H5 - week 6- lesson 1

• Middelbare school

Today's objectives

• Listening - mark in som
  
• Reading battle
• Writing an informal letter/essay

Informal letter no. 1

Address

24 April, 2011

Dear Masako,

How are you? I hope you didn't get hurt during the tsunami. I've hear on the radio that there was an earthquake in Japan. When my mom told me that the earthquake was followed by a tsunami, I was shocked. Does your family or do any friends (of yours) live in the disaster area? I really hope everyone is fine.

I saw everything on TV last night, and I really sympathize with you. I hope your house isn't severely damaged. Do you remember our time at summer camp in France last year? That was great! I really like the vacation back then. If you need any place to stay over for this summer, you're more than welcome to at my place.

Informal letter no. 1

By the way, I've heard on the news that the Japanese government is shutting down the nuclear power plant because they couldn't guarantee public safety any longer. As for nuclear power, there are some advantages as well as disadvantages. The good thing about it is that nuclear power reduces the emission of carbondioxide (a reduction of CO2), and in this respect it is better for the environment. However, if anything happens to a nuclear power plant, it will have dire consequences for public health. In the Netherlands, our government is considering building a second nuclear power plant. How many of these does Japan have?

How do you feel about living in a country that is constantly threatened by earthquakes? Would you like to live there forever, or do you feel that it would be safer abroad? (Have you ever considered moving abroad because it is safer?) If I were you, I would choose to move to a safer place, although I can understand that leaving your family and friends isn't easy.

Informal letter no. 1

I would like to invite you to come over to my place this summer vacation/these summer holidays. I've planned a lot of great things such as swimming at the local pool, shopping in Amsterdam and visiting the Anne Frank museum. Anyway, I wish you and your family good luck. Stay safe! / Take care!

Best wishes, 

Your first name

Writing guidelines

• Lay-out of an informal letter -> blue booklet 
  

• Top left-hand corner: your address (no name), followed by date, salutation -> 2 white lines inbetween each + 2 white lines between last paragraph and closure informal letter.

• Writing conventions (Dear Jane, How are you? etc. Don't use "GREETINGS" as closure)

• Punctuation (capital letters for geographical/personal names, I, end of sentence)

Writing guidelines

• Language use (informal, no slang)

• Vocabulary (synonyms, upper level, appropriate)

• Sentence structure (linking words, coordinating words)

• No. of words in the left marging/Task completion (Carefully read task!)

Informal letter

Your address top left (no name)

Date below address (2 blank spaces)

Salutation left (2 blank spaces)

First paragraph: introduction (How are you? I've been really busy...) - one single space between intro & next paragraph

Main body (1 single space between each paragraph):

• Second paragraph: 
  
• Third paragraph:
  

Final paragraph: conclusion (Hope to see you soon. In the meantime, take care!) - two single spaces

Signature: Best wishes/Love etc. & your name below this

General feedback informal letter no. 1

• Number of words written in left margin (200-240 -> points will be taken off for too few/too many words)
  

• Date in full (14 April, 2002 / April 13, 2002)
  

• TWO white lines between your address/date/salutation/closure
  

• Use synonyms/variety of vocabulary
  

• article use (no "the" when noun is plural/general sense) & plural nouns (in essay to avoid personal pronouns)

• Add more details to your sentence (coordinating/subordinating conjunctions)
  

• READ the writing task carefully
  

• Use gerunds & Add details.
  

Specific feedback informal letter no. 1

• to move abroad

• to happen -> to occur (How do you feel about earthquakes occurring regularly/constantly in your country?)
  

• to reduce/lessen the emission of carbondioxide/ CO2 emission

• public health (not: the health of the people)
  

• their vs they're (their homes = possessive / they're = they are) - your vs you're (your home = possessive / you're = you are)

• a + consonant(consonant sound) = a tree / a uniform ("j" sound) VS an apple (a = vowel sound)

• disaster area / these circumstances / these surroundings / nuclear power plant

Linking words paragraphs (essay)

First of all, second of all, thirdly etc. (to orden/sum up)

One example, for instance, also (to give examples)

Furthermore, moreover (to stress additional information)

Even though, although, however, nonetheless (to stress a contrast/contrary information)

Coordinating/subordinating conjunctions sentences  (letter/essay)

Between two main clauses (main clause = subject + verb, expresses a complete thought)

F = for

A = and

N = nor

B = but

O = or

Y = yet

S = so

• Nuclear power plants have been around for ages, yet the public safety is often an item of discussion
  
• I am opposed to nuclear power, for it puts the public at risk.
• We could go shopping in Amsterdam, or we could visit the local museum in my city.
  
• Nuclear power plants offer an environmentally-friendly/sustainable source of energy, but at the same time they are rather dangerous.
  

Subordinating conjunctions sentences  (letter/essay)

To add a subclause (does NOT express a complete thought)  to a main clause.

Subclauses before the main clause -> separated by a comma.

• As long as nuclear power plants strictly adhere to the safety rules, the public health won't be at risk.
  
• Provided that nuclear power plants striclty adhere to the safety rules, the public health won't be at risk.
• As soon as I had learned about the disasters in Japan, I decided to write you.
  
• I decided to write you as soon as I had heard about the disasters

Writing rubric

• Grammar (tense, adverbs, adjectives, articles etc.)
  
• Vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms, variety etc.) 
  
• Sentence structure (compound/complex sentences, descriptive)
  
• Formal language (informal letter = informal language, but no slang)
  
• Punctuation & Spelling
  
• No. of words (task completed, sufficient/not too many)
  

Essay writing

• Structure - intro/3 paragraphs/conclusion (= 5 paragraphs)
  
• General topic (controversial) / short stories
  
• Formal language
  
• Avoid personal pronouns
  
• Use linking words (also, moreover, even though, nonetheless etc.)
  
• Use an general example ending in your topic statement (=thesis)
  

Assignment

Write a formal essay about a controversial topic/Write informal letter no. 2 - hand in!

OR

Practice reading with 2019 HAVO exam

Preparing your Essay

• Think of a controversial topic (i.e. Soccer players are overpaid = THESIS)
  
• Think of 3 arguments to support your opinion
  

• Come up with two examples to support each argument
• Write a rought draft of 5 paragraphs: Intro/3 arguments & examples/Conclusion (in which you repeat your thesis & your main argument

Short Stories

• Protagonist Mr. Know-All = Mr. Kelada (also know as Mr. Know-All). Mr. Ramsey causes conflict for Mr. Kelada a.k.a. Mr. Know-All
  

     (the narrator is NOT Mr. Kelada, but a main character)

• Theme Sredni Vashtar = revenge, imagination vs reality
  

• Climax Lamb to the Slaughter = 

      First climax:  When Mrs. Maloney kills her husband 

      Second climax: When the police officers eat the evidence/leg of lamb 

      Second climax = narrative twist; dramatic irony (the reader knows sth. that the characters don't)

• Definition short story/plot/narrative hook/setting etc. -> study your blue booklet