English for Life Learner's Book Grade 4 Home Language. Lynne Southey

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      Did you know that dolphins have been known to rescue humans? For centuries sailors and fishermen have told tales of dolphins guiding them to shore when they were lost, herding them like a sheepdog herds a flock of sheep. Other stories are told about dolphins rescuing whales that get stranded in shallow water.

      When the tide comes in, the dolphins swim with the exhausted whales, pushing them and guiding them into deeper water.

      One young man, surfing out in the big waves, was attacked by a shark. The shark managed to rip the skin off his back and bite deeply into his leg. The surfer thought he was going to die. He was too far out to call for help or even to be seen from the shore. Three dolphins came to his rescue. They swam round him again and again, stopping the shark from attacking him, and they gently pushed him closer and closer to shore. When the surfer was close enough to human help, the dolphins turned and swam back out to sea.

      Why do dolphins do this? What do they gain from it? Most animals, and humans too, only do something which brings them something else. Dolphins seem to help others without wanting something in return. They are the only animals who do this.

      (a) Which drawing above is of the shark, which the whale and which the dolphin?

      (b) Tell your partner what you feel about each of the three.

      (c) Find synonyms (words that mean the same) in the text for the following words: save, hundreds of years, stories, tired, tear, beach.

      (d) Write a sentence summarising the first paragraph and another summarising the second.

      (e) Can you think of a time when something or someone rescued something else or someone else? Think about the plot of your story (what happens) and the setting (where it happens). You should write it out in an interesting way for your partner to read. Here is a way to do this:

      Plan for writing a short story

      Think about what you want to say.

      (f) Read your partner’s short story. If you think it can be improved, make suggestions in writing. When you receive your own story back from your partner, read the suggestions, and if you agree, improve your story.

      (g) Hand in your final version for your teacher to evaluate.

      Your teacher will use the following rubric to assess your work:

      Looking at the way we use language

      A writer always thinks about who will be reading what he or she writes. Will it be children or the general public or people who know a great deal about a certain subject? The writer will also think about the purpose of writing, the why. Is it to entertain, to teach a lesson, to inform about something?

      What can a writer do to provide different kinds of texts? The writer can:

       • choose words carefully.

       • use different kinds of sentences.

       • use direct or reported speech.

       • use formal or informal language.

      In the next activity you will decide on the kind of language used, and what audience it was written for and its purpose.

      1. Look at the picture below carefully. Tell your partner what you see. Do not look at the sentences in 2!

      2. Below are four sentences describing the picture. Below them, in the table, are words describing the kind of language, the audience, and the purpose. Draw a table like the one below. The words are jumbled up. Your task is to arrange them correctly to match each sentence.

      (a) The little boy first looked carefully around to make sure that the bent old man was not following him (from a fairy story).

      (b) The youngster glanced about to ensure that the elderly man was no longer behind him (formal language, from an adult novel).

      (c) The little guy checked around to see if he had lost the old geezer (informal).

      (d) ‘Then I saw the boy turn around and look behind him. I think he was making sure that the old man had gone’ (direct speech).

      Looking at the language of rhymes and stories

      In the next activity we are going to look at how language is used in nonsense rhymes and a short story. You need to remember that the writers have chosen their words and the ways they use them for the effect they create, whether it is for fun or to tell a story.

      Edward Lear lived in London in the 1800s. He wrote nonsense rhymes.

      His little poems are called ‘nonsense rhymes’ because they do not make sense even though the language and grammar are correct. Often his purpose was to make fun of the people or the fashions around him. Sometimes he even made words up.

      1. Below are two of his rhymes and their drawings, also done by him. Read the poems aloud softly to yourself. Notice the beat or rhythm of the words.

      Poem СКАЧАТЬ