The Simpsons go HD

To celebrate The Simpsons going HD the makers have created a new title sequence. It’s great!

Creative Writing Process

Year 11 students are starting to prepare for a Creative Writing standard and a number of them don’t know where to start. For some writing ideas try the brainstorming activities on the Scholastic site.

What is the moral of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas?

This cautionary tale is about two boys, one the son of a commandant and the other a Jew, who come face-to-face at a barbed wire fence that separates, and eventually intertwines their lives. The novel is set during the Holocaust, Bruno is only nine-years-old when his father is transferred from Berlin to Auschwitz. The house at “Out-With,” as Bruno calls it, is small, dark, and strange. He spends long days gazing out the window of his new bedroom, where he notices people dressed in striped pyjamas and rows of barracks surrounded by a barbed wire fence. Bored and lonely, and not really understanding the circumstance of his new existence, Bruno sets out to explore the area and discovers Shmuel, a very thin Jewish boy who lives on the other side of the fence. An unlikely friendship develops between the two boys, but when Bruno learns that his mother plans to take her children back to Berlin, he makes a last effort to explore the forbidden territory where the boy in the striped pyjamas lives.

We have read and discussed the novel now so what do you think the moral or message of the novel is? What new insights and understandings does John Boyne want the reader to gain from reading this story?

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

10 Kim has read The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas over the last two nights and I have been very impressed with their insightful discussion of the novel. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas depicts a fictional friendship set during World War II. Bruno, the son of a newly-promoted Nazi officer, moves with his family from a comfortable life in Berlin to a lonely existence in the countryside. An adventurous boy with nothing to do, Bruno ignores his mother’s instructions not to explore the back garden and takes off for a “farm” he has seen from his bedroom window. As he approaches a barbed wire fence, Bruno sees Shmuel, the boy in the striped pajamas, on the other side, and an unlikely and life-changing friendship develops. Author John Boyne describes his novel as a fable and explains, “considering the serious subject matter of this novel and the fact that I would be taking certain aspects of concentration camp history and changing them slightly in order to serve the story, I felt it was important not to pretend that a story like this was fully based in reality (which was also the reason why I chose never to use the word “Auschwitz” in the novel). My understanding of the term “fable” is a piece of fiction that contains a moral. I hope that the moral at the centre of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is self-evident to readers.”

Just Write

Today Mr Nicholson told me about Just Write. Just Write is a writing programme with a difference. Each year Just Write supports ten young writers around the country to develop their writing and media literacy skills and increase their understanding of global issues, such as poverty, human rights and sustainability. Just Write are looking for young writers to join the 2009 team and if you are interested go here. Be quick though, you need to apply by February 16.

Thirty-Eight Saw Murder Didn’t Call the Police

This article from The New York Times by Martin Gansberg can help students reflect on ‘Lord of the Flies’. In 1964 The brutal murder of Kitty Genovese and the disturbing lack of action by her neighbours became emblematic in what many perceived as an evolving culture of violence and apathy in the United States. In fact, social scientists still debate the causes of what is now known as “the Genovese Syndrome.”

Human Rights

The Year 10 programme is divided into four themes and to start the year 10Kim is studying ‘Get up! Stand up!’ This theme focuses on human rights.

Here is a video that looks at Human Right #1 – That we are all born free and equal.

Changing Perspectives

National Carrot Day

Who doesn’t like carrots? This video helps to celebrate National Carrot Day – is there nothing they can’t do?

Creative Writing at Year 11

For many Year 11 students the first English standard they attempt is AS 90052-Creative Writing.

This achievement standard requires drafting, re-working, and presenting writing that expresses imaginative and creative ideas, is organised using an appropriate format and structure, and uses acceptable spelling, punctuation, and grammar. It is that last part that often is difficult for students.

You may find this link helpful as it will show you how to include more and better description in your writing.