Freedom Writers: Part 2

   1. Answer the following questions:

 - Why did Erin Gruwell (Mrs G) decide to become a teacher instead of a lawyer? 

 - Name some problems that Mrs Gruwell faces in the beginning! 

 - How do the students in room 203 treat each other in the beginning? 

 - In what way do you think Wilson High School (the school in Freedom Writers) is different from this school?

 - Are your school and the school from the movie the same in any way?

2. Continue watching the movie.

Practice these words: Freedom Writers Flashcards | Quizlet

Now that we`ve seen the movie Freedom Writers, we are going to read parts of the book. 

I want you to work with the following words first:  Freedom Writers Diary p. 1-29 (Part 1) Flashcards | Quizlet

Freedom Writers: Read, Part 1

Now that we`ve seen the movie Freedom Writers, we are going to read parts of the book. 

I want you to work with the following words first:  Freedom Writers Diary p. 1-29 (Part 1) Flashcards | Quizlet

During today´s lesson we will read and listen to Ms. Gruwell´s diary entry and also read and listen to diary entries 1-4 in the book: Mr. Prusinowski 8th Grade Freedom Writer's Diary 1 - 4 - YouTube

Today you are going to discuss racism, based on the scene with the drawing of Jamal.

- Where does racism come from?

Go to this page: http://www.chasingthefrog.com/reelfaces/freedomwriters.php and read about the real Freedom Writers.

Freedom Writers: Part 2

  1. Answer the following questions:

 - Why did Erin Gruwell (Mrs G) decide to become a teacher instead of a lawyer? 

 - Name some problems that Mrs Gruwell faces in the beginning! 

 - How do the students in room 203 treat each other in the beginning? 

 - In what way do you think Wilson High School (the school in Freedom Writers) is different from this school?

 - Are your school and the school from the movie the same in any way?

2. Continue watching the movie.

Practice these words: Freedom Writers Flashcards | Quizlet

Now that we`ve seen the movie Freedom Writers, we are going to read parts of the book. 

I want you to work with the following words first:  Freedom Writers Diary p. 1-29 (Part 1) Flashcards | Quizlet

Freedom Writers: Part 1

 

• Warm-up

What do you think it would be like being young in California or in the United States in general? Discuss your ideas. 

• Intro to movie 

In the fall of 1994, in Room 203 at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California, a young teacher with big hopes and dreams named Erin Gruwell faced her first group of students. The administration had called them "unteachable, at-risk"  teenagers. The class was a diverse mix of African-American, Latino, Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Caucasian students, and many  had grown up in rough neighborhoods in Long Beach. In the first few weeks of class, the students made it clear that they were not interested in what their teacher had to say, and made bets about how long she would last in their classroom... 

• Words 

Practice these words:
https://quizlet.com/219218954/freedom-writers-part-1-flash-cards/ 

• Watch the first part of the movie Freedom Writers 

Answer these questions after seeing the first part of the movie. 

 - Why did Erin Gruwell (Mrs G) decide to become a teacher instead of a lawyer? 

 - Name some problems that Mrs Gruwell faces in the beginning! 

 - How do the students in room 203 treat each other in the beginning?

Write a letter

 

Dear students!

Please read my letter to you and write an answer where you describe yourself as carefully as you can.

You can use these questions and look at my letter to you as a help or come up with your own things.

What is your name and how old are you?

Where do you live? Describe your home!

Tell me something about your family!

Do you have a pet?

What do you like to do in your spare time?

What do you like to do? Why?

Which is your favorite subject in school? Why?

Do you like the subject English? Why/Why not?

What are you good at when it comes to English and what do you need to improve?

 

Make a mind map or write a plan before you start writing and decide what you are going to include in your letter. Before you hand in your text, go through the pre-handing in checklist on the last page.

 

Good luck!

 

Kind regards,

Lavdije

 

                                                                           Halmstad, August, 2025

 

Dear students,

Welcome back to school after your summer holidays! My name is Lavdije Sylejmani and I will be your English teacher. I’d like us to get to know each other a little bit better and that’s why I have written a letter to you.

First of all, let me tell you a little about myself. I was born in Kosovo and raised here in Sweden. I moved a lot when I was young. I have lived in Boden, Östersund, Ludvika, Helsingborg and Kristianstad. I grew up with my mum, dad, two brothers and two sisters. I am the oldest.

 

Today I live with my family here in Halmstad. I have 5 children, four boys and one daughter. What about you? Have you lived in Halmstad all your life? Do you have any siblings? I live fairly close to school so it takes me a few minutes to get here. How do you get to school? Tell me a little bit about where you live. Do you have any pets?

In my spare time I spend a lot of time with my family. I am also interested in reading and travelling when I get a chance to do that. What do you like to do in your spare time? Have you got any hobbies or interests?

In school, I teach English. When I was in school, languages were my favorite subject. What about you? Do you like English? Why or why not? What are you good at when it comes to the subject and what would you like to practice more?

Well, that is all for now. Now it’s your turn to tell me about yourself. I look forward to reading your letter! You can use the questions in my letter and answer them, and you can also come up with ideas of your own.

Kind regards,

Lavdije

 

 

 

 

Sample letter: structure

Before you start writing we need to take look at some useful phrases.

 

                                                                                              Place and date

Greeting phrase:  Dear X/Hello/Hi
                                                                            

Starting your letter (Paragraph 1)

Thanks for your letter.
Lovely to hear from you.
How are you?
How are things?
Hope you're well.

I'm so pleased to hear ...
It was interesting to read about…

Moving the topic on (Paragraphs 2-4)

Now I am going to tell you a little bit about myself...

Ending your letter (Last paragraph)

Well, that's all for now
Write back soon
Looking forward to hearing from you again

Greeting phrase to end

All the best,
Best wishes,
See you soon,
Take care
Yours,
Love,
Lots of love,
Best regards,

You don't use all the phrases in the same letter. Choose those that suit your letter the best.

 

Pre-handing in checklist

Read through and answer the questions before you hand in your letter.  

 

Does my letter have… 

 

A greeting to start? 

A comment on what you have read?

A paragraph about you & your family, a paragraph about your hobbies and a paragraph about school?

An ending?

A final greeting?  

 

·         Any spelling mistakes? 

 

Avoid making these mistakes: 

There: där, their: deras, they’re = they are: de är 

Much: mycket, many: många 

How: hur, Who: vem 

No: nej, Know: veta 

Want to: vill, will: ska

Where: var (plats), were: var 

 

Mind the spelling of these words: with, because, of course, beautiful, couldn’t, wouldn’t 

 

·         Any grammar mistakes? 

Det finns: There is (1) There are (2->)

Det fanns: There was (1) There were ( 2->) 

 

Food Assignment

We have been working with food for a couple of weeks. By watching some films, looking at words and recipes, you have learned lots about food. Now it is time for you to prepare your own cooking show!

Follow these markers to prepare for your show:

- Pick one recipe that you like – look through the web, see if you find a recipe that your fancy/like. Copy it to a word document.

- Change the recipe – you have to write some things yourself. You can add fruits, meats or spices to the recipe.

- Start to write a script – Look at your recipe and think about what you have to do to cook it. What do you want to say? What do you want to film?

- Write down a list of all the words that has to do with food. Ingredients, appliances etc

- Start filming (3-5 min film with talking) – take time before to check the sound and picture, so you don’t have to do it all over. You can choose to talk when filming or add sound later.

- Show the film – Send the film to me; mail, teams etc should work. You can also choose to show the film for the rest of the class, but you don’t have to.

Make sure to practice! How you pronounce the words, when to paus etc.

You work alone – but you can discuss your recipe and script with a friend. (IN ENGLISH!!!)

At the end of the assignment, you will get to write a short text in English about food – more info will come.

Good luck!

/Lavdije

Yearbook

During the last weeks of year nine, you are going to create a yearbook for the class which will hopefully be a nice memory for you to look back into. When you are finished, we will put your texts together in a booklet and everyone will get a copy of it. You can also choose to make a graduation speech for your class. Then the script of your speech will be your yearbook contribution.

We are going to watch and discuss different clips about the future and you will also get to write a letter to your future self if you have time. 

The text you write for the yearbook and your speech will be assessed, the letter will not! Your text should be about a page.

Here are some tips on what you can include in your contribution to the yearbook:

a.   Your best memories of your school years

b.   A time you laughed, or cried.

c.   A piece of advice to your classmates for the future

d.   Something you hope you never forget about this time in your life

e.   Something you feel proud of having done

f.    Something you would like to do all over again

g.   Write about an imaginary class reunion year 2045

h.   A letter from yourself in the future to your classmates

i.     What you want to do in the future
j.   Your högstadiet survival guide for the future year 7's 

National test Preparation

 

National test preparation

Here are some links to pages that you can go to in order to practice your English.

Listening: 

https://lyricstraining.com/ This is a page where you can watch your favorite music videos and fill in the gaps to the lyrics as you listen. You can set the difficulty level to what you need.

http://www.esl-lab.com/ Here you can practice your listening skills by listening to conversations on different topics and then answer questions. The activities come in different difficulty levels.

http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/listening-skills-practice More listening activities on this page.

Reading: 

http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/reading-skills-practice Here you can read texts on different topics and do activities to improve your reading skills in English.

https://readtheory.org/ Ask your teacher for your login to this page, where you practice reading on your level.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/# Read news in English and answer questions about them. You can read at different levels of difficulty.

Extending your vocabulary: 

http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar-vocabulary/vocabulary-exercises Here you can learn new words and practice your vocabulary. You can listen to the pronunciation of the words and then do exercises.

http://freerice.com/#/english-vocabulary/1398 Practice the meaning of words and help to end world hunger at the same time!

Drilling grammar: 

Sometimes it is good to practice grammar rules in order to make your language more clear and coherent.

http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar-vocabulary/grammar-videos On this page you can watch videos of different grammar rules and then do exercises.

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises_list/alle_grammar.htm Here are many, many different grammar exercises to practice online.

Matilda: Writing Assignment

After we have finished watching the movie Matilda, you are going to write a text about it. I will present the different choices before you start watching so that you have plenty of time to think. 

You can pick whichever topic you would like and you need to write between 250  and 500 words.

• A Description of Matilda 
  Imagine you are friends with Matilda and you want to describe her to your parents. Write an introduction that tells your family who this girl is and what she is like.
  
  Dear Mum and Dad,
  I am going to tell you about a girl named Matilda...

• A Complaint Letter from one of Mr. Wormwood's Clients 
  Write a complaint letter from the point of view of one of Mr. Wormwood's clients. In the letter, write about the things he does at work and also about his personality and character (what he is like).
  
  To whom it may concern,
  My name is .... and last week I bought a ... from Wormwood's Motors. ... However, I must, unfortunately, say that I am not happy with the service I was given.

• A Recommendation Letter for Miss Honey 
  Pretend that you are helping Miss Honey to get a job in a different school. Write a recommendation that explains what she is like, what makes her special and what kind of person or teacher she is.
  
  To whom it may concern,
  My name is ... and I am going to write a recommendation letter about Jennifer Honey.

• Miss Trunchbull's Statement 
  Imagine that you are Miss Trunchbull. Write a statement from your own point of view where you explain why you do the terrible things you do in school.
  
  Dear Diary,
  I try so hard to be kind but I just can't seem to manage to be... kind. 

Mind your spelling and grammar! Be prepared to write a second draft and improve your text. 

What is being assessed? 

Formulera sig i skrift	I skriftliga framställningar i olika genrer kan eleven formulera sig enkelt, begripligt och relativt sammanhängande.	I skriftliga framställningar i olika genrer kan eleven formulera sig relativt varierat, relativt tydligt och relativt sammanhängande. Eleven formulerar sig även med visst flyt och i någon mån anpassat till syfte, mottagare och situation.	I skriftliga framställningar i olika genrer kan eleven formulera sig relativt varierat, tydligt och sammanhängande. Eleven formulerar sig även med flyt och viss anpassning till syfte, mottagare och situation.
Bearbeta och förbättra	För att förtydliga och variera sin kommunikation kan eleven bearbeta och göra enkla förbättringar av egna framställningar.	För att förtydliga och variera sin kommunikation kan eleven bearbeta, och göra välgrundade förbättringar av, egna framställningar.	För att förtydliga och variera sin kommunikation kan eleven bearbeta och göra välgrundade förbättringar av egna framställningar.

Checklist: Does your text have... 

Linking words to connect your ideas:

Addition:
And, furthermore, what is more, in addition, also, as well as

Reason:
For this reason, because of, the main reason why, since, therefore

Order:
First, firstly, in the first place, to begin with, second, after that, 

Example:
For example, for instance, such as

Summary:
Finally, in conclusion, to sum up, to conclude

Any spelling mistakes? 

Avoid making these mistakes: 

There: där, their: deras, they’re = they are: de är 

Much: mycket, many: många 

How: hur, Who: vem 

No: nej, Know: veta 

Want to: vill, will: ska

Where: var (plats), were: var 

Mind the spelling of these words: with, because, of course, beautiful, couldn’t, wouldn’t 

Any grammar mistakes? 

Det finns: There is (1) There are (2->)

Det fanns: There was (1) There were ( 2->) 

-s on verbs in the present tense when you talk about he/she or one thing

I go to school. 

My sister goes to school.

Matilda: Chapter 14 & 15

Work with words from these chapters here; 

The First Miracle -  Matilda, chapter 14: The First Miracle Flashcards | Quizlet

Listen to chapter 14 here: Matilda: Chapter Fourteen

The Second Miracle -Matilda, chapter 15: The Second Miracle Flashcards | Quizlet

Listen to chapter 15 here: Matilda: Chapter Fifteen
Answer questions in worksbook.

• What does Miss Trunchbull Think is in her glass?
• What does Matilda want to talk to Miss Honey about?

If you have time left, answer the "Extra" questions in your workbook.

Matilda: Chapters 11 & 12

Work with words here. https://quizlet.com/264886635/matilda-chapter-10-throwing-the-hammer-flash-cards/ 

Read Chapter 10 of Matilda: Throwing the Hammer. You will find it on page 97 in your books.

Then answer this question:
What is the Chokey? Describe it.

Finished? Work with words from chapter 11 here: https://quizlet.com/264886779/matilda-chapter-11-bruce-bogtrotter-and-the-cake-flash-cards/ 

Words from chapter 12: https://quizlet.com/267628880/matilda-chapter-12-lavender-flash-cards/

Listen here: (8) Matilda: Chapter Twelve - YouTube

               

Answer these questions: 

What will Miss Trunchbull test the children on? 

List three facts about newts: 

•  
•  
•  

Answer these questions: 

What does Nigel suggest Miss Trunchbull to do to check if all the students can spell "difficulty"? 

What does Miss Trunchbull do to Rupert? 

Number the Stars: Chapters 7-9

 Warm-up question: 

Do you think of yourself as a brave person? Why or why not? What makes a person brave?

Think of different kinds of bravery and give examples. (Examples: getting a shot at the doctor’s; performing in public)

During this reading, we will find out how Annemarie’s Uncle Henrik defines bravery. But first, some background information: 

The Resistance

Most of Denmark’s Jews were saved because of prompt and sometimes very imaginative action by ordinary citizens. For example, when Jorgen Knudsen heard that the Germans were starting to round up Jews for deportation, the Danish ambulance driver looked through telephone directories for individuals whose family names were “Jewish-sounding.” He drove his ambulance to the home of one family after another, warning the family to escape. A few of the people he contacted were scared and worried because they couldn’t think of any place to seek refuge. Knudsen drove these people to a hospital where one of the doctors was active in the Resistance. The doctor disguised the people as hospital patients. A week later, hundreds of Jewish refugees were still hiding in this hospital when news came that the Gestapo planned a search of the place. Hospital officials pretended that a funeral was being held in the hospital chapel. A procession of about twenty taxis came to take the “mourners” away.


Chapters 7-9 Vocabulary preview: https://quizlet.com/136659957/number-the-stars-chapters-7-9-flash-cards/ 

Number the Stars: Chapters 5 & 6

 Warm-up: ethics

In the section that we will read this week, Annemarie is faced with an ethical dilemma. Ethics are a set of values or principles by which people live. They help to define good and bad behavior.
One hand, lying is not ethical. Though, on the other hand, are there many situations when lying can be justified (is ok)? Explain your answer! 

Now, what kind of ethical dilemma is Annemarie facing? We will read and find out. But first, some background information about a Jewish holiday: 

Rosh Hashana

Rosh Hashana is the Jewish New Year. It occurs on the first day of the seventh month of the Jewish calendar, which is based on lunar months. The seventh month of the moon calendar usually falls in September. Rosh Hashana, which means “Head of the Year” in Hebrew, is one of the holiest days of the Jewish year. It commemorates the creation of the world and is a time for quietly reflecting on one’s actions during the previous year and for repenting of one’s sins. On Rosh Hashana, an ancient musical instrument called a shofar is played. The shofar is a ram’s horn. When it is blown, it creates a high-pitched blast. The notes of the shofar call Jews to experience a spiritual reawakening. 

Chapter 4 vocabulary preview: 
Number the Stars - chapter 4 Vocabulary Flashcards | Quizlet

Chapters 5 and 6 vocabulary preview: Number the Stars Vocabulary Chapters 5 and 6 Flashcards | Quizlet