Monday Motivational - 08/07/13

“You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.”
- George Horace Lorimer

Monday Motivational - 01/07/13

“We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence then is not an act, but a habit.”
- Aristotle

Monday Motivational - 24/06/13

“Anything worth doing is worth doing now!”
- Ralph Stayer

Monday Motivational - 17/06/13

“Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can.” 
 - Richard Bach

Monday Motivational - 10/06/13

“Success on any major scale requires you to accept responsibility …  In the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have is the ability to take on responsibility.” 
 -Michael Korda

Monday Motivational - 03/06/13

“Develop success from failures.  Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.”

- Dale Carnegie

Happy Holidays - 24/05/13

See you on Monday 3rd June 2013.

Literacy Lesson - 23/05/13

Know the difference?


Pair = I have a new pair of shoes.
Pear = Please slice this pear in 4 pieces. It's my favourite fruit.
Pare = Use a sharp knife to pare (remove with a knife) the skin from the pear.

Motivational Quotes - 22/05/13

“Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates.  There’s plenty of movement, but you never know if it’s going to be forward, backwards or sideways.”

- H. Jackson Brown Jnr

Literacy Lesson - 21/05/13

Know the difference?

New = He wore his new shirt.
Knew = I knew him when he was younger.

Threw = He threw the ball.
Through = He threw the ball through the window.

Monday Motivational - 20/05/13

“I can’t imagine a person becoming a success who doesn’t give this game of life everything he’s got.”

- Walter Cronkite

Brain Teaser - 17/05/13 - The Answer

Can you solve this riddle?

During WWII, there was a bridge connecting Germany and Switzerland and on the German side there was a sentry tower with a guard in it. He would come out every three minutes to check on the bridge and he had orders to turn back anyone who tried to get into Germany and shoot anyone trying to escape without a pass. There was a woman who desperately needed to get into Switzerland and she knew she didn't have time to get a pass. It would take her at least six minutes to cross the bridge but she managed to do it. 

How?
A: When the sentry went into the tower she would start to cross into Switzerland and when he came out she would start to walk back into Germany. When he saw her he would tell her to turn back into Switzerland.

Brain Teaser - 17/05/13

Can you solve this riddle?

During WWII, there was a bridge connecting Germany and Switzerland and on the German side there was a sentry tower with a guard in it. He would come out every three minutes to check on the bridge and he had orders to turn back anyone who tried to get into Germany and shoot anyone trying to escape without a pass. There was a woman who desperately needed to get into Switzerland and she knew she didn't have time to get a pass. It would take her at least six minutes to cross the bridge but she managed to do it. 

How?

Literacy Lesson - 16/05/13

More Confusing Words!

Allowed = You are not allowed to smoke in here!
Aloud = I don't like to read aloud in front of the class.

Hour = There are 60 minutes in a hour.
Our = This is our house.

Motivational Quotes - 15/05/13

“There are no short cuts to any place worth going.”

- Beverly Sills

Literacy Lesson - 14/05/13

More Confusing Words!

Where = Where are you going tonight?
Wear = What are you going to wear?

Piece = I ate a large piece of pie (notice piece has the word pie in it).
Peace = He went on a march for world peace.

Motivational Quotes - 13/05/13

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

- Seneca

Brain Teaser - 10/05/13 - The Answer

Can you solve this riddle?

Times are hard in a small rural town; business is slowing and people are moving out. It so happens that there are two horse dealerships in town. Unfortunately, there's only enough people to support one of the dealerships. So the two owners meet and decide that one of them must leave town. Since neither of them want to leave they devise a competition to see who gets to stay. It is decided that they will race their horses across town. Now they don't want to damage their horses so they change the race rule so that whoever's horse crosses the finish post LAST wins the race and gets to stay in town. So the next day they set off. Both are ambling along taking rests and getting nowhere nearer to finishing. After a few hours, a wise old man tells them to dismount and gives them some advice, after which the two sprint back to the horses, get on and gallop towards the finish line. 

Assuming that the race rules were not changed - what advice did the old man give them?

Simply to swap horses (whereby getting across the finish line first would ensure that the rider's horse crossed last).

Brain Teaser - 10/05/13

Can you solve this riddle?

Times are hard in a small rural town; business is slowing and people are moving out. It so happens that there are two horse dealerships in town. Unfortunately, there's only enough people to support one of the dealerships. So the two owners meet and decide that one of them must leave town. Since neither of them want to leave they devise a competition to see who gets to stay. It is decided that they will race their horses across town. Now they don't want to damage their horses so they change the race rule so that whoever's horse crosses the finish post LAST wins the race and gets to stay in town. So the next day they set off. Both are ambling along taking rests and getting nowhere nearer to finishing. After a few hours, a wise old man tells them to dismount and gives them some advice, after which the two sprint back to the horses, get on and gallop towards the finish line. 

Assuming that the race rules were not changed - what advice did the old man give them?

Literacy Lesson - 09/05/13

More Confusing Words!

Which = Which ice-cream would you like?
Witch = The witch was seen flying on a broomstick.
Whose = Whose planner is this?
Who's = Who's going to the park with John?
(Who is)

Motivational Quotes - 08/05/13

“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

- Stephen R. Covey

Literacy Lesson - 07/05/13

Very Confusing Words!

Some words sound the same but mean different things and are often spelled differently to. These special words are called Homophones.

Homo means 'same'
Phone means 'sound'

So literally, homophone means same sound.

Common Confusions

They're (shortened form) - They're is a shorter way to say they are.
Their (ownership) - It was their dog that bit the postman.
There (Where? There) - The children should sit over there.

Monday Motivational - 06/05/13

“Knowledge is power.”

- Anonymous

Brain Teaser - 06/05/13 - The Answer

All the electricity was out in town and none of the street lights or traffic signals had power. A dark limousine was cruising down the newly paved street with its headlights off. A young boy dressed totally in black (with no reflectors) stepped out to cross the street. The wasn't out and the boy had no torch, yet the driver stopped to let the boy cross the street.

How did the driver see the boy?

The driver saw the boy because it was during daylight hours.

Brain Teaser - 03/05/13

All the electricity was out in town and none of the street lights or traffic signals had power. A dark limousine was cruising down the newly paved street with its headlights off. A young boy dressed totally in black (with no reflectors) stepped out to cross the street. The wasn't out and the boy had no torch, yet the driver stopped to let the boy cross the street.

How did the driver see the boy?

Literacy Lesson - 02/05/13

Long and Short Forms

To Be - simple present

Motivational Quotes - 01/05/13

“There are people who, instead of listening to what is being said to them, are already listening to what they are going to say themselves.”

- Albert Guinon

Monday Motivational - 29/04/13

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.”

- Eleanor Roosevelt 

Literacy Lesson - 25/04/13

Long and Short Forms

In spoken English we often use a shortened version of a verb. Instead of " I am" we say, I'm.
"You are" becomes you're and "did not" becomes didn't etc.

• When we write the short form we use an apostrophe (') for the missing letter(s).
• We also use these short forms in informal written English. But remember, when writing in a more formal style (Dear Sir) or when writing an essay, you will need to use the long forms.
• Watch this space for some examples next time.
• Be sure to read them and understand their meaning and spelling because they can be tricky!

Motivational Quotes - 24/04/13

“Progress always involves risk; you can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.”

- Frederick Wilcox

Literacy Lesson - 23/04/13

 

 BRAIN FRIENDLY EXAM REVISION

 

    RECORDING

• Record your notes.
• Listen to the last thing at night.
• Listen to them while walking to school or travelling on the bus.

 

Monday Motivational - 22/04/13

“The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination.”

- Tommy Lasorda

Literacy Lesson - 18/04/13

 

Brain Friendly Exam Revision

    

    VISUALS

• Make good use of drawings/diagrams in your revision
• Use different colors
• Replace key words/ideas/people/places with pictures
• Create posters and put them up around your house

Motivational Quotes - 17/04/13

“The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing in the right place, but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.”

- Lady Dorothy Nevill

Literacy Lesson - 28/03/13

Brain Friendly Exam Revision

 

USE COLOUR

 

Your brain adores colour and will remember things more easily if you use it.

 

• KEYWORDS
• CONCEPTS
• DATES

Motivational Quotes - 27/03/13

“You don’t drown by falling in the water; you drowned by staying there.”

- Edwin Louis Cole

Literacy Lesson - 26/03/13

Brain Friendly Exam Revision

 

Your own notes are the best:

• The more you personalise your revision, the more effective it will be. So, the notes you make are the best.
• The process of making notes is part of your revision.
• Once you own the work, it is easier to remember.

Monday Motivational - 25/03/13

“Commitment is the enemy of resistance, for it is the serious promise to press on, to get up, no matter how many times you are knocked down.”

- David McNally

Brain Teaser - 22/03/13 - The Answer

Did you solve this Riddle?

My author's uncertain yet my title's the same. I contain random text yet order's my aim. Read me one day and see my pages are totally bare. Try again another day and the words will be there. I'm not a book of magic although it may sound. I can predict the future and inside your life can be found. Move my eye I become involved in lactic extraction. But that's just a clue, a minor distraction.

What am I?

A: A Diary

Brain Teaser - 22/03/13

Can you solve this Riddle?

My author's uncertain yet my title's the same. I contain random text yet order's my aim. Read me one day and see my pages are totally bare. Try again another day and the words will be there. I'm not a book of magic although it may sound. I can predict the future and inside your life can be found. Move my eye I become involved in lactic extraction. But that's just a clue, a minor distraction.

What am I?
Answer on Monday

Literacy Lesson - 21/03/13

 

Exam Literacy

 

Every year, you can waste valuable time in exams by explaining something, when the COMMAND WORD simply asked you to describe something. Know the difference!

 

DESCRIBE: Examiners are asking you to state what you can see (on a photo, a diagram, or a graph etc) or simply say what something is like. In some subjects it may be asking you to give an account of events.

 

EXPLAIN: These questions are harder because you will need to show your understanding by giving reasons for why or how something happens.

Motivational Quotes - 20/03/13

“The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.”

- Theodore Roosevelt

Literacy Lesson - 19/03/13

Monday Motivational - 18/03/13

“The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”

- Albert Einstein

Brain Teaser - 15/03/13 - The Answer

Did you solve this riddle?

You're in a mansion and the power's out. You see a green door and a red door. Pick one (it doesn't matter which.) Now you see a purple door and a orange door. Pick one (again, it doesn't matter which you pick). Now you see a door with a golden handle and a door with a silver handle. Pick one. You finally come to some signs on three doors. One says "Death from drowning," another says "Death from machine guns," and the last one says "Death from electric chair." Then you see a big sign off to the side that says "Or stay in the mansion and starve to death."

What do you choose and still live?
A: Pick the door with the electric chair. Remember, the power is out?

Brain Teaser - 15/03/13

Can you solve this riddle?

You're in a mansion and the power's out. You see a green door and a red door. Pick one (it doesn't matter which.) Now you see a purple door and a orange door. Pick one (again, it doesn't matter which you pick). Now you see a door with a golden handle and a door with a silver handle. Pick one. You finally come to some signs on three doors. One says "Death from drowning," another says "Death from machine guns," and the last one says "Death from electric chair." Then you see a big sign off to the side that says "Or stay in the mansion and starve to death."

What do you choose and still live?

Literacy Lesson - 14/03/13

Motivational Quotes - 13/03/13

“If you stand up and be counted , from time to time you may get yourself knocked down.  But remember this: a man flattened by an opponent can get up again.  A man flattened by conformity stays down for good.”

- Thomas J. Watson, Jnr

Literacy Lesson - 12/03/13

 

Monday Motivational - 11/03/13

“You can learn from anyone even your enemy.”

- Ovid

Brain Teaser - 08/03/13 - The Answer

Did you solve this riddle?

A man worked at a high security institution. The man tried to log into his computer and the computer denied the password. He then remembered that the passwords to the computers were reset every month for security reasons. He called his boss for his new password.

The man said, "Boss, my old password is out of date."

The boss said, "Yes, it is. The new password is different, but if you listen closely you will be able to figure out the new one. Your new password has the same amount of letters as the old one, and four of the letters are the same."

The man then logged into his computer with no trouble.

What was the new password?
The man's new password was "different".
What was the old password?
The man's old password was "out of date".

Brain Teaser - 08/03/13

Can you solve this riddle?

A man worked at a high security institution. The man tried to log into his computer and the computer denied the password. He then remembered that the passwords to the computers were reset every month for security reasons. He called his boss for his new password.

The man said, "Boss, my old password is out of date."

The boss said, "Yes, it is. The new password is different, but if you listen closely you will be able to figure out the new one. Your new password has the same amount of letters as the old one, and four of the letters are the same."

The man then logged into his computer with no trouble.

What was the new password?
What was the old password?
Answer on Monday.......

Literacy Lesson - 07/03/13

Exam Literacy

Plan Your Time in an Exam

• Note the total time for the exam and add any extra time if you have been awarded this.
• Read through the exam paper. Note how many questions you have to answer.
• Look at the mark scheme carefully for each question and plan your time accordingly.
• You may want to look for questions you can easily answer and do these first to build your confidence at the beginning.
• Pace yourself. Look back over your answer at the end of each question rather than leave it all to the end.
• If you get stuck on a question, jot down some bullet points and move on. You may be able to come back to it and another question may trigger your memory.

Motivational Quotes - 06/03/13

“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotions.”

- Dale Carnegie

Literacy Lesson - 05/03/13

 

Exam Literacy

Running out of time!

 

Each exam paper provides you with a different challenge in terms of time keeping. No doubt your teachers will offer you advice about this.

 

However, looking at papers where candidates ended up with a grade D, about 25% of candidates ran out of time!

 

Learn the most basic time keeping lesson of all...........

 

Don't repeat the question in your answer!

 

Example:

Q: How far does the traveller have to go before reaching Nairobi?

A: The traveller has to go 10 kms before reaching Nairobi.

A: 10 kms

Monday Motivational - 04/03/12

“The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want.”

- Ben Stein

Literacy Lesson - 28/02/13

Exam Literacy

Answer the Question

Misreading an exam question can lose you marks and may be the difference between receiving a D/C or a B/A.

Perhaps the most important piece of advice to remember and apply when taking is exams is to answer the question that you have been asked.

Practice:

• Reading the WHOLE question
• Identifying Command Words (Describe, DIscuss, Explain, Calculate, Evaluate) and know what the words are asking you to do.
• Identifying key words that further tell you what to answer.

Motivational Quote - 27/02/13

“To be conscious that you are ignorant of the facts is a great step to knowledge.”

- Benjamin Disraeli

Literacy Lesson - 26/02/13

Exam Literacy

Revision Techniques

First, make sure your class notes are complete. Next, summarise them into condensed packets of information. These can be in the form of:

• Index cards/flash cards - these are found in Reprographics so ask your teacher
• Bullet pointed information under topic headings. This could be done on PowerPoint if you want.
• Colour-coded mind maps for each topic.
• Record essential information and playback.
• Any format you like that is successful for you.

Summarising your notes into the above formats is an excellent way to revise. These notes are then valuable revision tools right up until your exams. Run through them with anyone who will listen, even the cat!

Monday Motivational - 25/02/13

“You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.”

- George Horace Lorimer

Brain Teaser - 22/01/13 - The Answer

Did you solve this riddle?

Two spies want to get in an enemy's military base.In order to get in they have to give the correct countersign to the guard at the gate after he gives them the sign. So they wait hidden nearby the gate so that they will overhear the countersign from another soldier.

One soldier comes and the guard gives the sign: "6".The soldier answers "3".The guard lets him pass. Another soldier comes.The guard says "12" and the soldier gives the answer "6".The guard lets him pass. So, the first spy goes at the gate and the guard asks says "10".The spy, sure that he knew the answer as he was, says "5". Immediately, the guard shoots him dead.

Then the other spy, who saw that the other spy was killed when he gave the countersign, had now understood what the right answer would be, whatever the guard's sign was.So, he walks to the gate and the guard says "8".The spy gives the correct answer and the guard lets him in. What was the answer that the spy gave?

A: The answer is "5". The countersign is always the number of letters of the number that the guard gives. ("six" has 3 letters and "twelve" has 6 letters. After the two soldiers passed, the first spy thought the answer was the half of the number that the guard gave (like what you also might have thought), so he answered 5 when the guard said 10, which was wrong as ten has 3 letters)

Brain Teaser - 22/02/13

Can you solve this riddle?

Two spies want to get in an enemy's military base.In order to get in they have to give the correct countersign to the guard at the gate after he gives them the sign. So they wait hidden nearby the gate so that they will overhear the countersign from another soldier.

One soldier comes and the guard gives the sign: "6".The soldier answers "3".The guard lets him pass. Another soldier comes.The guard says "12" and the soldier gives the answer "6".The guard lets him pass. So, the first spy goes at the gate and the guard asks says "10".The spy, sure that he knew the answer as he was, says "5". Immediately, the guard shoots him dead.

Then the other spy, who saw that the other spy was killed when he gave the countersign, had now understood what the right answer would be, whatever the guard's sign was.So, he walks to the gate and the guard says "8".The spy gives the correct answer and the guard lets him in. What was the answer that the spy gave?

Literacy Lesson - 21/02/13

The Colon

Rule 1: Colons can be used to introduce a list, e.g.

We have five different subjects on Monday: Science, English, French, Drama and Art.

Motivational Quotes - 20/02/13

“I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflections.”

- Thomas Payne

Literacy Lesson - 19/02/13

The Semi-colon

Rule 2: The semi-colon is used in a list where there is more description of each item.

We normally use a comma to separate items in a list, e.g. At the circus we saw a clown, a lion, a fire eater and an acrobat.

However, when we describe items more fully, it is best to separate the items with a semi-colon, e.g. At the circus we saw a clown juggling with swords; a lion who stood on a ball; a fire eater with flashing eyes; and an eight year old acrobat.

Monday Motivational - 18/02/13

“Difficulties are opportunities to better things;  they are stepping stones to greater experience …
When one door closes another always opens: as a natural law it has to, to balance.”

- Brian Adams

Motivational Quotes - 06/02/13

“It’s always too soon to quit!”

- Norman Vincent Peale

Literacy Lesson - 05/02/13

 The semi-colon

Often misunderstood, but this piece of punctuation is needed to gain a good level 5 in writing.

How can you use the semi-colon?

Rule 1: The semi-colon can be used instead of a full stop. It can link two complete sentences and join them to make one sentence.

Any two sentences?

It is best used when the two sentences are about the same theme.

E.g. The door swung open; a masked figure strode in.

       Glucose is absorbed directly into the blood stream; it gives us energy to move.

The semi-colon can be used instead of a connective to join the two sentences.

How would you change the two sentences above by joining them together with a connective?

Monday Motivational - 04/02/13

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right.”

- Henry Ford

Brain Teaser - 01/02/2013 - The Answer

What is unusual about the following words: revive, banana, grammar, voodoo, assess, potato, dresser, uneven?

Answer: Take the first letter of each word and place it at the end. It will spell the same word backwards.

Brain Teaser - 01/02/2013

What is unusual about the following words: revive, banana, grammar, voodoo, assess, potato, dresser, uneven?

Answer on Monday

Literacy Lesson - 31/01/13

Punctuation Practice

Review:  

Full Stop = 

Marks the end of a sentence. Watch out for Run on Sentences!

Commas = 

Separate items in a list, e.g. I like apples, oranges, grapes and pears.

Separate connectives at the start of sentences, e.g. Meanwhile, ...

Separate clauses in complex sentences, e.g. The classroom, which was heaving with students, was getting stuffy.

The Question Mark ?

Marks the end of a direct question. Example, When will you be ready?

Marks the end of a rhetorical question (used as a persuasive device where you are not looking for an answer). Example, Wouldn’t you like to have hair as manageable as this?

Motivational Quotes - 30/01/13

“If the people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it wouldn’t seem wonderful at all.”

- Michelangelo

Brain Teaser - 25/01/13 - The Answer

How can you throw a ball as hard as you can and have it come back to you, even if it doesn't bounce off anything? There is nothing attached to it, and no one else catches or throws it back to you.

Answer: Throw the ball up in the air.

Brain Teaser - 25/01/2013

How can you throw a ball as hard as you can and have it come back to you, even if it doesn't bounce off anything? There is nothing attached to it, and no one else catches or throws it back to you.

Answer on Monday

Literacy Lesson 24/01/2013

The Dreaded Comma Splice!!

This happens when a writer has connected two simple sentences (two main clauses) with just a comma.

Remember the example of a Run on Sentence?

I rushed out to the shop I had no milk left.

Well, some realise that they cannot leave this sentence like it is and know the two simple sentences need to be separated so they simply insert a comma.

I rushed out to the shop, I had no milk left.

WRONG! This is known as “Comma Splicing”.

Again, your best solutions are to:

·        Insert a full stop to make two separate sentences.

·        Insert a semi-colon to connect the two sentences.

·        Insert a connective to make a complex sentence.

Motivational Quotes - 23/01/13

“The most important thing about education is appetite.”

- Winston Churchill

Literacy Lesson - 22/01/13

RUN ON SENTENCES

Run on sentences are sentences that lack punctuation. They simply run into each other!

E.g. I rushed out to the shop I had no milk left.

Solutions:

1. Put in a full stop.

I rushed out to the shop. I had no milk left.

2. Use a semi-colon if there is a connection between the two sentences.

I rushed out to the shops; I had no milk left.

3. Insert a connective to make a complex sentence.

I rushed out to the shop because I had no milk left.

Although it may be obvious in this simple example, it is easy to get carried away when writing an essay and end up with too many run-on sentences!