2 Dec
Semantic search engines
Kngine
Tries to understand the documents and search queries in order to provide customised meaningful search result, and now also includes Kngine stats and Kngine explorer (Scan Vol.30).
WolframAlpha
Provides dynamic computations based on a vast collection of built -in data, algorithms and methods. This search engine also provides the option to interact with your results using sliders and controls, to rotate and zoom 3D graphics and visualisations, and to manipulate results directly in your browser (Scan Vol.30).
factbites
Allows a user to explore a complete new world of insights and sentiments from around the world, in real time (Scan Vol.30).
TipTopInsight
Offers you real, meaningful sentences that are right on topic (Scan Vol.30).
1 Dec
Pandia Search Central
Pandia Search Central
Pandia Powersearch
All-in-One List of Search Engines
Pandia Powersearch is an all-in-one list of search engines and directories. Search the Web using the search form above, or select one of the categories below to find the best Internet search tools.
18 Nov
How to write a book review
How to write a book review- from Scholastic
Book reviews written by 10 to 15 year olds
Book review helper
Year 7 – Book Review Scaffold
{This is a good way to introduce year 7s to the structure of a book review and highlights the difference between a book report and a book review. It also gets them into the habit of justifying why they have certain opinions of books. Under the ‘Why’ heading, don’t accept kids throwing words like ‘interesting’ or ‘funny’ at you. They also have to explain why it was interesting or why it was funny}.
Title – ___________________________________________________________
Author – _________________________________________________________
The Novel Itself
Lead Character – __________________________________________
Storyline/Plot – _______________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
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Did You like this book – YES / NO
Why? -
_______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
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List three words you would use to describe this book – ________________________________________________________________
Signed – ________________________________________________________________
After having them write their reviews in this scaffold, it would then be beneficial to intruduce them to the proper paragraph format of book reviews;
How To Write a Book Review
What is a book review?
- · A book review is a description and an evaluation of a book that you have read.
· Book reviews are so helpful because they inform future readers about books they may be interested in reading. Often, a book review will influence other readers by telling them a little bit about what the story is about, as well as if is worth reading or not!
· The most important thing to remember is that book reviews DO NOT give away the ending! If it is a good book, the reader will not want to spend time reading it if he/she already knows the ending.
Writing a review is much more than simply retelling the story in the novel. The focus of a REVIEW is the analysis of the novel, the way in which it was written and ways to describe the novel.
1. While it is important to discuss the storyline, do so briefly! Choose the main events that take place – not every little detail!! A review is 90% analysis and the space that is left should contain this summary!
· What was the story about?
· Who were the main characters?
· What did the main characters do in the story?
· Did the main characters run into any problems?
· Did the main characters have any adventures?
· Who was your favorite character? Why?
2. When we analyse, what do we talk about?
- we use words to describe the book (i.e. interesting, boring, exciting, adventurous, complex, confusing, unrealistic/realistic, thrilling, scary, predictable/unpredictable….). These words must be DESCRIPTIVE. Never use the terms good or bad!!
- We explain what is was about the novel that made us describe it in this way
(Was it things that a character said? an event(s) that took place? Were you able to relate to the characters for particular reasons {similar experiences you have had, situations they faced, how they were treated, ideas about things/what they believed in…)
3. Your Opinion
Different books appeal to different people. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion about different books. In this section you discuss your own opinion of the novel.
- Did you like the book?
- What was your favorite part of the book?
- Do you have a least favorite part of the book?
- If you could change something in the book, what would it be?
(If you wish you could change the ending, remember not to tell the ending to the story you read!) – Did you like the characters? Why?
4. Recommendation
- You may wish to recommend the novel to a particular age group, gender or people with a particular interest. You must explain why. (e.g. 1. I would recommend this novel to people who enjoy reading thrilling and intriguing stories because of the events which take place involving the main characters on their journey to the moon.)
(e.g.2. I would recommend this novel to boys between the ages of 12 and 20 because the main character is an adolescent male who they could relate to.)
- Mentioning the ‘level of language’ used is also relevant because this can determine who the novel would appeal to and who would have access to it (who would be able to read and understand it). I.e. Does it use complex language or terms that not many people would understand? Does it contain technical language that only people with specific knowledge would recognise (e.g. medical terminology, legal terms…). We refer to this highly professional language as being FORMAL.
- Does it use everyday language that most people would understand and recognise?
We refer to this as COLLOQUIAL language (the language of everyday use)
- Does it contain terms that only members of certain ‘cultural’ groups would recognise and understand? (e.g. surfies, hippies, skateboarders, bike riders – all create their ‘own’ language). We refer to these terms as SLANG.
Sample Review
Return to Del – by Emily Rodda
Return to Del is the eighth and final book in the Deltora quest series by Emily Rodda. The series tells the story of a young boy named Leif and his quest to locate the seven lost gems of the belt of Deltora. He is assisted on his quest by a former palace guard named Barda and Jasmine, a wild girl who Leif and Barda met on their first adventure to the Forests of Silence. At this point in the series the threesome have found all seven gems needed to reconstruct the Belt of Deltora and go in search of the heir to the throne of Deltora. The novel has many twists and turns that prevents the reader from discovering the truth about the identity of the heir and other characters until the final pages in the novel.
This is an exciting novel because of the many unusual adventures and interesting characters we meet along the way. The characters have many different personalities and quirky habits that amuse the audience. For example, one character named Doom is a very dark and mysterious character who is always suspicious of those around him. We also learn that he is not who he appears to be and is keeping many secrets from those around him.
The reader experiences many different emotions when reading the novel. We are excited by the possibility that the heir to the throne is found but then are disappointed and frustrated when it seems he has been kidnapped by the forces of evil. We also experience sadness when it appears one of the main characters may die because of his injuries but are then relieved when he miraculously becomes well again. Throughout the novel we are also able to feel the emotions that other characters experience because of the way we are able to relate to them and understand them.
My favourite character was Jasmine because she was an independent young girl who made her own decisions and was very resourceful. She kept her mind focused on the task and was able to take care of herself whenever trouble arose. She is an excellent role model for other young women because of her strength and courage and I admired those qualities in her.
I did enjoy reading Return to Del. My favourite part of the book was the ending because all of the pieces of the puzzle we had been given from the start of the series fell into place and everything made sense. I did not have a least favourite part of the novel because exciting things were happening all the time and each chapter left you dying to find out what would happen in the next one by creating suspenseful situations. The characters in the novel were a significant reason why I enjoyed the book. They all had important roles to play in the way the story unfolded and their observations of what was happening in the book were very detailed and helped to paint the picture for me to see things from many perspectives.
I would recommend this novel to boys and girls aged 9-15. The language in the novel is colloquial and very easy to understand. The adventures that the main characters have would also appeal to a teenage audience because they are exciting. The main characters in the novel are also teenagers so this would allow a teenage audience to relate to them. I would rate this novel 9/10.
7 Nov
Talented Young Writers
Young Talented Writers
Last term three Year Seven students were invited to participate in a Creative Writing Workshop at Bournda. Eli Grose, Isabel Woods and Elisha McEwan joined students from Eden and Bombala in this unique opportunity to express their writing skills in a very special environment.
The end product is a travelling exhibition of their works entitled “Exploring Landscapes” and this is currently available for viewing in the Bega School Library. The girls considered a sense of place and the features of a narrative literary account.
I am sure the girls gained enormous benefit from this experience. Special thanks to Jan Lynch and Eli’s dad for driving the girls to the venue.
Greg Bartlett
Games in the Gums
As I run through the leaves, I can hear them. Ma had woken me up early just so I would be ready. My name is Banjo and I am a Possum. I was born nine summers ago and I’m small for my age.
I came to the clearing made for this day. It’s the first day of summer and the day of the ‘Summer Gum Games’. The games give everyone a go at winning and no one can lose.
The first game today was a ringtoss. It’s a hard game because you’re in the tree tops but it’s fun all the same. I chose to copy what the others did. When it was my turn I threw the ring then closed my eyes. I heard cheering and discovered that I’d won. I cheered and smiled. I was so happy.
Next I went to the flying fox game. I was the first one there so I was first to try. They fitted the harness and I jumped. I hardly knew what was happening. As I fell I tried to scream but no sound came out. I was so scared. When I hit the ground a searing pain shot through me. I tested my limbs and I didn’t seem to be badly hurt.
But I soon came to realise where I was. It was like nothing I had ever seen. I looked around and saw lots of tall brown trees. They towered over me and cast long shadows in the afternoon light.
There was a loud roaring sound in the distance and I was standing on a fine, soft yellow surface. As I walk around exploring I sink into the surface. I can see all green things. I then realise where I am. I’m on the ground. I’m in a world of danger. I’m in the human world.
Elisha McEwen
Bega High School
Samples of the Work
The Pirates of Bournda
It was midnight. Everything was quiet. The only sound was of the sea crashing down onto the sand. The sound was beautiful. It made you feel calm, it made you want to skip.
‘Bang!’ I looked up, startled. What was that noise? It wasn’t a normal noise. It sounded strange. I’d never heard it before. I got up and slowly stretched my wings. I needed to go check. I slapped my wings and flew off into the darkness to check out that strange noise.
As I flapped, I got a good look at what went ‘Bang!’ There was a device that seemed to keep the water out of it. There were two legged animals that were yelling at each other waving long sticks. I heard another bang and decided to investigate tomorrow morning. I was too scared to find out.
The next day I woke up and decided to investigate the noise. Before I did that I went to get breakfast. To my surprise, my delicious grass seeds had been taken. Old Goanna lumbered past.
“Hello Parrot. Do you know where all the fruits and grass went? I can’t find anything to eat.”
“No Old Goanna. I have no idea and my food is gone too!”
“Did you hear that bang last night Parrot?”
“Yes. I went to go and investigate it.”
“Do you want to come with me?”
“Sure.”
So as I went with Old Goanna I stopped and ate some old berries. They left a bitter taste in my mouth.
As we walked up the hill and down onto the beach, I could hear a lot of noise before I even got there. They were shouting and digging holes.
“Humans,” breathed Old Goanna
“Humans?” I questioned. “What are they?”
“Those animals on the sand.”
“Would I be able to understand their language?”
“Yes, but only if you tried hard enough.”
Suddenly I could make out two words. “Seven holes.”
“They’re digging seven holes,” I told Old Goanna.
“Lord help me,” he said.
“Come on. We have to get rid of them,” I replied.
We had to get rid of them quickly and for that we needed the help of other animals.
Isabel Woods, Bega High School
The Birds of Wisdom
I watched as they danced, these two birds and I knew from then on that nothing could compare to the true beauty of nature. The problem was that no one else understood and so, when I died, the thought died with me in a blaze of pollution, log trucks, money, fiery chemicals and technology. That is until she was born ….
Sophia was born in the city, a vast expanse of metal, glass, concrete and smoke, a place of many cultures and much colour but the thing Sophia couldn’t find was beauty.
It started when the school gave the cute little Year Three’s a chance to go to the local nature park. Although Sophia had much to learn, her apartment was too small and a boring place for such an eager, fresh mind, the trip was a depressing experience with small domesticated animals, limp greenery, speakers playing out bird calls and litter hidden in every corner. The animals stared and Sophia tried to figure out what it meant but their minds were too confused. Back at home she was thinking about what had happened but she was too young to understand.
Four years later she started going to Narthly’s School for Girls. She caught the train to school, did her lessons, came home and thought. Every afternoon she would watch two parrots flitting around the wattle tree in her backyard. Their bright plumage, whispering and chattering comforted her as she watched them peck the sun sweet blossoms, flit through the smoggy sky and laugh at each other’s company.
That was until that fateful day when the speeding smokey mess of a car hit one. Its mate stayed with it for long, hard, sad days and it was then, when Sophia, who was now no longer a little girl but a tall chestnut haired, outgoing, young lady, found out what those animals had been saying.
They were asking why. WHY did you cut down my rainforest? WHY did you pollute my sea? WHY did you fence me up? WHY did you kill my species? So Sophia left. She’d seen the dancing birds and she’d seen what the world was doing to them and she decided she wanted to help.
She went and saw the crystalline, turquoise coral reefs, the emerald green exotic forests, the misty blue mountains, the running silver beamed streams and rivers and the baking orange deserts. She also saw the logging sites, the dying animals, the polluted waterways and she changed them. She planted, weeded, cleaned, pruned, filtered, cared, worked and loved.
And now she sits. A tall, confident, scarred, greying old bird. She sits listening to the sad but also joyful songs of the true beauty of nature and she has passed on her message and she knows that although the pure spherical paradise we call home is heading into a cloud of thick black smoke, she also knows many people are turning it around because this is not the end.
Ellie Grose
Bega High School
3 Nov
Writing for Senior English
A Guide to Writing Well
http://www.fireandknowledge.org/archives/2007/01/08/a-guide-to-writing-well/
User level: Stage 5, Stage 6, Professional
A compilation of writing tips, written by a web designer, makes this a general help site with some useful strategies for writing effectively. Students could most productively browse General principles and Usage principles. Information here will improve any writer’s ability to select and use the most effective words for good communication. Laid out under a list of headings, using numbered points and in a friendly voice, the material will assist with the teaching and learning of factual and creative process writing. The author’s tips are integrated with quotation examples from two of the world’s best writing manuals, Strunk and White’s The elements of style, and William Zinsser’s On writing well. The site pays special attention to writing introductions and conclusions, and to the art of redrafting. Suitable to support the DER NSW laptop project, this resource will be helpful in a connected environment. C. Thomas
“© State of New South Wales through the Department
A Guide to Grammar and Style
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/
Techniques for Writing
http://webaim.org/techniques/writing/
Syllabus: English 7-10; English Stage 6
KLA: English
User level: Stage 4, Stage 5, Stage 6, Professional
The site contains some of the clearest explanations of strategies for effective writing that students will find on the internet. Primarily a resource for writers with cognitive disabilities, and those writing for them, the site has 20 techniques that any high school writer will benefit from reading. Students should be directed to these points. In particular, the sections on how to recognise and use active voice, parallel sentences, and strong verbs, will be of value to students. Site material supporting the 20 techniques may assist teachers. Suitable to support the DER NSW laptop project, this resource will be helpful in a connected environment. C. Thomas
“© State of New South Wales through the Department
Tips for Writing Fiction
http://www2.hawaii.edu/~lady/fict/buzbee.html
OWL Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
Teen Ink Fiction- Stories written by teeenagers
http://www.teenink.com/fiction/
How to Write- From BBC World Service
What Makes a Good Short Story?
Writing Bar with tips for writing
