion about prefixes, introduce antonyms, individual worksheets on prefixes (see PDF download). Continue with writing - those that finish can have a go at changing all their adjectives and creating some negative descriptions!
22/01/02: individual descriptive writing projects on display.
	21/01/02: group teaching session will be based on these word focus topics: prefix game, reading words with prefixes, using prefixes to make opposites, how prefix rules can help spelling, using prefixes to work out word meanings. We will then continue with individual writing projects ("House for Sale" descriptions). Link to local estate agent added 19/1/02 (students will use this link on Monday 21st whilst learning how to copy and paste web pictures into their own documents).
	7/01/02: class joint writing project now on line. (Lesson plans, overhead transparencies (updated 30/07/07) and other resources will be available for other tutors soon!).

Literacy Lesson Plans - used in Literacy Workshop (Level E2-L1) at Abingdon and Witney College (2001-02)
Lesson outline All lessons are mapped online to our main UK Adult Literacy or Numeracy Curriculum pages where you can find other related activities and resources		First used Mon 7-9pm on...	Extra resources included with this plan include... (links will be found within each lesson plan)
1	Looking at the purpose of different texts - to describe, explain, inform, instruct, entertain or describe. Use two OHTs (Thinking About What You Read, Six Purposes of Text) to introduce topic along with class brainstorming etc. Then differentiated text sorting activity (students record findings on worksheets) to decide upon type, source, purpose, audience, etc.	Oct 29th, Nov 5th 2001	All OHTs, worksheets, instructions for text sort and other ideas available in our 14 page PDF which includes differentiated worksheets for levels E2, E3 and L1
2	Introduce adjectives (negative, positive, passive) and their use in persuasive/descriptive texts (using a shared text and ads from newspapers). Individual Adjectives work using BBC Skillswise.	Nov 19th	Shared text (1 page PDF) compiled from local house ads, holiday cottage description). Worksheets and games in our 17 page PDF
3	Revise Adjectives. Introduce suffixes by turning nouns into adjectives (gold - golden, etc.). Looking at Fact v Opinion in house adverts.	Dec 3rd	Record sheets to record facts v opinions taken form local house ads or shared text (1 page PDF as above).
4	Using Adjectives and Persuasive Language to write Estate Agents House Ads a group writing project	Jan 7th 2002	Overhead transparency (2 page DOC) - picture of a house to sell, sample negative and positive texts, teaching ideas. Adjective (PDF) and Descriptive Text (PDF) handouts / OT / worksheets. Shared Text (PDF).
5	Descriptive / Persuasive Writing - House for Sale Individual writing projects from five students.	Jan 14th /21st / 28th	OT ( 2 page DOC) and shared text (1 page illustrated colour PDF) as above. Adjective (PDF) and Descriptive Text (PDF) handouts / OT / worksheets.
6	Prefixes, Antonyms and Spelling starter activity (game) and follow up lesson.	Jan 21st / 28th	Game instructions, worksheets, OT, spelling rules, web links (13 page PDF)
7	Revise negative prefixes. Adjective starter activity (with sherbet lemons - inspired by an idea on Teachit's English Resources )	Feb 18th	Sherbet lemon sheet (PDF) for each student, header cards for whiteboard, instructions.
8	Instructional Texts on the Web group teaching session looking at the features of instructional text (imperative, chronological, time connectives, etc.) followed by individual web investigations.	Feb 25th / Mar 4th	3 4-page PDF worksheets (levels E2, E3, L1) with background info and record sheets to record features of instructions.
9	Listen to a short text, then answer the questions. Was it easier second time around when you knew the questions in advance? Why? Was it easier because the text was about Abingdon? Followed by class discussion - changes in Abingdon, new sports centre, wheelie bins!	March 18th	Question and answer sheet based on some paragraphs (from Bill Bryson's "Notes from a Small lsland") describing a visit to Abingdon.
10	Listening to another piece from "Notes From a Small Island" (not about Abingdon this time). Students will be doing some work using a 3D style printed tourist map of Oxford City - trying to follow Bill Bryson's very descriptive and persuasive (but not very instructive!) tour around Oxford (see right for PDF)	April	We will also be looking at Bryson's use of adjectives and other persuasive language, using a large A3 shared PDF text taken from his book.

A (very rough) Scheme of Work: Sept 2001 - July 2002
Date	Main Focus	Main Shared Text	Main Sentence - Word Focus	Speaking and Listening	Other texts
Sep - Oct 01	Screening and assessment		Individual student targets	Individual discussions with tutor	Note: theme for these texts is "Abingdon". ( We are still looking for a travel writer that does not find Abingdon boring. It's a great place!)
Nov - Dec 01	Reading: Purpose and source of texts	Various (lesson plan and worksheets available)	Individual student targets	Paired discussion with other students
07 Jan - 18 Feb 02	Reading (lesson plan available) and Writing (individual work online): Descriptive/ persuasive texts (PDF handout available)	Estate Agent and holiday cottage ads - available as PDF (updated 30/07/07)	Adjectives (PDF worksheets available), and individual word focus targets	Listen and respond: Listening for a purpose Discussion: various class discussions	Notes from a Small Island - Bill Bryson. PDF excerpt available used for: positive and negative adjectives, persuasive language, an example of "How not to give directions to get round Oxford", and just for fun. Other excerpts have been used for listening for a purpose activities, etc.
25 Feb - 29 Apr 02	Reading and Writing: Instructional texts (PDF worksheets available)	Various instructions on the web (on line lesson plan available)	Verbs - imperatives (PDF worksheets available), and individual targets.	Listen and respond, speak to communicate: following and giving clear directions
20 May - current	Reading and Writing: Information texts	Abingdon tourist brochure and Abingdon web sites (links here)	Sentences. Paragraphs.	Taking notes from aural sources.	Three Men in a Boat - J. K. Jerome. Used for: changes in language, vocabulary, descriptions, but mostly for fun!